How many, how often, and when
I get asked this question about Feldenkrais lessons all the time.
It’s very human to want a one-to-one correlation between input and output, as if putting in twenty-five hours of practice will yield exactly x and y results. It doesn’t work that way. Our nervous systems are wildly individual, as are our patterns, strategies, and habits.
That said, if you take a group of a hundred people, they will eventually converge on similar biomechanical solutions to the movement puzzles presented by Feldenkrais. That’s because we all flex, bend, rotate, swivel, sink, slide, arch, and so on, in ways that are fundamentally human—on a species level. However, on an individual level, we all arrive at these solutions in a unique way. We are not set in stone, each human exactly the same, robotic in nature and in thinking. (Brave New World we are not. Yet.)
Thankfully, as humans we are capable of learning and evolving throughout our individual lives. Honoring the complexity of our individual path through life is vital for creating new patterns. That means testing, experimenting, and filtering through the physical relationship we have with our bodies and our sensations. There are no shortcuts, no instant gratification. It’s a slow unraveling of the unnecessary friction in our existence.
My teacher, Dennis Leri, writes, "Our marvelous capacity for adaptive learning is unparalleled. However, when encountering novel situations, our previous habits of learning can work for us, or against us."
Is a Feldenkrais practice for me?
Feldenkrais is suitable for anyone—young or old, physically challenged or physically fit—and is especially helpful for those suffering from muscle and joint pain as well as symptoms of stress and strain. The best part is that by inviting new patterns, Feldenkrais stops old habits from controlling your life. You move at your own pace and always modify the lesson to honor your own comfort. Never do anything that pinches, pulls, stretches, strains, hurts, or twinges.
How often, how many, and when?
1. When to do a lesson
There is no prescribed time. Get on the floor at any time, and your state will shift just by engaging with the movements. Sometimes it's useful to do a lesson in the evening when you're tired because it down-regulates the system and elicits the parasympathetic phase. Or, it might feel right to do a lesson in the morning when you can pay attention. I feel energized if I do a good spine lesson in the morning.
2. Should you repeat a lesson?
There are no shoulds. You can repeat a lesson as long as it's interesting, but not as a mechanical exercise or to seek perfection. Notice how it affects you. Maybe it resonates for you in a particular way. Maybe you feel wonderful doing it. The more variable and novel input you can give your nervous system, the better you'll feel. One option is to do a lesson a few times with your attention on different aspects of the movement. Sometimes I do a lesson five times, on different days, to explore how it moves through me. Other times, I wait a week in between to see if my experience has changed. Do what works for you.
3. How many reps?
Not that many. A few slow movements with deep awareness is better than many movements with mindless repetition.
4. How many lessons per day?
One, maybe two. If they're short, perhaps three. These lessons can be tiring because your attention gets tired. Notice how you feel and calibrate to that. Sometimes I'll do half a lesson, walk the dog, make a phone call, have some coffee, and then come back to it. At other times I'll do two lessons back-to-back.
The Feldenkrais Treasury is designed for you to do one lesson a day for seven days, yet this may not be your rhythm. What is your rhythm?
“I believe that knowing oneself is the most important thing a human being can do. How can one know oneself? By learning to act not as one should, but as one does.”