> Moshe Feldenkrais

The Feldenkrais Method is a system of somatic education designed by Moshé Feldenkrais (1904–1984). The Method aims to improve our movement repertoire, by expanding and refining the use of the Self through awareness, in order to reduce pain or limitations in movement, and promote general well-being.
Moshe Feldenkrais was an ingenious physicist, engineer, scientist and martial artist. He was originally from Russia and immigrated to Israel around the age of 13. He studied at the Sorbonne in France, and worked for many years with Nobel Prize Laureate Fréderic Joliot-Curie at the Curie Institute in Paris. He also the first European to earn a black belt in judo— studying with the Jiguro Kano, the founder of modern judo.
During his life Feldenkrais suffered several debilitating knee injuries. After a poor surgical prognosis and the failure of other medical treatments, Feldenkrais was forced to rely on himself. In this process, he discovered a profound relationship between self-awareness, learning and movement that led him to a full recovery. He applied his knowledge of mechanics and human movement to learn how to walk again without pain. Moshe Feldenkrais realized that becoming aware of what he was doing was the groundwork for being able to do what he wanted - walk comfortably. He spent the rest of his life developing his new method of movement education, and helped thousands of people with a wide variety of challenges.
Feldenkrais' insights continue to be confirmed by the latest research in the fields of medicine, neurophysiology and education. Feldenkrais believed that health is founded on good function and asserted that his method of body/mind exploration improved functioning (health) by making individuals more aware: "What I am after is more flexible minds, not just more flexible bodies".