So much has happened over the last few months. In particular Norman Doidge has visited Australia to promote his new book ‘The Brain’s Way of Healing. ‘ He talks in detail, over two chapters in fact about Moshe Feldenkrais, the man and his work. What an amazing life this brilliant man led escaping Paris in World War 2, working in the Curie Institute on the splitting of the atom and walking across Russia in the winter at 14 years of age on his own. His strong background in Judo, scientific brain and knee injury laid the building blocks for the development of the Feldenkrais method.
Doidge talks of how Feldenkrais was effective in respecting two main principles of neuroplasticity;
1. Feldenkrais enters a person into the parasympathetic state, in a state of deep relaxation so they can be open to learning, and
2. Feldenkrais uses neurodifferentiation, which allows the brain to learn through differences, those differences being what the brain senses through movements of the body, and are often movements which are gentle, subtle and slow, allowing the person to really sense minute differences.
Much is also said on how Feldenkrais used his method to change a person’s body image, to expand their self awareness and therefore to increase their ability to bring intention into action or to function in the world.
For more information on Norman Doidge’s book, ‘The Brain’s Way of Healing’ go to www.normandoidge.com/
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