The training process is structured as one integrated gestalt lasting over the entire course of the training period.
The program will offer a minimum of 425 hours over 85 days, for a period of approximately two years.
Learning in the training program is always grounded in the participants experience of their own movement and kinesthetic learning. The training involves extended and intensive ATM and experiences. As such, for many students the training itself can be a profound and unexpected transformative process.
Immersion in ATM over the two years allows the participants to experience the breadth and depth of the Method. Over time, the letting go of conditioned habits and the increasing awareness gains momentum, so many participants experience a positive and profound shift in their entire sense of self, and thus in many areas of their life.
You will experience many hours of Awareness Through Movement lessons throughout the training.
The core of the lessons will be drawn from the professional trainings that Dr. Moshe Feldenkrais conducted and from classes he taught. You will experience many different types of ATM lessons: intricate lessons that have an extended and interwoven structure, lessons that utilize imagery and imagination, dynamic lessons in various positions as well as basic lessons which will offer entry into the early teaching of ATM.
Students in the ATM Training will receive 3 sessions of Individualized Functional Integration as part of their training.
Functional Integration is a one-to-one approach to working with people. Learning, change and improvement are achieved through the use of specific skilled manipulation and passive movement individualized for the student’s particular needs. The practice of Functional Integration is based on the same large movement repertoire as ATM. However, 2-year ATM training does not include professional training in the hands-on work Functional Integration.
Small-size groups are used to foster your learning with the training staff in an intimate and personalized context.
Small groups processes will be used often in the program. They are a wonderful way to facilitate the process of learning cooperatively with your fellow students. In topic-oriented discussions you will bridge the gap between readings and your class experiences, to make connections between ideas and devise ways to put those connections into action. Learning in a Feldenkrais training does not go in one direction i.e., teacher to student, but in multiple directions as individuals work creatively together to study, learn and solve problems. Small group situation will also be used to practice, study and begin to teach Awareness Through Movement.
To help you understand how the Feldenkrais Method relates to prevailing ideas, you will be introduced to relevant topics in contemporary cognitive science, neurophysiology and movement sciences.
We will hold regular discussions, both in small groups and with the entire class. These discussions will vary in style including question and answer periods, dialogues, open-ended talks, and conversations oriented to specific topics. The Staff and occasional guest lecturers will present talks on the background of the Feldenkrais Method, on related areas of current interest, and on the specifics of developing and conducting a practice. You will learn about Moshe Feldenkrais and how he developed the Method, and you will learn about the historical, philosophical, and scientific bases of his thinking and work.
