Customer Reviews

Master Moves

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I am interested in the Feldenkrais method (though not a practitioner) and have received many lessons over the years and have read (at least superficially) many of Moshe Feldenkrais's books. Unfortunately, though Feldenkrais was a genius in his understanding of how to correct movement problems, his book-writing skills were not too good. This book is just a transcript of a long workshop he gave in California in the late 1970s. Apparently somebody was taking notes verbatim. Feldenkrais is leading a class of (presumably fairly advanced) students through some movement lessons. He discusses his motivations in inventing these particular lessons, and sprinkles in his usual salty and irreverent language, and random observations and comments. The twelve movement lessons are better than almost any other lessons of his that I have come across. However, as the book title suggests, these are "master moves," meant for more advanced students. They are not super-difficult, but they do require more introspection and careful self-examination than usual. The lessons that address the midback and the 7th cervical are especially interesting and not often found elsewhere.

I particularly enjoyed his description (thrown in randomly in one lesson) of how a musician used his method (specifically, gentle movement with minimal possible effort) to teach him how to play the piano.

I wish somebody would prepare a book-on-CD version, allowing the listener to try the movement lessons more easily. (Movement doesnt mix well together with reading!)

Based on the transcripts of a five-day seminar Moshe did in California in 1979, this book, which combines wonderful images with a direct transcript of his lectures, offers the best way to clearly get a sense of this wonderful man and his physical/verbal wizardry.

This book is the collection of a five day work shop that Moshe Feldenkrais gave.
This book is very well written. It has its own style which lends to its form. The words "bring home" many of the teachings within.