What does "Feldenkrais" mean?

Nothing. It's the surname of Moshe Feldenkrais who developed the method.

What kind of people take classes?

People like you!

Is it like yoga?

No. The Feldenkrais Method is closest to the Alexander Technique. While the philosophy and functional focus of the two are very similar the form the practice of each takes is is quite different. It has nothing to do with bioenergy, physical therapy or dance either.

What a class consists of:

Gentle movements which are sometimes challenging, challenging  in that you will never have done anything like that before, but not in that they require strength or straining. In the group lessons you will follow verbal instructions to do the movements, listening to how you move rather than achieving a result. One-to-one lessons are hands on and more passive. Both types of class are done fully-dressed and mostly lying down.

The aim of the lessons:

To re-educate your body (and mind...). To teach it more comfortable and healthier ways of moving it used to know but forgot along the way. To increase awareness so that you function less on automatic pilot. To eliminate habits and parasitic ways of thinking which hinder your movement and your life. Learning quality, not worrying about quantity.

The Feldenkrais difference:

• It is effective on a neurological and muscular level as well as a conscious level.
• There are two types of class: group and one-to-one.
• Variety: there are over 1000 group lessons and every one-to-one lesson is tailored to the individual according to his or her needs, not according to a fixed procedure.
• It is the antithesis of no pain, no gain. You should never do any movement that causes pain or strain.
• There is no pressure to do as well as everyone else. The more mistakes the better!
• It educates the muscular-skeletal and nervous systems.
• It can be of great benefit if you have a movement disabilty.
• People of any age can benefit.

How you might feel at the end of a lesson:

Lighter, heavier, taller, shorter, more relaxed, more alive, as no two people are the same everyones experience of lesson is different, as is what each person learns from it.

What people have said after lessons:

"I feel so relaxed....and I thought I was relaxed when I came!"

"It's like meditation."

"Before the lesson I would never have believed I could do those movements"

"I'd never realised that I keep tensing up my shoulder"

"Being able to learn something new by being gentle and nice to myself instead of straining was a really interesting experience"

"At the end of that lesson walking was effortless"

Why you may want to start lessons: 

• You may be feeling stressed or out of touch with yourself.
• You may have stubborn chronic aches and pains.
• You may be "feeling your age".
• You may often strain yourself doing everyday jobs, or be hesitant to do certain movements for fear of straining something.
• You may feel you haven't fully returned to your old self after an injury or operation.
• You may be tired of doing so much sitting (at breakfast, in your car, at your desk, in front of the TV).
• You may want time to pass more slowly.
• You may just be curious and enjoy learning.

Where you can take classes:

I live and work in a village near Selçuk (which is 45 minutes from Izmir) and I travel regularly to Istanbul to work.

Residential Holiday Workshops

From late June until October I offer residential workshops at my home for groups of up to 6. The location is a beautiful and peaceful rural setting near the Aegean coast and the ancient site of Ephesus. Please contact me for further information.