If you sit at a desk all day, play a musical instrument, or deal with a lot of stress, your neck and shoulders may hurt.  Avoid large, jerky movements of your neck and shoulders to "loosen them up," and avoid excessive stretching.  You'll just make it worse.  Instead, do tiny, gentle, easy movements to find an area of ease, and you'll be back on the road to comfort. 

Habitual patterns of action in your daily life, like lifting, sitting, standing for long periods of time, and not resting fully or frequently enough put a big demand on your middle and/or low back to work overtime.  When you don't move much in a certain area (like your middle and low back), you actually begin to lose sensation and awareness of yourself there.  The neural pathways to your brain begin to fall into disuse, and can actually "go off the map."  Imagine that your spine is a chain (as it is!) and not a rigid pole.  How could you move if your spine were like a chain? Try it, and  begin to bring yourself some relief. 

Hips, knees and feet can start to hurt when you use them in a rigid way.  The large muscles of your buttocks, quadriceps (thigh muscles) and hamstrings can feel sore and tight if you keep them too contracted.  Think about walking with softness in your feet, knees, and hips, and you'll feel the difference. 

Perhaps you sit at a computer for long hours, play a musical instrument, or do precision work with your hands.  Try this:  set a timer to go off every 15 minutes or so, and STOP what you are doing.  Place your hands in your lap comfortably, and take a few deep breaths.  If your wrists, hands, or arms begin to hurt before 15 minutes have passed, don't try to make it to 15 minutes, but stop and rest right away.  If you got to 12 minutes and the pain started, back off the timer so it goes off at 10 minute intervals.  The idea is to stop, rest, and recover BEFORE pain and damage start.

If you are not experiencing pain currently, good for you!  You are free from that distraction, and can focus your attention on making your actions more effective and efficient.  Feldenkrais classes or lessons can help you develop awareness so that you are less likely to injure yourself in the sports and activities you enjoy.  The Feldenkrais Method is also used by musicians, dancers, and athletes to sharpen skills and keep them at the top of their game.  If you'd like to refine your talents and abilities, Feldenkrais classes or lessons are for you!

Since you are in the arts, you use your body as your instrument.  For performers, subtle differences in posture, breath, and muscle tone can change the quality of the performance. If you are a visual artist, it's important to stay physically fresh and to avoid injury caused by repetitive movements.  Writers and other creatives who spend lots of time in front of a computer screen can learn to be more imaginative and develop those ideas further.  Feldenkrais classes or lessons develop your brain as well as your body, so that your creative expression through your art is vital and sustainable.

Since you enjoy sports, fitness, working out, and other active pursuits, you are more at risk for some kind of injury.  Whether you like cycling, martial arts, team or individual sports, golf, tennis, running, pilates, yoga, fencing, mountain climbing, or just about any physical activity,  you don't want to be sidelined!  For peak performance, it takes more than strength, flexibility and endurance.  Feldenkrais lessons or classes will develop your awareness and your coordination, the key factors in staying injury-free and achieving your personal best.

The pace of change in business is accelerating.  The best way to adapt to change and minimize stress is to develop your ability to learn.  If you know how to learn, you can benefit from the changing environment.  Feldenkrais lessons or classes use body movement to help you learn how to learn, and to develop creative approaches to problem-solving.

You are used to performing at a high level, and getting good results.  You've worked hard to get where you are.  So what's next?  You can sustain your level of performance without the stress and strain that got you there.   If you'd like all your actions to be more efficient and effective, Feldenkrais classes or lessons can help you learn to work smarter, not harder.   

Perhaps you've struggled for years with your posture, balance issues, or problems with your gait.  The good news is, improvement is possible, and your struggling can be over for good. Most problems with posture, balance, and gait can improve drastically when you become aware of your sensations and can respond to them.  Classes and lessons in the Feldenkrais Method can leave you with beautiful, erect posture,  security and safety in balance, and a proper gait.

Recent research in neuroscience and neuroplasticity has corroborated what Feldenkrais teachers have known for over 30 years:  that the brain continually renews itself in response to novel stimulation and attention.  This is very good news for you if you are recovering from a stroke, or are dealing with some other neurological difficulty.  The Feldenkrais Method uses body movement as the "programming language" for your central nervous system, stimulating your brain to form new neural pathways to enable higher levels of functioning.  Exploring via some classes or lessons could have  great benefits for you.

People with chronic pain frequently find that the Feldenkrais Method brings them relief, where nothing else has.  If exercises, drugs, devices, or traditional therapies have not helped, you can find support and creative solutions to the problem of pain through your own sensory "map."  A Feldenkrais teacher can guide you, step by step, toward greater comfort.

If you are recovering from an injury or recent surgery, you should follow your doctor's instructions for follow-up care and therapy. However, many find that even after completing the course of prescribed therapy, they still don't feel "right."  This is because traditional therapies often bring you to an abstract or objective "standard" of treatment, without considering your lifestyle, hopes, or dreams.  Classes or lessons in the Feldenkrais Method can help you learn to make the most of what you have, and return to functioning in activities that you enjoy.

You are experiencing a wonderful phase of life now, where everything seems to be going along just fine.  These are the most important times to focus on, "What's next?"  Without a crisis to handle, most people just float along and aren't motivated to take any dynamic action.  However, when there's no pressure, pain, or problem to solve, you are most likely to learn rapidly and make huge strides in raising your level of performance, your results, and your efficiency and effectiveness.  Feldenkrais classes and lessons can help you take advantage of this sweet time to chart your future.

You've described some trouble with sleeping, and you have plenty of company.  Sleep deprivation is a huge problem in the US and in most of the developed world.  If you live an active life (as most of us do), sometimes it's hard to "turn off" the engines or the thought stream.  Feldenkrais lessons or classes can help you to activate your parasympathetic nervous system, the part of you that is involved with rest, restoration, and healing. You'll learn ways to "turn down the volume" to relax and sleep, and awaken refreshed.

You've described some trouble with sleeping, and you have plenty of company.  Sleep deprivation is a huge problem in the US and in most of the developed world.  If you live an active life (as most of us do), sometimes it's hard to "turn off" the engines or the thought stream.  Feldenkrais lessons or classes can help you to activate your parasympathetic nervous system, the part of you that is involved with rest, restoration, and healing. You'll learn ways to "turn down the volume" to relax and sleep, and awaken refreshed.

You've described some trouble with sleeping, and you have plenty of company.  Sleep deprivation is a huge problem in the US and in most of the developed world.  If you live an active life (as most of us do), sometimes it's hard to "turn off" the engines or the thought stream.  Feldenkrais lessons or classes can help you to activate your parasympathetic nervous system, the part of you that is involved with rest, restoration, and healing. You'll learn ways to "turn down the volume" to relax and sleep, and awaken refreshed.

You've indicated that you're a good sleeper, and that's a relief.  Sleep deprivation is a leading cause of accidents, lost productivity, and stress.  Feldenkrais classes and lessons can help you to fine-tune your sleeping and waking so that you keep a good thing going.

Even the very young can benefit from lessons in the Feldenkrais Method.  Many lessons are based on the human developmental sequence, and so can get little ones off to a great start, or improve function in those who have difficulties.  For older children, they can develop better coordination and enjoy moving!

Your active lifestyle may be filled with education, establishing a career, forming a partnership and new family--BIG STUFF!  The pressure is on, so be sure to find ways to nurture yourself physically so you can de-stress and keep your mind and body sharp for the challenges ahead.   Feldenkrais classes or lessons are interesting, enjoyable, unusual, and they really help you recover from stress AND weekend injuries!

Between 30 and 45, people either figure out how to keep going for "the long haul," or they don't.  Some people keep pushing like they were still 20, and they pay the price with injuries and accelerating aches and pains.  If you take this time to develop your awareness and sensory "sensitivity," you can continue to do all the activities you enjoy, in a way that is sustainable.

You are a Baby Boomer.  Fifty is the new 30, Sixty is the new 40.  It's not too late to begin taking care of yourself; or, if you've always been active, you can get more quality out of the activities you enjoy.  If you take some time to develop increased awareness and sensitivity, you can keep yourself injury-free and comfortable.

If you've experienced an injury, surgery, or other difficulty, Feldenkrais classes or lessons can help you to improve your function and comfort.  Where other modalities stop because there's nothing left to do, the Feldenkrais Method can open up new possibilities for continued improvement.

In the over-60 crowd, it's especially important to keep moving and keep breathing!  The Feldenkrais Method has much to offer you, regardless of your age or physical abilities.  You can still learn to move in ways that are easier and more efficient, that will increase your energy and your ability to handle stress.

In the over-70 crowd, it's especially important to keep moving and keep breathing!  The Feldenkrais Method has much to offer you, regardless of your age or physical abilities.  You can still learn to move in ways that are easier and more efficient. You can increase your energy, your comfort,  and your ability to handle stress.

The teen years are full of changes, especially a changing body.  If you feel clumsy, you have a good reason!  When you are growing rapidly, your arms and legs can get a little longer almost every day.  However, you formed some movement habits based on how big you were THEN, not the size you are NOW.  It takes awhile for your brain to "get the message," and so some clumsiness is not unusual.  Feldenkrais lessons and classes can help teens to manage a rapidly changing body with ease and grace, and to develop a healthy self-image and a love for movement.

Since you are interested in personal development, you should know that the Feldenkrais Method is a learning process that is unparalleled in its effectiveness.  Our lessons and classes offer a remarkable process for self-discovery, transformation, and the growth of human potential.

If learning has previously left you exhausted and discouraged, don't give up!  You'll be glad to know that Feldenkrais classes and lessons are UNLIKE anything you've ever experienced before, either in school or exercises.  We actually access the part of you that LOVED learning, BEFORE you went off to school and formal education.  We specialize in organic, experiential learning, not books and tests and stressful situations that make you want to throw in the towel.  You'll move with comfort and grace, and find new possibilities for yourself.  You'll feel refreshed, vital, and energized.

So, you think you've already "peaked!"  You may have peaked, but the statement has an underlying assumption: that there is only one "peak," and once you've had it, you're done. I completely disagree with that! Feldenkrais classes and lessons make it possible to experience as many peaks as you want to.  Your awareness in what you are experiencing is what makes you feel alive, capable, and curious to see what's next.  We specialize in the development of personal awareness:  it's the key to practically everything.

You don't have to be an overly ambitious, type-A personality to want to do well right where you are.  As you're probably aware, technology and media are accelerating the rate of information flow, and also the pace of change.  You'll have to keep moving ahead, and keep learning to adapt to changing conditions at work, at home, and in society.

This process doesn't have to be stressful.  It can actually be enjoyable and easy!  You'll enjoy how Feldenkrais classes and lessons can engage your curiosity and creativity, while keeping your body feeling vital and in tune.