Outcomes

In commenting on the outcomes that are likely to occur if one engages in Feldenkrais-oriented practices, Alfons Grabher (2010, p. 15) offers this impressive list:

Carriage of the head {where 4 out of 5 senses are located) improves; shorter time needed to fall asleep; better coordination in rock climbing; Strength of grip increases; Appearance of being younger, better skin tonus; fewer concerns about “small” things; Less distress about disturbances; reduction of work related stress; reduction of neck tension; relief from lower back pain; Learning efficiency improves; Ability to concentrate improves; Ability to enjoy movement and life as a whole increases; Find harmony and healing; More flexibility for mind and body; improved balance and motor skills; fluidity and ease of movement; Improvement of motor control and refined movement; Increased flexibility of spine; More energy, less fatigue; Gastrointestinal function normalizes; Having more options in life; Fewer headaches; Ability to relax improves; Better sleep; Eye-hand coordination improves;

Grabher (2010, p. 15) includes psychological as well as physical outcomes:

More positive feelings about self; Improvement in overall health, general well-being and experience of quality of life; Attention improves; fewer angry outbursts; become more aware of your body’s posture, alignment and patterns of movement; Well-being increases; less depression and more interest in life; Range of motion in­ crease; decreased moodiness; Mood improves and subjective well-being increases; Habitual tension decreases; Pain decreases; Depth perception improves; Spatial awareness increases; Kinesthetic sense improves; Bal­ance improves; Anxiety and Depression decrease . . .

At this point, Grabher (2010, p, 20) returns to the fundamental purpose for which the Feldenkrais method is being engaged – and it is a purpose that relates directly to the Tin Man’s predicament:

Every lesson, besides having a wide range of benefits, leads the student towards gaining enough range of motion to be able to perform daily activities without restraint. The less physical and mental force is applied, the greater the results. The increased range of motion (without stretching) could come as a result of various improvements; better internal body organization (“better organization” is a Feldenkrais concept), a lower muscle resting ton.us, yet at the same time being more ready for movement, a more harmonious timing of the opening and closing of various joints, various synergy effects (e. g. relaxing the neck muscles will also relax the hamstring muscles), or maybe other causes altogether? Feldenkrais very obviously works, but there’s still a lot of research that needs to be done to be able to understand how it works.

He ends with this cautionary note regarding the need for more research. Unlike the Wizard of Ox who proclaims the capacity achieve a wide range of outcomes without providing any evidence, Feldenkrais does want to accumulate evidence of success. We are reminded that the Wizard closely resembles a Kansas-based seller of unproven medicines who purports to offer cures that require no work by the person seeking to be healed (other than swallowing the “miracle” drug).