Why the Feldenkrais Method for Children
Many of the conditions that affect the brain and body of a growing, maturing infant or child, may cause problems with their developing ability to move and act, which in turn will often cause impediments to important learning and the development of skills.
It is therefore very important to get help for the child who is facing developmental difficulties by finding the assistance he/she needs as early as possible.
Unlike other pediatric interventions that treat a child's body with stretching, mobilization, positioning and facilitation (doing for) techniques, The Feldenkrais Method for Children engages the child, without force or imposition, in a process that encourages the discovery and use of better movement patterns which promote healthy development.
At the Field Center we focus on a child's intrinsic mechanisms of learning, that of attention, curiosity, exploration, experimentation, and integration. Using a developmental model, we gently bring a child from one level of functioning to the next developmentally appropriate level by helping a child to sense and feel more clearly, more accurately, the structure of her/his body and the movement that is essential for the formation and emergence of new function and skill.
As a child's quality of movement improves so does his/her balance, flexibility, and coordination. In turn, self-esteem and independence are also strengthened.
When the child's movement is easier and more comfortable, a child can better discover that there is more than one way to try to do something; that there are options. Therefore, with more choices available, a child has the possibility of finding greater success and greater learning in all aspects of his/her life.
Though early intervention is key for a child who is facing developmental difficulties, older children that are frequently considered to be beyond “the age” when improvement can be expected, have demonstrated the capacity to learn better overall functioning and therefore also the ability to develop important new skills. Imagine, finally being able to walk at age 9!!
The Feldenkrais Method
The Feldenkrais Method was developed by Moshe Feldenkrais (1904-1984) who synthesized insights from physics, motor development, biomechanics, psychology, and martial arts to develop a powerful, effective, and practical application, that reconnects learning with human health and function.
