What type of appointments are offered during COVID-19, or for those afar?

I am dedicated to the health and wellness of our community.   To keep you moving with ease and comfort I offer one-on-one, virtual, Awareness Through Movement lessons.  Each session is approximately one-hour from the comfort of your home. Call Dotti for an appointment: 907-299-6789 or dottiharness@hotmail.com.

Who Benefits from the Feldenkrais Method?

Everyone can benefit from the Method. The Feldenkrais Method helps those experiencing chronic or acute pain of the back, neck, shoulders, hips, legs, or knees, as well as healthy individuals who wish to enhance their movement abilities. The Method has been very helpful in dealing with central nervous system conditions such as multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's and the after effects of a stroke. Musicians, actors, and artists can extend their abilities and enhance their creativity. Seniors enjoy using it to retain or regain their ability to move without strain or discomfort.

What happens in a group Awareness Through Movement® lesson?

 In group Awareness Through Movement® lessons, the Feldenkrais® teacher verbally leads you through a sequence of movements in basic positions: lying on the floor, standing or sitting in a chair. The movement explorations involve thinking, sensing, moving, feeling, and imagining. By increasing awareness, you will learn to abandon habitual patterns of movement and develop new alternatives, resulting in improved flexibility and coordination. Many lessons are based on ordinary functional activities (reaching, standing, lying to sitting, balance and rotation). Some lessons focus on explorations of joint, muscle, and postural relationships. There are hundreds of ATM lessons, with varying levels of complexity, and in the end your ability to move with greater ease and comfort will likely improve.   A lesson generally lasts from 30 to 60 minutes.

What happens in a private, virtual, One-on-One Awareness Through Movement lesson?

Private Feldenkrais lessons, can be thought of as a One-on-One Awareness Through Movement lesson which are also called Functional Integration® lessons, are tailored to your needs. I verbally guide your movements, virtually. At times, various props (pillows, rollers, blankets) are used to support you, or to facilitate certain movements. Virtual one-on-One Awareness Through Movement lessons are surprisingly effective!

How Does the Feldenkrais Method Differ from Massage and Chiropractic?

 While all of these practices touch people, the Feldenkrais Method is very different. In massage, the practitioner is working directly with the muscles, in chiropractic, with the bones. These are structural approaches that seek to affect change through changes in structure (muscles and spine). The Feldenkrais Method works with your ability to regulate and coordinate your movement, which means working with the nervous system and the whole person.

How are Feldenkrais Practitioners Trained?

 All Feldenkrais practitioners must complete 740-800 hours of training over a 4-7 year period. Trainees participate in Awareness Through Movement and Functional Integration lessons, lectures, discussions, group process, and watch videos of Dr. Feldenkrais teaching. Anatomy, physics, neurophysiology, movement development, biology, and learning theories are intregal in the training programs.