Hello to all,

I have never responded to a blog post much less written one, so this will be a new experience.

I am a Feldenkrais Practitioner who also studies and teaches martial arts. Life was good for me until my early 40's. Then, it seemed to me that I was getting hurt more often and it took longer to heal and I developed chronic back and neck problems.

I went through most of the medical protocols and was told that I had some arthritis, broken bones that had not healed properly, and there were some really good pills that could help but I should also give up martial arts.  I did not accept that diagnosis and went off to explore the alternative medicine field.

I found many modalities that gave me symptomatic relief, but nothing that addressed the core problems. I came across Feldenkrais Method by accident. A massage therapist gave me a stack of alternative method literature that she had accumulated over the years and I discovered an article about Feldenkrais.

His background intrigued me: science, engineering, martial arts, and a stint of working in submarine sonar for the British Admiralty during WW2. My background is science, engineering, martial arts, and working for the US Navy in submarine sonar. The article included contact information for a Feldenkrais practitioner in Baltimore so I called and made an appointment for a Functional Integration lesson. 

After the lesson, I was unimpressed and figured I had just wasted some $$. Still, over the next few days, I could not shake the feeling that something had changed so I made an appointment for a second lesson. Once again, I was underwhelmed after the lesson. The practitioner also told me that a Training Program for Feldenkrais Practitioners was beginning that weekend in Baltimore. Perhaps I would like to stop by? Uhh, no thanks. On that start date, I was supposed to officiate all day at a martial arts rank promotion test in Baltimore. The test ended a bit early and, while driving home, I noticed that I was passing by the building where the Feldenkrais Training was supposed to occur. I figured what the heck, I'll just stop by and take a look at what they're doing.

I met the Educational Director and he invited me to join the class for the rest of the day. Mostly, we did Awareness Through Movement. I was skeptical that lying on the floor doing little movements had any value, and although I was there as a free guest that day, at $90 per day I had no intention of continuing. Still, when I woke up the next morning, once again I had the sensation that "something" had changed so, with some reluctance, I drove back to Baltimore and paid for a second day. That was to be the end of it for sure, because the next morning I was scheduled to board a ship in Norfolk for a two week at sea test. When I arrived home that evening, there was a message from my boss that the test had been canceled. For the next five days, I rearranged my work schedule so that I could attend the Feldenkrais Training, paying by the day. I also had one Functional Integration lesson from the Director.

At the end of the week, after about 25 hours of ATM lessons and 3 FI's, I woke up in the morning and, for the first time in nearly 10 years my back did not hurt. I was stunned. I had been told many times that my pain was the result of arthritis, disc degeneration, broken bones, etc. Well, those things were still there so where did the pain go? I had to find out.
And that's why I decided to become a practitioner. - Carl M.

P.S. The events I described occurred in 1997. As noted above, I have never "blogged" per se. If you have interest in hearing more of my story, or what I have done with Feldenkrais Method since 1997, then please respond. Thanks. -- CM