Feldenkrais Method eases pain, relieves stress, adherents say

It’s called moving meditation.

That’s how fans of the Feldenkrais Method describe this body-mind workout.

Fans say that Feldenkrais has helped them stave off old age, ease chronic pain, feel taller and lighter, and break unconscious bad habits that get in the way of doing what they want to do, whether that’s playing tennis, running with grandkids or running a marathon.

Athletes such as PGA golfers Rick Acton and Duffy Waldorf use Feldenkrais to improve their game. Cellist Yo Yo Ma practices Feldenkrais for more precision when he’s playing.

Clients of local teacher Jan Kingston have told her the Feldenkrais Method relieves their stress, gives them more confidence and for one man who has Parkinson’s, relaxes tight muscles because “a little bit of relief means a lot.”

Kingston is heading a Feldenkrais class this month through the Everett Parks and Recreation Department.

For Kingston, the Feldenkrais Method was her miracle cure for chronic fibromyalgia.

Before Feldenkrais, Kingston couldn’t stand for more than a few minutes without pain. Walking was an accomplishment.

As she discovered Feldenkrais and then began the teacher training program, Kingston’s body improved over the course of about eight years to the point where she went from short walks to completing Seattle’s 26.2-mile Rock ’n’ Roll Marathon in June.

“So I’ve come a long way,” Kingston said.

Kingston continued her training, graduated in 2006 and then began teaching. She also has a home studio in Everett.

“One of the biggest things I’ve learned from it is, little things we do every day make a huge difference in our performance and our life,” Kingston, 48, said. “We think we are getting old; while granted we do get older, I think there’s a lot more aging that’s really just the way we use our bodies.”

When Kingston teaches a class, she sometimes uses her prop, “Bob” the skeleton, to give clients a better sense of how things move in our bodies.

Routinely, Kingston’s lessons begin on the floor on a blanket or a mat with clients lying on their back. Then students begin to concentrate on their bodies: how their backs make contact with the floor, how they are breathing.

“We work at a computer all day sitting at a desk and the brain gets in a rut,” Kingston said. “Then you want to do something fast like a volleyball serve and something tears because the brain doesn’t let go of that rut.”

In Feldenkrais, participants practice movements that allow the brain to let go of some these patterns. The students start out with simple twists and turns, gradually increasing the range and complexity of movements such as reaching, standing or looking behind.

At the end of an hour, the students’ attention is brought back to the beginning of the lesson so they can notice any changes.

The namesake for this somatic education method is Moshe Feldenkrais, who spent time on submarine decks while in the British Admiralty and injured his knee. According to various versions on the Web, Feldenkrais was told he wouldn’t walk again without surgery, so he decided to heal himself.

He based his method on awareness of movement and body mechanics. The method was introduced in the states when Feldenkrais came to San Francisco in the 1970s to teach it. He died in 1984.

Though she considers herself among the Feldenkrais Method miracles, Kingston said most people respond with less aches and pains, less stress and a heightened sense of clarity and calm.

“My intention is to share with people something that has given me my life back,” Kingston said. “I hear people all the time saying they can’t do such-and-such anymore because they’re ‘getting old.’

“If someone is committed to learning, and willing to be open to true and deep change, I think people can do way more than they think they can. And life can be really, really good.”

Theresa Goffredo: 425-339-3424; goffredo@heraldnet.com.