Igor Shteynberg

Would you believe that it is possible to lie down, perform the tiniest movements for minutes and arise with less pain, improved bio-mechanics and a psychological lift, and that these effects would last? Feldenkrais is unlike any other wellness practice. A practitioner guides students through a series of small, gentle movements, directing their attention to how these movements feel. The method is based on neuroplasticity: the ability of our brains… Read More »Quality of Movement is Quality of Life

In my experience, focusing on gentle movement naturally shifts attention away from stressful thoughts and gives a person a chance to relax and restore. It is a more effective way to feel better physically and emotionally, than “trying to relax” or “trying not to worry”. There are no special skills to master. All that is needed is a few minutes of your time and a little bit of patience. I… Read More »5 minute Self-Care to practice on your own

The term muscle memory is very common, but it has always struck me as being imprecise in a way that leads people away from holistic thinking to focusing on separate muscle groups and body parts. And this type of focus is not the most productive for long term improvements – adjusting the way you move part by part or strengthening individual muscles groups is hard work and usually offers only… Read More »Motor Memory or Muscle Memory?

Often healing and learning are seen as different processes, but when it comes to the Feldenkrais method it is not the case. Whether you are recovering from an injury or learning to move more gracefully, the direction is the same. Focusing on improving the quality of movement helps you achieve both.This also means you don’t need to make a full list of problems to address. In fact, many physical difficulties… Read More »Do You Focus on Healing or Learning?

Often the idea of accepting ourselves as we are goes out the door the moment we are focused on the results. Depending on what is at stake, it may be justified to push oneself to work hard, to do things you don’t really want to do, but in a long term this could backfire. But there are situations when pushing oneself is actually less productive than accepting oneself and focusing… Read More »Practical Self-Acceptance

Building strength does not increase your body’s intelligence. Chronic pain(including back pain and neck pain) is often caused by inefficient movement habits, not by weak muscles. This could happen with any movement that you haven’t learned to do well enough: at the same time as performing the movement, you unconsciously do things that are actually counterproductive. This is usually experienced as a strain and often becomes accepted as a necessary… Read More »Strong vs Intelligent Body

As long as you are trying to correct your posture or movement habits, you are fighting yourself. It maybe worthwhile to do it as a temporary mage to avoid acute pain, but it’s not an effective way to create long term change. This fight is impossible to win, because you are fighting with your own nervous system. You try hold on to good posture and move correctly, but the moment… Read More »Are you Fighting Yourself on a Daily Basis?