By BERNADETTE LAURITZEN
Executive Director
C’YA

Sometimes life hurts, by that I mean living life and the physical aches and pains that come with it.

When Champions of Youth Ambitions (C’YA) launched its suicide prevention programs, several local businesses stepped up to donate to make it happen. The Los Alamos Daily Post allowed C’YA to write about each organization as a tribute to small businesses.

One of those businesses was Feldenkrais Los Alamos and Judith Hoffman is the owner. I believe to understand we should start with the things that this method is not, to open the door to explain what it is today.

This work is not a treatment, an adjustment, an exercise program or a religion. However, it is based on decades of research in physics, neuroscience, biomechanics, learning theory and human development to give you the means to help yourself.

The methodology was developed by Dr. Moshe Feldenkrais, born in Russia, and schooled at Sorbonne in France. He holds degrees in physics and engineering and was led to research his work after his own knee injury. Like taking a balance class after a fall, this work is designed to do an activity better as well as reducing/eliminating pain in your body. Hoffman believes that by reducing anxiety new things are possible.

“I have a strong need to nurture people,” Hoffman said. “This work allows me to fulfill this need.”

Hoffman describes her work as an integrated body-mind educational approach that aims to improve how the body moves efficiently. She tells people struggling to find something new to help with healing what this method entails.

“The Feldenkrais Method is a holistic approach, working to get the whole body functioning efficiently,” Hoffman said. “This includes calming the nervous system resulting in a person being able to complete tasks that they want to do.”

There are two types of lessons offered in Los Alamos, one is a group setting and the other is a one-on-one session.

In the classroom setting, students lie on a mat and the Feldenkrais practitioner teaches them how to move. The program is known as Awareness Through Movement or ATM. The students do several movements and rest in between. The “in-between” is a major step to allow the nervous system to process what it just learned. The pattern continues to allow the student to notice the changes in how their body moves.

There are more than 1,000 lessons and a lesson can be designed for a particular activity. The lessons range from movements that stay small or start with small movement and grow to a big movement. Some of these lessons can be daily life tasks, reaching for high shelves, ways to get up when body parts just are not what they used to be and more.

Students often lay on their back, side, stomach or sit. Each lesson is a 60-minute session including time to settle, receive instruction, sense changes and walk around. The cost is $12.50 per lesson and scheduled at a variety of times to accommodate patrons. The ATMs are for anyone 18 to 90 who can get down on the floor and back up.

The one-on-one lesson is called Functional Integration or FI and begins with a conversation about your pain and to learn what activities you would like to learn to do better.

The session begins with the client lying on a table and the Feldenkrais practitioner teaching them how better movement teaches the appendages to assist the nervous system and move more efficiently. This session is 55 minutes with the goal to teach the student that their body does not have to work so hard. It addresses specific techniques used to address your concerns and ends with learning how to relax your nervous system. The individual one-on-one sessions are $100 and scheduled by appointment.

The Feldenkrais method has had reliable results for people recovering from injury, illness, stroke or neurological problems and those struggling with chronic pain. It helps to increase mobility, flexibility, coordination and improve performance in athletics, music or dance.

Hoffman’s practice is at 557 Oppenheimer and available by phone or email to address questions or schedule appointments. She can be contacted at feldlosalamos@feldla.com and welcomes everyone to visit her website at www.feldlosalamos.com.