The Teacher

So what is actually the role of the teacher, and why is he called “teacher” and not “therapist”?: The role of the teacher is to find the areas in which learning can be most effective and functional, to identify the most comfortable way for his students to arrive there, to create the conditions for learning and using his sensitivity, to draw the attention of the student to himself and his actions.

The ability of the teacher to do that stems from his own process of investigation into his way of action, and from his general knowledge of human movement. Out of this direct knowledge he can help his student to learn to feel parts of himself of which he was not aware and movements he never experienced.

In general, the teacher can guide his student through the use of his hands or his voice, the student being active or passive to various degrees. When the lesson is individual (a form called “Functional Integration”), it is tailored to the needs of the client, and the use of gentle manual manipulation is prominent. The teacher moves the student in such a way that creates mobility in his own body, and the student is rather passive. In a group lesson (called “Awareness Through Movement”) the teaching is verbal, and directed at all the participants.

During the group lesson, every participant executes the movements by himself, paying attention to the quality of movement, and in this way discovers what he does ordinarily and learn what he can do better. The lesson is built in such a way that some habitual pattern or function is broken into its components and than integrated in a way that improves the flow, ease and awareness of it. M. Feldenkrais left behind a huge amount of about one thousand composed lessons.