Anyone do Feldenkrais?

[milliepops]

This seems to be all over the place at the moment, my FB feed is chockablok with various lessons, clinics etc.

I signed up for a free intro course on how it can help riders via Artistic Dressage but have to admit I'm a bit stumped so far.

I'm hypermobile so prone to poor control of my loose joints and random tension in muscles supporting them hence the interest in awareness of movement etc but other than finding the lessons very relaxing I'm not sure what the outcome should be ? can anyone enlighten me?

 

[Shay]

Its one of those "in the moment" things. If you find it useful - great. But not something I would buy into. DD and I are both hypermobile - its often genetic. And I do find the apporaches over the last 50 years to be objectively fascinating. (Less so when it is in fact your body... but none the less.)

You need to do what actually works for your body. Anything that builds your personal body awareness is good. But you also need to be keenly sensitive to when it isn't and stop. This is IMO often more to do with the practitioner than the method they espouse.

You need someone who can be hands on with you - this is not a "one size fits all" diagnosis. You will have some areas more mobile than others and as you age some points will ossify and others (with no explanation) will not. For us proper pilates has been most helpful - but probably more so becuase it requires a practitioner one on one which builds a deep knowledge of the client's body structure and musculature. Over the years we've changed practitioners - as you do. But the key is one on one, hands on. And if it doesn't feel right - stop it. Immediately. Many folk do not undestand hypermobility and think if you just do what they suggest you will "get better". No matter how persuasive they are - your body is the best judge of what you need.

Oh.. and ideally a hands on practitioner who rides. There are unique strains they need to understand.

 

[milliepops]

Thanks I agree lots of people just dont understand it, I had a very frustrating experience with NHS physio with one issue who thought that because I could do all their stretches easily there was nothing wrong ? nope, I'm just bendy ? it's an irritating thing. The comments on this course were like rave reviews so i wondered if I was missing something blindingly obvious.

 

[Sheep]

MP I did the first session of the free course and haven’t done any others yet - I found it useful from the POV of highlighting shortcomings in my position and helping identify strong/weak areas.
Maybe given both your level of riding (more advanced than most of us!) and your hyper mobility, you already have an increased awareness of this? I don’t even really know if that’s the goal of it ? but that is what I took from it lol.
Anyway, my view might be different after doing more sessions but I found the first one helpful in noticing asymmetries in myself etc which would translate into the saddle.

 

[Mule]

I'm also hypermobile, not to the point of it being problematic though. I've never tried Feldenkrais but I have found Pilates geat. The instructor I go to is a physio so he's very knowledgeable. The instructor is the most important thing ime.

I'm now aware that I lock out my knees joints and tip my pelvis downwards so I have an arch in my back, that causes my lower back pain. I hadn't a clue I was doing this before the instructor pointed it out. I haven't had any back pain since I started doing pilates, it's fantastic.

 

[milliepops]

MP I did the first session of the free course and haven’t done any others yet - I found it useful from the POV of highlighting shortcomings in my position and helping identify strong/weak areas.
Maybe given both your level of riding (more advanced than most of us!) and your hyper mobility, you already have an increased awareness of this? I don’t even really know if that’s the goal of it ? but that is what I took from it lol.
Anyway, my view might be different after doing more sessions but I found the first one helpful in noticing asymmetries in myself etc which would translate into the saddle.

Thanks. I've done up to number 4 and then started thinking what's the point of this ? I couldnt really work out how it would be something to use in the future, and then I noticed they've started a full course so thought I must be missing something. Be interested in your views when you've finished it

 

[milliepops]

I'm also hypermobile, not to the point of it being problematic though. I've never tried Feldenkrais but I have found Pilates geat. The instructor I go to is a physio so he's very knowledgeable. The instructor is the most important thing ime.

I'm now aware that I lock out my knees joints and tip my pelvis downwards so I have an arch in my back, that causes my lower back pain. I hadn't a clue I was doing this before the instructor pointed it out. I haven't had any back pain since I started doing pilates, it's fantastic.

Yes I do the same, I find that really hard with standing pilates exercises because i automatically lock my knees and constantly have to remind myself to soften them ?

 

[Mule]

Yes I do the same, I find that really hard with standing pilates exercises because i automatically lock my knees and constantly have to remind myself to soften them ?

It's so hard to remember when you naturally lock your joints, isn't it.

 

[Rumtytum]

I’m hypermobile too and when doing various yoga poses on one leg am constantly having to remember not to lock my knee.

 

[bouncing_ball]

This seems to be all over the place at the moment, my FB feed is chockablok with various lessons, clinics etc.

I signed up for a free intro course on how it can help riders via Artistic Dressage but have to admit I'm a bit stumped so far.

I'm hypermobile so prone to poor control of my loose joints and random tension in muscles supporting them hence the interest in awareness of movement etc but other than finding the lessons very relaxing I'm not sure what the outcome should be ? can anyone enlighten me?

I signed up for the 7 day free course. Completed it, enjoyed it, and found it useful, and have signed up for the 30 day course that starts next Monday. In the mean time I am repeating the 7 day course.

I am the opposite of hyper mobile, with a tendency to have a lack of flexibility and body awareness. I have done a lot of pilates, some yoga, some private pilates lessons, on an ongoing basis over last 20 years, and going further back I did Alexander Technique and Feldenkrais lessons, about 18 years ago.

I have always struggled with concentrating not getting distracted or impatient or the other extreme falling asleep in Feldenkrais lessons I did 18 years ago.

I have competed up to medium BD, but am still lacking some basics in terms of rider awareness and straightness. With fairly poor bodyawareness. I have new horse, I have spent most of last two years rehabbing. I am hoping I can use the current down time (6.5 weeks of no access to my horse, and now alternate days, in 2 hour slots from field), to make lasting improvement to myself.

I have just finished two 21 day daily learn to meditate courses. And I am much less "busy" at the moment. Fewer places to go, no commuting, more time.

I found the 7 day course useful, relaxing, and I wouldn't say I raved about it, but I think it is a step in the direction I want to go, and I can fit it into my current early morning routine, of the two meditations, the Feldenkrais lesson, some stretching, some pilates, some targeted physio exercises before starting to work from home. It is relaxing, and calming and gets me working on my body awareness, all things I need to work on.

If you had asked me to try the 7 day Feldenkrais course six months ago, I think it would not have been something I would have stuck at, as I was far to busy rushing about and not able to be thoughtful that long.

I also suspect better body awareness and ability to stay in the present are huge holes in my riding and to achieve my ambition of one day qualifying for advanced medium regions (might not be this horse!) I need to work on closing some of those holes.

I have also just finished reading "The Chimp Paradox" and started "the inner game of tennis", all food for thought.

Sorry that turned into a long waffle!

 

[milliepops]

thanks that's interesting, bb, thank you.

I totally recognise the thing about being impatient, I am SO rushed off my feet at the moment (I now have horses in 3 different places, 2 in work, one expecting my first homebred, work is manic, looking after shielding parents and inlaws...) I think I found it a bit, um, irritating that it was such a slow pace by comparison!

thank you for sharing your thoughts, it's really helpful to understand as I found the intro to the free course a bit thin on information compared to their normal ridden ones. I think perhaps it's one of those things that is brilliant for some people and not for others. Like other people on this thread i think stuff like pilates is more productive for me.