Feldenkrais and "Feeling Awareness"

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Bow Fingers and Sensitivity - Developing a Bowhold - Finger Flexing

 "The body is taken for granted and real feeling awareness of it is seldom experienced. By feeling awareness is meant the ability of the body to sense its own existence - for the body to be conscious of itself." 

 A person "uses his body, but in such a mechanical way that he scarcely knows that it exists. It would be true to say that when it is not suffering pain, the body is more often than not blind to itself. Tensions creep into the muscles and joints, interfering with a natural freedom of movement." (from The Simplicity of Playing the Violin by Herbert Whone)

Moshe Feldenkrais created innovative lessons to help people discover their habitual patterns - the patterns in how they use their body, that they are mostly unaware of. He was instrumental in creating processes for helping people recover from injuries by allowing their "system" to gain function through slow, gentle movements. But we don't have to have injuries in order to be functioning at a level which might be beneath our optimum level. His "Awareness Through Movement" lessons, especially if done on a regular basis, improve your whole "system". The body is viewed as a system that will choose the best pathway if awareness is improved through focusing on physical sensations through small, slow, repeated movements.

You can access free Feldenkrais Awareness Through Movement (Feldenkrais ATM) lessons online:
FREE Feldenkrais® Lessons — Feldenkrais lessons online (feldenkraistreasury.com)

Working with a Feldenkrais teacher can help you discover your habitual patterns that can derail you from playing the cello with ease. You can improve your functioning (and your cello playing!) whether or not you are experiencing pain.

 Michael Tweed-Kent is a cellist who is also a Feldenkrais practitioner and can help you on an individual level or on zoom through classes.  https://www.feelgoodsoundgood.com/cello/home


Here are online resources and courses led by a very experienced practitioner, David Zemach-Bersin Feldenkrais Access: Resources for Learning

 Learning to identify signals such as touch sensations, muscle tension in any part of the body and emotional changes (in you and in the music) is vital in learning the cello. As you play, you respond to these signals, by moving or relaxing the body or a particular limb or organ.  

Slow practicing combined with eliminating visuals and using memory is so beneficial. It allows your brain to sense or "listen" to your body. Slow practice without visuals also feeds more information to your brain, giving it more to retain when creating memorized pathways.

Excessive tension in any part of your body will affect your sound and cause physical problems. You can have tense muscles in any part of your body - not just your hands and arms. Areas of tension while playing the cello are often  found in the feet, neck, jaw and lower back.