When Feldenkrais practitioners say, “Learn to Learn” they are reminding us that, every instant of our lives we are offered the possibility of choice, choice in action, in intention, in feeling, in thought, even in our values. Are you a machine that is programmed to do the same thing with the same input, or are you a thinking, feeling, living person who can make choices. That doesn’t mean we suggest you always choose to do something different.
When faced by a choice, do you agonize? Or can you feel within yourself a real basis for your life, and it is through that sense of your true self that you are able to spontaneously make the right choice, right for you, right for that instant.
The FELDENKRAIS METHOD® of Somatic Education helps you learn at a deep level your true self so that choice becomes easier, more natural.
Many of the articles in this series will give you movement sequences that inform your choice. They will be brief, more like tastes than the full meals of AWARENESS THROUGH MOVEMENT® lessons, or FUNCTIONAL INTEGRATION® lessons. So, enjoy!
The Path Towards Wisdom
Aging, Impulsivity, and the Path Toward Wisdom
I think being able to age gracefully is a very important talent. It is too late for me.
— Clint Eastwood
Have you ever noticed yourself blurting out sharp or negative responses in conversation—only to catch yourself later and think, “Hmm, that wasn’t fair”?
It’s something many people experience as they get older, sometimes even noticing it in friends or colleagues who weren’t like this before.
“I’d find myself cutting people off or assuming I knew where they were going.”
—David, age 62
David, a project manager in his sixties, put it this way. Elena, in her late seventies, shared a similar experience: “I was about to blurt out to my grandson, ‘That’s silly, I don’t care,’ before he’d even finished speaking.” Both recognized the same pattern—impatience, jumping to conclusions, reacting before thinking.
The Science Behind the Blurting
Psychologists Hasher and Zacks have called this the inhibitory deficit, that is, the gradual weakening of the brain’s ability to hold back a first impulse as we age. It’s a shift that can make us more likely to respond reflexively than thoughtfully.
Yet all societies have the image of the wise older person to whom we can go for support and guidance: wisdom. Researchers have investigated this opposite tendency, describing wisdom as an ability to pause, reflect, and see multiple perspectives. However, this is not as common as creeping irritability; wisdom requires cultivation over time through openness, reflection, and life’s challenges.
What Makes a Difference?
The Washington Post recently reported on large-scale intervention studies (2025) showing that modest lifestyle adjustments—like exercise, healthier diets, social interaction, and mental challenges—can improve executive function and processing speed in older adults.
These cognitive gains suggest that the “gap” between impulse and reflection isn’t fixed—it can be widened with intentional support.
“At work I felt the urge to interrupt—and then I noticed it, like a push in my chest. I waited, just a breath longer—and I gained clarity that changed how I responded.”
—David
Feldenkrais®: Practicing the Pause
The Feldenkrais Method® offers a unique way to practice this widening of the gap. By slowing down movement and drawing attention to subtle sensations, it trains the nervous system to notice the space before action.
David described it this way: “In class I learned how to stop rushing into a movement, and to feel where I was before deciding what to do. That skill carried over. Now, even in conversation, I can sense the same pause. I don’t feel trapped in my first reaction anymore—I have options.”
Elena found something similar at home: “Instead of dismissing my grandson, I softened, let him finish, then asked him to show me—sparking a beautiful connection.” Later she reflected: “Feldenkrais gave me a way to notice the tension in my chest before I spoke. Once I felt that, I could choose differently. It surprised me how natural it became, like discovering a hidden lever I didn’t know I had.”
In both stories, what had been a reflexive blurting impulse became an opportunity for connection. That’s the gift of Feldenkrais: not to suppress impulses, but to give them new channels. By cultivating presence in how you move and breathe, you cultivate presence in how you listen and respond. Over time, the gap between impulse and action becomes less of a struggle and more of a doorway—into curiosity, flexibility, and, at times, the clarity we often associate with wisdom.
Keep Exploring
If this resonates, you may enjoy some of my other writings on aging, movement, and awareness. Articles include:
For a more hands-on experience, you can also explore my recorded courses and online programs, where I guide you through lessons designed to bring more ease and clarity into everyday life: see recorded class sets here.
References
Hasher, L., & Zacks, R. T. Working memory, comprehension, and aging: A review and a new view.
Baltes, P. B., & Staudinger, U. M. Wisdom: A metaheuristic to orchestrate mind and virtue toward excellence.
Ardelt, M. Empirical assessment of a three-dimensional wisdom scale.
New JAMA study: lifestyle changes improve brain function in older adults (2025). JAMA via Washington Post (read here)
A Journey Through Poses
— the Awareness Through Movement lessons, the individual Functional Integration lessons, I have marvelled about how it provides people ways to improve their direct experience of their lives.
The image I have of this series is like embarking on a holiday visit to a beautiful valley. At first, the shapes, colours, and scents will be unfamiliar. You won’t yet know the dips and curves that lead to a shaded babbling brook or the wildflower-covered meadows bursting with life. Even the texture of the path beneath your feet will remain a mystery until you take your first steps.
You may carry apprehensions—Will it be too cold? Too challenging?—and hopes—Oh, for a cozy spot to enjoy coffee with a breathtaking view. But together, we will approach this valley with openness and curiosity, ready to discover its beauty.
To fully appreciate the richness of this experience, we will draw on the Feldenkrais Method to awaken and refine our senses. Like any journey through new terrain, the most rewarding moments often come when we allow ourselves to truly take in the world around us: the scent of fresh air, the textures of leaves and petals, the subtle hues of flowers, and the solid grounding presence of trees.
As we journey, we will also awaken the kinesthetic sense—the deep inner awareness of movement and space—so that you feel free to turn and perceive the world in all directions. This is the essence of discovery: being fully present, fully alive, and open to the richness of the new.
Join me in this journey!
There will be two class times with different registration links:
Tuesday evening 7:30 pm | Thursday morning 9:30 am |
Starts January 7 | Starts January 9 |
6 classes | 6 classes |
• online/zoom •online course material •Recordings available | • IN PERSON •limited space •No recordings |
Read other articles on Yoga and the Feldenkrais Method:
You might also like:
Moshe as Yoga Master
Dr. Feldenkrais as Yoga Master
Feldenkrais historian Moti Nativ has found early indications of Dr. Feldenkrais being very well acquainted with yoga practice. He writes,
The first Yoga book published in Israel was in 1958 titled Yoga and Health by Selvarajan Yesudian. Dr. Feldenkrais was invited to write the foreword for this book.
Feldenkrais welcomed the book and the author and gave his appreciation to Hatha Yoga. Among other things he wrote:
Every exercise is good, if performed properly, like every word is good, if used appropriately. The essence therefore is to learn the “how” and not the “what” to do. So, the essence is to learn HOW to practice Yoga…the author realizes it and dedicates a special chapter to slow movements” (translation by Moti Nativ).
When the Indian Yoga master, Bala Krishnan, visited and taught in Israel, it was Dr. Feldenkrais that was first on stage to introduce Yoga and the Yoga Master.
See also articles on Feldenkrais Method and Yoga:
- Applications with Yoga
- Rob’s Yoga and FM series: A Journey Through Poses
Applications with Yoga
Feldenkrais™ lessons can complement and transform a yoga practice. Feldenkrais focuses on letting go of unnecessary tension, refining movement patterns, and cultivating curiosity all while increasing overall ease and health.
One’s yoga practice can become not just easier, but more graceful and integrated – and fun!
There is a great deal of commonality in the underlying principles and practices. Both approaches emphasise awareness of breath, comfort, appreciation of elegance in movement and positions, as well as change and growth. Participants from both leave classes with a sense of increased wellness and ease.
Developed by Dr. Moshe Feldenkrais, this somatic education system uses gentle, systematic exploratory movements to enhance awareness, alignment, and functional ease. It engages the nervous system’s capacity for learning (the basis of neuroplasticity), enabling you to discover new, more effective ways to move and sense yourself.
The Feldenkrais Method™ is offered in two ways: classes (called Awareness Through Movement™ or ATM®) and individual sessions (called Functional Integration™ or FI®). This article refers mainly to the ATM classes. What is taught in a class is usually referred to as a “lesson”, which emphasises that the experience is intended to be a learning experience, and that the learning is related to changes in functioning.
Shared Emphasis on Breathing
Both yoga and the Feldenkrais Method place breathing at the heart of their practice. In Feldenkrais, attention to breath often reveals unconscious tension and habits that interfere with ease. Lessons may explore how subtle adjustments in moving the ribs or the rhythm of breathing reduced effort and improves alignment (see: What is Correct Breathing and Your Best Breath).
For instance, a student might discover how expanding awareness of breath during a twist allows the movement to unfold naturally, rather than forcing it, and consequently the person can twist further without strain. These discoveries resonate with yoga practitioners, deepening their connection to breath in asanas and meditation.
Overcoming Plateaus with Less Effort
The result can often be less ease and even injury. Many Yoga practitioners encounter plateaus in their practice, where progress seems elusive despite consistent effort. Often, these roadblocks stem from habitual movement patterns that limit flexibility or strength. Feldenkrais lessons can help let go of these limitations by introducing new movement pathways.
For example, in balancing poses like Tree Pose or Warrior III, doing lessons that apply Feldenkrais principles to reduce unnecessary muscular tension related to standing can improve stability and focus.
Dancing Between Effort & Ease
Can you dance between effort and ease? An oft-quoted aphorism in the Yoga Sutras is the sthira-sukham asanam, sutra 2.46, and is most commonly translated, “posture (asana) [should be] stable (sthira) and comfortable (sukha)[i]”. Similarly, Dr. Feldenkrais wrote, “In any coordinated, well-learned action we can distinguish certain features or recognize the following sensations”, two of which are: 1. Absence of effort; 2. Ease of breathing. In a way, his book, The Potent Self, can be read as reflections of the Yoga Sutras of Patañjali[ii] in daily life.
For example, in balancing poses like Tree Pose or Warrior III, applying Feldenkrais principles to attend to, and reduce unnecessary muscular tension can improve stability and focus.
Real-Life Stories: Healing and Transformation
Rachel Potasznik, a certified Yoga teacher, attended her first ATM class to address a chronic shoulder injury. Initially skeptical of the slow, subtle movements, she had a breakthrough when a tiny, deliberate shoulder movement suddenly released long-held tension. Her shoulder began to heal, inspiring her to train as a Feldenkrais teacher and integrate the method into her Yoga practice[iii].
Faye Berton, another Yoga teacher, had a similar experience. A practitioner of the rigorous Iyengar style, she initially struggled with the Feldenkrais emphasis on reducing effort. “To ask me to reduce effort was a real short-circuit,” she admitted. But over time, she noticed profound changes in her body awareness and capabilities, leading her to pursue certification as a Guild Certified Feldenkrais Practitioner™ [iv].
These stories highlight how Feldenkrais lessons help practitioners move past injury, limitation, and ingrained habits—unlocking new potential in their Yoga practice.
The Feldenkrais alternative to striving and efforting
Many people in society have a habit of applying effort and ignoring discomfort in order to achieve a pose. Students in ATM classes are invited to explore movement (and stillness) with curiosity and openness. They are encouraged to notice how they move to sense how this resonates through their whole body as they follow the suggested movement. This approach broadens their internal awareness, allowing them to refine movements and discover new possibilities. The result is not just improved function but a deeper sense of embodiment and presence.
Feldenkrais Lessons Are Often Done Lying Down
Unlike Yoga, which works primarily in upright postures, Feldenkrais lessons often take place lying on the floor. This creates an environment where students can focus entirely on sensing and refining movement without the added challenge of maintaining balance.
Near the end of a class, students are often invited to experience the movements upright.
For Yoga practitioners, this can reveal subtle patterns of tension that affect standing poses or transitions. For example, through experiencing a classic Feldenkrais lesson titled “The Pelvic Clock”, a yoga student can improve stability and alignment in Warrior Pose or Downward Dog. By removing habitual compensations, students gain new insights into how their body works as a whole.
Practical Benefits for Yoga Practitioners
The integration of Feldenkrais and Yoga offers tangible benefits:
- Refining Alignment: ATM lessons clarify errors in alignment thus improving asanas.
- Overcoming Plateaus: By introducing new movement patterns, students can release physical or mental barriers in their practice.
- Reducing Effort: The emphasis on ease transforms poses that once felt difficult or strained into graceful, sustainable movements.
- Deepening Awareness: Both practices cultivate mindfulness, and the Feldenkrais Method offers unique tools for sensing the body’s interconnections in real-time.
Applying Awareness Though Movement (ATM) lessons in Yoga classes
Many yoga teachers who have participated in ATM lessons find that they can bring some of the lesson sequences into their practice. The ubiquitous “Pelvic Clock” lesson developed by Dr. Feldenkrais is now explored in many yoga classes. It is not uncommon to find yoga teachers implementing a sequence they learned in ATM classes to help their students find comfort in approaching a pose.
Closing Invitation
Yoga and the Feldenkrais Method share a common goal: enhancing strength, flexibility, balance, and presence. By blending these practices, practitioners can move beyond effort and strain to discover ease, grace, and integration in both movement and life. Experience this synergy for yourself.
Why not start with a session today and see how it complements your Yoga practice? I invite you to explore further with the free introduction to the Feldenkrais Method available online at: (https://somaticjourneys.thrivecart.com/free-introduction/) This includes a full lesson so that you can experience many of these aspects, as well as three short (5-10-minute) lessons specifically designed to free the neck, free the jaw and reduce stiffness in the hips and spine.
References
[i] See: https://www.ekhartyoga.com/articles/practice/sthira-and-sukha-finding-balance-on-and-off-the-mat
[ii] For example: https://www.swamij.com/yoga-sutras-list.htm
[iii] My Journey from Yoga to Feldenkrais® and Back Again, By Rachel Potasznik https://feldenkrais.com/my-journey-from-yoga-to-feldenkrais-and-back-again-by-rachel-potasznik/
[iv] Improving Yoga Asana With Feldenkrais – Interview With Faye Berton. Video on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdwKH7wbwgk
Feldenkrais Method® for Sleep
Do you wake up in the middle of the night with a lot of thoughts or emotions — and cannot get back to sleep? I’ve been there, a captive of anxiety.
When I was a young man, I began waking up in the middle of the night, staying awake for seemingly hours, with many thoughts about things happening in my life. A friend called it her “squirrels running around”. She identified it as a kind of anxiety, and described it as part of my consciousness/brain was concerned that I would miss something important and so I had to wake up. The solution for me was surprisingly simple and had two steps. The first was to have a notebook at the side of the bed upon which to write the concerns. The second was a bit of a surprise: each night, I had to teach myself (verbally and even imagining doing it) that if something important needed done, that I would wake up, write it down, and deal with it in the morning. Thus I learned a new process for effective sleep.
Did you know that your body has cues for sleep? Each of us have a unique combination of sensations that trigger the mind to shift state toward sleep. It’s usually more than one sensation. For example, it could be lying on your left side, your left hand under your left cheek, right knee drawn up a little bit; you might have the sensation of a soft sheet on your right cheek or shoulder. You might feel your tummy gently expanding and easing near the soft lower sheet. In other words, this combination (or constellation) of sensations together “mean” “ready to sleep”.
However, anxiety separates us from our sensations, and our mind does not get that constellation of sensory cues; instead our thoughts spiral to the past or future. Thus we need to use our brilliant conscious mind to bring attention to sensation.
Anxiety also causes our attention to focus, to have “tunnel vision”. So attending to a single sensation brings in this tunnel vision. Instead we need to also open our attention to attend to several sensations in a gentle, organic way. So the brilliant mind also needs to change its pattern to have an “open focus”.
These two conditions are usually sufficient to allow your system to recognize sufficient cues so the “sleep constellation” can be recognized and you can drift off to sleep.
Almost all Feldenkrais Awareness Through Movement® lessons help you with these.
After five to ten minutes of easy attention to oneself in the present seems to be sufficient for most people to allow the sensations of sleep to be recognized… and you drift off…
A common Awareness Through Movement lesson for easy sleep involves attending to breathing… (here’s a link to one).
More articles:
Clarify the Self Image
Have you a gap in your Self Image?
The Self Image is the core from which we move, act, think and even feel. Dr. Feldenkrais had an idea about the self-image being much broader than the social self-image that is in popular psychology — it is that with which we generate our thoughts and actions.
How would you know? You are probably unaware of your self-image being incomplete. However, you make mistakes, or you feel stiff and achey. These are examples that arise from an incomplete self-image.
To be clear, this Self Image is not just your conscious picture of yourself and the values and feelings related to it (which are, of course, important). This notion of “self-image” extends beyond conscious perceptions to encompass how your entire being orchestrates various actions, from the mundane to the intricate.
Think of a limitation you have — it is plausible that this hints at an aspect of your self-image that is incomplete — there is a gap, and this leads to your overall system compensating for the gap.
A student recently asked about a sharp pain in her shin that appeared irregularly, but was very briefly disabling. Here’s how I replied to her:
You might be contemplating the likelihood of a similar experience occurring again, understandably hoping to avoid it. Have you experimented with applying pressure to that spot again? If so, what have you observed? f you’re concerned about any underlying issues, I’d highly recommend consulting a trusted medical professional who possesses in-depth knowledge of the anatomy in question.
It’s important to clarify that the Feldenkrais Method isn’t geared toward diagnosis; rather, it is a process of inquiry with the focus of increasing wellness and overall functioning. My initial curiosity lies in inquiring if the issue might be linked to challenges in certain movements, such as walking, kneeling, or bending. Perhaps similar sensations arise when lying down, especially with blankets on your feet? Exploring the tonus (the degree of tightness) of muscles from the bottom of your feet to your lower back could provide valuable insights.
If you came to see me for a private session, with a concern about a pain in your shin, here’s how I would approach it. First we would sit, and you could give me any additional information. Then, in sitting, I might ask you to move in certain ways that might inform us some aspects that you might have missed. I probably would ask you to walk a bit, again so I can lean a bit more about how you allow weight transfer. Then I would invite you to lie on the Feldenkrais table, and we would add supports behind the head, the knees, and elsewhere so you are deeply comfortable, without strain. My exploration would be a non-verbal earning process as I would follow with my hands the sensation as I can sense of how that leg is organized — that is, how efficiently weight is transferred through the leg, even up to the head. I would compare the two legs and subtly invite options for improving to refine this process, thereby improving the implicit self-image, thereby educating the system a more effective way for weightbearing. As your system improves, you will feel an ease in breathing, a softening (“letting go”) in the abdomen, the neck and the face. When you sit and then stand, further changes will be apparent to you.
It’s plausible that this experience hints at an aspect of your self-image that is incomplete leading to your overall system compensating for the gap. Further exploration would follow a non-verbal process as this facet of self-image operates beyond conscious awareness. I would follow with my hands the sensation as I can sense of how that leg is organized — that is, how efficiently weight is transferred through the leg, even up to the head. I would compare the two legs and subtly invite options for improving to refine this process, thereby improving the implicit self-image, thereby educating the system a more effective way for weightbearing. As your system improves, you will feel an ease in breathing, a softening (“letting go”) in the abdomen, the neck and the face. When you sit and then stand, further changes will be apparent to you.
And, finally, I encourage you to consider Awareness Though Movement™ classes. These provide very unique ways to approach this hidden aspect of yourself, through movement and your ability to observe yourself. I have many courses online — even free ones — so check out the current classes (https://www.somaticjourneys.com/classes/) or prior recorded courses (https://feldenkrais247.com)
For further reading, come to:
- On Self-Image, by Fariya Doctor
- On the Self-Image, a lecture by Dr. Feldenkrais
And, of course, you can always write to me, rblack@somaticjourneys.com