© International Feldenkrais® Federation Archive
“Fall down seven times, stand up eight.”
~Japanese Proverb
“I’ve fallen and I can’t get up!” I remember laughing at this commercial when I was younger. Now that I am older, it’s not so funny. Many people have a great fear of the ground. It could break bones and leave you stranded waiting for help. The ground does not have to be your enemy, in fact, you can learn how to make it your friend.
Moshe Feldenkrais taught Judo before he developed The Feldenkrais Method®. In Judo, one learns how to make the floor a valuable ally. The first lesson is learning how to fall and recover gracefully. In time the student learns how to partner with the floor as well as their classmates. When falling is no big deal, you can confidently move forward (or any direction you choose).
Feldenkrais’s genius was to create a method that offers the same advantages of Judo without the difficulty and effort. People of all ages and physical abilities may benefit from his work. Would you like to get in and out of your chair with greater ease? How about getting on and off the toilet with more comfort? Do you have young children or grandchildren? Wouldn’t it be nice to play with them on the floor and know you can easily get up?
Janet Lee, who teaches Feldenkrais classes with S3NSE, is a Physical Therapist and Feldenkrais Practitioner. Janet uses her Feldenkrais background to teach students an easy maneuver to go down and up from the floor. Once they have mastered this skill, they can easily do floor exercises. Most of Janet’s students are in their sixties and seventies. A few are in their eighties, and even one or two ninety year olds. San Jose State University sends interns to study and work with Janet. These interns were amazed how easy Janet’s students got on and off the floor.
If the secret to life is “Fall down seven times; get up eight”, why not make these ups and downs easier and elegant? For more information about Feldenkrais classes, visit us here at S3NSE: www.s3nse.org. To contact Janet Lee, email her at info@S3NSE.org.