Broadening Ideas of Feldenkrais Education

 

This group formed to gather ideas and suggestions for the training community by tapping into the legacy of practitioner and trainer experience. We hope to open the windows for a fresh look at the essential elements of the Feldenkrais® work, and how training programs might evolve.

Interviews with 13 Trainers - September 2023

To capture their accumulated experience and wisdom, this past year the Broadening Educational Ideas group (formerly known as Transformation of Trainings) interviewed 13 of the most experienced Feldenkrais Trainers within the North American Guild.

  • Each was asked the same four questions.
  • Verbatim interview transcripts were prepared for each question, compiling all 13 responses.
  • The focus was on the ideas- therefore trainers were not identified by name.
  • Themes or common ideas were identified to aid in access.

The four questions

  1. What are the essential qualities and characteristics of the Feldenkrais® work – without which it would not be Feldenkrais work and what distinguishes the Feldenkrais work from other professions?
  2. What is essential to consider and do in Feldenkraistraining to balance personal experience of the work with the development of professional competence in the work?
  3. Where do you see the Feldenkraiswork going?
  4. Does training need to evolve to support that? If so, how?

The Legacy group has deep gratitude for the Trainers’ willingness to share their thoughts as part of the effort to preserve Moshe Feldenkrais’s work.

Each Trainer brought their perspective as it had evolved and was still evolving in their own journey. Their perspectives were often varied on the same idea. They were reflecting, not endeavoring to impose their truths on the community. They gave a gift to the community and to each individual to use in their own journey and their own reflections.

Executive summary of project, including questions and themes.

Question 1 with themes and transcripts

Question 2 with themes and transcripts

Questions 3 and 4 with themes and transcripts

PowerPoint from Sept 24, 2023 presentation to the Canadian Region

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Recording from Sept 24, 2023 presentation - 45 min presentation, 30 min Q&A

Interviews with 13 Trainers on the Essence of the Feldenkrais Method, and Reflections on Training Programs from Feldenkrais Guild North America on Vimeo.

Other Projects

The Pillars of the Feldenkrais Method, a completed project of the Broadening Educational Ideas group (formerly Transformation of Trainings) and an example of ongoing conversations in our practice...

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