As many of us return to work at the start of 2020, it seemed a good moment to reflect how Feldenkrais can enable us to work comfortably at a computer, and sit at a desk.  Practitioner Alex Frazier writes about her personal experience of how she first found Feldenkrais when working as a marketing executive, and tips to help you at work. She recorded the lesson which you can try at home (or work) to complement this theme.

As ever, do take a look at our workshop and class listings below, to find an event near you.  And come and see us at the Get Well Show on 21-23 February, or at the Music and Drama  Education Expo on 4-5 March, both at Olympia, London.  

I didn't realise my shoulders could change or be so relaxed with such gentle movements. I was intrigued and I enjoyed how a few lessons of Feldenkrais transformed my ability to get into yoga poses and improved my physical sense of ease at work.

We all experience tension and have habitual holding patterns in our muscles. We get stressed and tense up and begin to be restricted in our range of movement.  A Feldenkrais Practitioner can introduce new movements so you can explore and eventually expand your range. 

Sadly, there is no miracle pill you can take that will cure, say, your back pain. Movement is incredibly complex. It can be very difficult to control all habitual patterns or make big changes immediately. But, if you can become aware of your patterns of muscle tension then you can look to make small achievable changes. We tend to under-estimate the surprising power of learning small movements. Give yourself a chance to learn new easy movements through Feldenkrais. It will surprise you! 

The power of our self-image:

Todd Hargrove, an author and Feldenkrais Practitioner, explains how you can improve mobility and reduce pain:

“So, let’s say you’ve got an image of your lower back that everything's messed up  down there. This is not just your thoughts about his back, but it's like a visceral image. The area's confusing, it's stiff, you don't know how to move it, you really feel that there's something very wrong in there. All those visceral thoughts and feelings relate to an image of the back that it's a dangerous place, and it's incapable of moving. If you can change that image, not just the thoughts about it but your visceral sense; that it's capable, that it's safe, that it's okay to move, that you've got a clear awareness of what movements are okay and which are not. It's that type of positive change that we're looking for.” (See video excerpt from Feldenkrais Awareness Summit, 2019; 1:42 - 2:30).

Sitting disease

"Sitting disease" is a term recently coined as new research suggests that sitting for long periods without movement can lead to long term health conditions (see article spineuniverse.com). Several studies have looked at office worker habits over the years and many have found correlations between sitting at a desk and chronic pain. Research has also found that regardless of how much you go to the gym, sitting can still put you at risk of disease and chronic pain (see article sciencedaily.com).

Observe and sense

The more you notice the more you will discover what works for you. No two people have exactly the same physicality. Pay attention. Make note of what happens and when. Notice how you are sitting and working. Begin to be curious about what postural habits you have while working on a laptop or computer. Make daily notes as any symptoms arise; it can help you determine any patterns in your habits that may be contributing to discomfort. You may notice your body feels different on certain days and at different times of the day.

Slow is better 

Give yourself a chance to learn new habits though Feldenkrais. The key to managing stress at work or home is to remember that over time you can change your movement habits; not just about how you react with your thoughts and emotions but that you can learn new patterns of movement.

Slow is better. Resist the temptation to be stuck in your way of sitting or moving. Consciously exploring Feldenkrais and taking the time to choose how to move or sit means you're giving yourself the time to come up with better alternatives that could help you achieve a more positive outcome. Bring your attention to how you respond to a work deadline or stressful situation. You might not be able to control everything in the situation or make big changes immediately but a Feldenkrais Practitioner can help you identify small achievable movements. We tend to under-estimate the surprising power of learning new movements.

Play, movement and imagination

Play is about doing something simply for the pleasure of doing it without intending a specific outcome. Commit to small movement experiments. Notice marginal gains that help you stay agile in the face of stress. Play with how you sit at your desk.

By making everything you're doing to help yourself into a game rather than a goal, it takes the pressure off and allows you to observe what is happening. It also gives you permission to stop things that don’t seem to be helping. 

How do you shift into play mode when you've got a work deadline? Simply ask: “What if? What if I do this? What happens when...?” Explore. There is much to discover. I never thought I'd enjoy writing this article but I am now. I began to relax a little once I explored the research and, in the end, felt creative about what I could write and I began to enjoy the process. 

Yes my shoulders and back were tight, but by practising Feldenkrais I had renewed energy to continue and then felt so much more relaxed. Imagine - Feldenkrais was an early exponent of visualization and imagining in the West.

When actually doing something feels like “too much,” remember it’s okay to do things in your imagination. There, you can let go of muscle tension and performance anxiety and pretend that what you are attempting is not only possible but easy. Go with it. With both physical exercises and work, imagination can help you to achieve the task at hand.

Alex teaches workshops in London and the West Midlands and, works on a one-to one basis with adults and children to improve their movement potential.  Her client group ranges from stroke survivors, PR companies, law firms, IT companies, yoga students, professional footballers and many others.

Her qualifications include: Bsc Biology; Professional Feldenkrais Training (London 2015); Michelle Turner (Newborn Movement Assessment completed) and Movement Lesson training (April 2020).