Advanced-training for Feldenkrais practitioners in Malmö

“Rediscover the true relaxation, flexibility and mobility of the chest and thoracic spine. Consequently, a more harmonious sense breathing, a more differentiated emotional self, and a more functional use of the head and arms

Malmö (Sweden) : 5 – 9 avril 2025

A space for breathing as much as a cradle of our emotions, the chest is also a place of resonance for the spoken and sung voice, a place of expression for a creative and rich life, a free and differentiated emotional life. Its highly articulated structure, fine and potentially very mobile, plays a decisive role in the development of breathing. It also ensures the transmission and meeting of all the impulses coming from the pelvis or the head, thus allowing a true integration of daily movements and respecting an overall and healthy physiology of the spine.

During this advanced-training, by exploring easy movements, sometimes unusual but always executed without effort and within the scope of what each person can do (curiosity and attention are more important than flexibility and strength), we can experience how to:

• Become aware of the articulated structure of the chest, developing greater freedom of the ribs in the three planes of space, regain the flexible mobility of the chest-bone and greater functional articulation of the thoracic spine whether in flexion, extension or torsion (torsion which is the preferred mobility of the thoracic or dorsal spine. This is the only part of the spine really capable of this, giving it an essential role in the management of all rotational movements and the relationship to the environment around us and to others).

• Experience the dorsal column as an essential link within the chain of transmission from the feet to the head, an unavoidable passageway for all the forces coming from the pelvis, head and limbs.

• Integrate the movements of the arm and head through a more functional engagement of the thoracic spine and chest, thereby regaining more mobility and fluidity in daily movements.

• Discover a certain relaxation and flexibility of the muscle fibers which insert themselves on the different parts of the rib cage and thoracic spine, diaphragm, trapezius, abdominal and back muscles ; perceiving how their tension or shortening limit and constrain one’s mobility, to lengthen and let go… these tensions are most often linked to present or past stress or emotional and relational experiences.

• Find how to use breathing to awaken this presence in oneself and in the surrounding world, this feeling of living, regenerating self as well as a true quality of listening… instantly helping to find calm within oneself, to center oneself, connect and take the necessary step back from paralyzing events (stress and emotions). From there, it will become easier to understand what limits us and our students or patients, to discover how, through simple explorations whose principles and mechanisms we have dismantled, we can find ease and comfort, reduce effort and stress, develop an authentic Well Being…

During this advance training, François Combeau will offer a number of structured and progressive practical situations. He will guide the practitioners into FI practices with always more clarity, detail, and precision. His very interactive way of teaching will give an opportunity to each participant to develop, in a personalized and intimate environment, necessary capacities for practicing the method efficiently, creatively and adapted to the student’s needs.

The main purpose will be to explore and work on « how we sense, feel, imagine, propose, invite and act » rather than on « what we do ». François is convinced that the professional training has given to practitioners a wide range of « know how » and ideas, and what everyone needs now is to develop more personal abilities and confidence in what one senses, sees and imagines.

Concretely, each participant will have a chance to develop the ability:

• To sense the person through their touch, to imagine him or her in movement, to observe him within the actions and to be able to feel the potential of movement in each joint, tri-dimensionally.
• To engage in a real sensory-motor dialog with the student and create dynamic conditions for him to learn, to develop dynamic observation and structure Fi’s organized as an interactive « back and forth » of questions: those we do ask to the students through our touch and movements invitations, those asked to us by the student responses and those we ask ourselves about what the person need and should learn.
• To become confident that our touch and our propositions or invitations for movement are more questions than statements and can stimulate the curiosity and interest of the students for the sake of their own evolution.
• To sense and follow the passing through of forces and the possible deviations linked to an habitual pattern and often compulsive movement.
• To clarify the directions of movements that are proposed during the lesson according to what we want to address, stimulate or awake. To be able to explore tri-dimensionally different orientations for a similar movement proposed, so to discover which one will « make more sense » to the nervous system of the student and will enable him to feel his full potential of movement.

Practitioners who have already experienced François’ advanced-training in Europe and in the US have found this style of training to be very efficient in helping them to develop their practice and move to a new level of understanding the work; underlying thinking, ways of acting and the working relationships with their students.

More information about where this seminar takes place, its cost and inscription process, please contact : Anna Harrstedt, organizer – e-mail : anna@easymoving.se