Most people come to see a Feldenkrais Practitioner® for the same reasons they might go to a doctor or a physical therapist or an acupuncturist or any number of other people who are expected to evaluate and administer or prescribe “treatment” for whatever problem or issue is causing trouble (i.e. back pain, neck pain, problems with a joint—whether caused by injury, surgery, mis-use or any other reason—difficulties with balance, help in recovering from a stroke or other neurological “damage,” etc.). Further, most of the people we see have already sought help through least a couple of other modalities. Perhaps they’ve been to a doctor who has prescribed physical therapy. Or they may have seen an acupuncturist or tried to have their problem massaged away. Some people have tried many other avenues looking for possible solutions to their problem before they come to see me at FeldenkraisWorks (www.feldenkraisworks.com).
And because so many of my clients come to me having been through the medical (both mainstream and alternative) mill, they are used to being told what to do to solve their problem. "Do these exercises three times a day." "Take one a day until the prescription is used up." "You need to strengthen your hamstrings and all will be well." "All you need to do is stretch your hamstrings—that'll do the trick." "Back surgery will solve the problem." "Knee surgery will solve the problem." "Hip surgery…." And on and on and on.
Our modern culture has led us to believe that where our bodies are concerned, doctors and therapists and practitioners all know (or are supposed to know) how to solve nearly any problem. And when folks come to see me, even though it's often because all of the things that those other professionals have prescribed have not worked, still they are looking for one more person to tell them what to do to solve their problem.
As a Feldenkrais Practitioner, I've seen a lot of people with a lot of different difficulties. Through experience, I've learned that for some people there are some things that I can tell them to do that will help alleviate their problem. And sometimes I do that.
And I always have second thoughts about doing it. Because what we who practice the Feldenkrais Method® want to do is to help people to discover for themselves how best to solve their own problems. That sounds like a circuitous, even officious stance. After all, if I know what to do, why don't I just tell my clients and be done with it? In the simplest terms, it's like the old adage, "Give a man a fish and you feed him today, but teach him how to use a fishing pole and you feed him for life." I'd much rather my clients engage in the process of healing themselves, rather than leaving it to me to do it for them. And for that, they don't need to learn "what to do." Instead, they need to learn the Feldenkrais Method so they can begin the process of self-improvement that heals all—a process that, once begun, never needs to end.
To be continued in future posts….
