Customer Reviews

Mindful Spontaneity: Lessons in the Feldenkrais Method

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I used to see a chiropractor for alignments quite often, but since I read and used Mindful Spontaneity I have gained awareness of my back and internal muscles that connect to the back. The result is a beautiful change in my body's structure: I am taller, the curve in my lumbar is gone, and so on. Every vertabrae in my back is moveable and dynamic now. And I haven't visited my Chiropractor since. I also adopted Ruth's blanket exercises that I do most mornings to remove acquired stiffness from my sleep. This book changed my life for the better.

Ruthy Alon's book sets out to accomplish much through its words. This is a book that needs more than just reading; it needs to be lived in order to to review it, which is what the book is all about: it points out for us a way of living that is finer and gentler than what we--many of us--are accustomed to. It is a book that could be called the poetry of motion. I recommend it to anyone seeking a deeper sense of movement that arises from a deeper sense of life

Ruthy Alon's writing is so very eloquent. She shows the reader how to look deep within themselves, how to discover what might be getting in their way of achieving optimum back health and relief from chronic pain. Moshe Feldenkrais's " Magic Roller Technique", which Ms Alon learned from the master himself, is described in amazing precision within this book. After several back operations, I know my life would be filled with daily pain--pain that would keep me from doing what I want to do--except that I lie on the floor almost every day and go through the motions. I have learned, through Ms Alon's teachings, to give myself the pure gift of letting myself feel good. I had almost forgotten how pain-free felt.

If it's hard to find or expensive on Amazon, try the publisher: North Atlantic Books, or check out places like Barnes & Noble ($23.00, at the time of this review).

The Feldenkrais method is a new way of approaching movement that solves many kinds of chronic pain. It also gives a new, easier way to move and live your life.


Ruthy Alon is one of the leading practitioners of this method and was one of Moshe Feldenkrais's original students. I think this book offers a nice contrast to Moshe's "Awareness Through Movement." It is written in a more intuitive, "touchy-feely" way than any of Moshe's books.

In the introductory chapter she challenges traditional ways of thinking about the back (e.g., the importance laid on the "Abs" in many workout routines). Then the author introduces the Feldenkrais way of thinking about the back and the human body. The blanket lessons mentioned in the earlier reviews are superb (it is also good to try them using a 6-inch exercise roller). If you have had no exposure to the Feldenkrais method, that chapter is a good place to start (especially if you suffer from backache).

The ideal way into the Feldenkrais method is through one-on-one lessons with a good teacher, but this book provides a gentle and safe introduction for those who do not have access to good teachers. I read this book after I had had live lessons and ATM classes, and it was very useful for me to get her perspective on what the method is trying to do.

My only criticism of the book (echoed by a previous review) is that Ms. Alon at times seems to be in need of a good editor. She is often verbose.
But I rcommend this book otherwise.

As you can see from the above title, I did not read this book. I borrowed it from the library and managed to get through but 30 pages. After having read "Awareness Through Movement," I thought it might be rewarding to see what one of his practitioners thought about his concepts. This book may appeal to some, but I found it far too verbose and provincial for my taste. For example, Ms. Alon's table of contents lists every single paragraph (I am not exaggerating) thoughout the entire book. Thus, if one wants to capture the import of a chapter, one must read through dozens of descriptions. Equally notable is the contrast in style from Feldenkrais. Having read his "Awareness Through Movement," I was struck by his economy of language, almost to the point of terseness. I sought something more conversational, but Ms. Alon's book was a surprise. Again, others may find her style rewarding. I did not.

Forget what your doctor and your physical therapist have told you about healing your back after surgery (which probably isn't much). Moshe Feldenkrais was the Einstein of back recovery. Ruthy Alon's instructions will take you beyond your most positive visualisations of how to get your back to support your life from now on.