Movement to Transform Awareness, Awareness to Transform Movement

Steve (name changed for privacy) is a 50 year old successful businessman who came in complaining of being stiff, and not limber. He stated that he has constant pain, but doesn’t always pay attention to it. However, it gets in the way of exercising and playing with his son who is 8 years. In addition to the pain, he complained of poor stamina.

Examination revealed a pronounced forward head posture and bend in his upper back (from constantly looking down), as well as many structural misalignments and fixations from his pelvis up his spine, particularly in his mid-back region. A MRI had revealed degenerative changes and herniations to lower lumbar spine, as well as stenosis.

What’s interesting about this case is that in the space of 10 sessions, he improved a lot:

1. His pain level went from a 8 to a 3.
2. His wife stated his posture was noticeably improved.
3. He felt more mobile.

Through the application of sensory-motor learning (The Feldenkrais Method), he was able to make gains, otherwise not achievable in such a short amount of time; especially given the severity of degeneration in his spine.

The Feldenkrais Method sees bodily functions simultaneously, as a third person objective event (as the practitioner, I can see where he is not moving or restricting himself) and a first person subjective event of awareness (the client is aware of the sensations and feelings in his body, for example where he is using too much effort, as I manipulate or move him.)

What I want to emphasize is that movement can be employed to transform awareness and that awareness can be employed to transform movement.