The books of Moshe Feldenkrais, Awareness Through Movement, The Potent Self, and The Elusive Obvious, explore and explain the values of movement education. He evolved Awareness Through Movement (ATM) as a method to improve specific movement functions such as reaching, bending, turning around, sitting and walking. ATM lessons teach people how to relax as well. They provide a means for releasing destructive movement and postural habits that inhibit optimal neuromuscular functioning.

Through ATM sessions, people learn to abandon habitual movement patterns and develop new alternatives. The subtle ATM movements develop not only awareness but also flexibility and coordination.After ATM lessons, people often feel taller and lighter, breathe more freely, and find that discomforts have eased. Best of all, they can incorporate the lessons into everyday living, and do not become dependent on the practioneer. Young and old can benefit and learn to move with more awareness and joy. As Dr. Moshe Feldenkrais taught, we... "make the impossible possible, the possible easy, and the easy elegant."

Functional Integration employs principles from ATM in hands-on bodywork. This is a most direct way of experiencing results with the Feldenkrais method. Here bodily movement is awakened through slow, gentle touch. The student/client lies comfortably clothed on a padded table. The practitioner uses a series of precise movements that relax tense areas. The movements alter habitual patterns and provide new information directly to the neuromuscular system.

Functional Integration is especially useful for people with recurrent difficulties who want to learn to overcome limitations brought on by stress, misuse, or overuse. It is equally beneficial for people who just want to perform and feel better physically and mentally, or those who want to enhance musical, athletic, or dance ability.

(The Question of Insurance: In many cases, somatic teachers and therapists can get their services covered by insurance through neuromuscular therapy or myofascial therapy.)