Learning to Feel Our Movements Rather than Simply Thinking About Them

To make meaningful changes in how we move, we need to do more than think about what we’re doing. We need to feel it.

This is a fundamental principle of the Feldenkrais Method. By paying attention to how our bodies move, we can recognize restrictions, discover new possibilities, and release unnecessary tension.

Recently, I was working with a patient, Alex, using a Feldenkrais movement called the Pelvic Clock. As I gently guided his pelvis, I could feel a restriction in the movement between the 11 o’clock and 5 o’clock positions.

When we returned to the Feldenkrais table, I noticed that instead of rolling his pelvis to the right and diagonally downward, Alex was lifting the left side of his pelvis.

The distinction was subtle but important.

As Alex became aware of the difference and discovered how to roll his pelvis more freely, the spasm on the left side of his lower back released.

The key wasn’t forcing the movement or correcting it from the outside. It was helping Alex feel what he was doing so he could discover a different way.

That’s the power of Feldenkrais. When we learn to feel our movements rather than simply think about them, we open the door to lasting change.