Feldenkrais Practitioner: Laura Yedwab
Move Better, Feel Better, Live Better with the Help from a Feldenkrais Practitioner
Hi, I’m Laura. I help people move better. I specialize in helping people walk farther, run faster, stand taller, breathe easier, and regain abilities they have lost through injury and aging. As a Guild Certified Feldenkrais® Practitioner (GCFP), I would be delighted to help you move with more ease, have less pain, and improve the quality of your life.
I know how difficult it is to be in pain and not be able to do the activities you love. There was a period in my life when repeated injuries to my hamstrings prevented me from playing racquetball. I spent two years in physical therapy with no improvement. Then I discovered Feldenkrais! By using the Feldenkrais Method, I learned to move without putting unnecessary stress on my hamstrings. I was thrilled. I loved improving and refining my movements. As my movements improved, my zest for life increased.
I provide a warm and safe environment that will optimize your growth, learning, and development. I love working with people of all ages.
Book A Free Consultation
In your free 60-minute consultation with your Feldenkrais practitioner, you will explore your goals and challenges, and identify specific movement patterns that are causing you problems. You will discover how we can work together to improve your movement so that you put less stress, wear and tear on your body.
How are Feldenkrais Practitioners Trained?
The training to become a Feldenkrais practitioner is extensive and rigorous. I graduated from a 800 hour, 4-year program (2008-2012). In addition, I have attended over 1400 hours of continuing Feldenkrais education. I am committed to continually refining my skills and improving myself so that I have the tools, resources, and skills I need to provide the best support possible to my clients, my family and myself.
I also helped design and staffed several multi-year programs:
- Feldenkrais training Academy (2018-2022) in Seattle, WA.
- IOPS Academy in Basil (2019-2021), Buenos Aires (2017-2019), Seattle (2016-2018), and New York (2015-2017).
Before becoming a Feldenkrais practitioner, I spent 20 years in the computer industry, first as a programmer, then as a manager, and finally as a Group Manager of the Natural Language Group at Microsoft. I have a master’s degree in computer science from M.I.T.
What Can a Feldenkrais Practitioner Do for You?
Feldenkrais practitioners are movement educators. Together, we will leverage your brain’s innate neuroplasticity – its ability to adapt, learn, and improve – to help you move with less pain, more grace, and greater comfort.
Most animals know how to move soon after birth. For example, a newborn goat can walk in ten minutes and is then set for life. However, as humans our learning can continue throughout our lifetime. As your Feldenkrais practitioner, I am here to guide you through a learning process that will enhance your movement skills.
Sessions begin by clarifying your specific goals. I then customize our work to address the specific movement patterns hindering these goals. I will help you increase your awareness of what you are currently doing, identify where difficulty lies, and find better movement alternatives.
As a Feldenkrais practitioner, I employ various techniques, including slowing down your movements so that we can pay attention to the details, suggesting variations, using light touch, and engaging in mindful observation.
The process can be used to improve any activity including walking, running, hiking sports, reaching, sitting, standing, meditating, lifting, driving, swimming, dancing, golfing, climbing stairs, breathing, turning, and looking.
As your Feldenkrais practitioner, I will create a warm learning environment tailored to foster deep care, support, and mutual collaboration.
Introduction to the Feldenkrais Practitioners
How do Feldenkrais practitioners provide such effective hands-on guidance for bodily awareness and help improve functional movement? They obtain training in how the body works and learn how to increase their clients’ awareness and attention.
The Feldenkrais Method® focuses on the mind-body connection and aligns the two for more purposeful movement. It frequently offers long-term success by bringing awareness to how some movements increase pain while others ease it. The method can improve healing, reduce pain, and promote resilience against future injury.
The Role and Importance of a Feldenkrais Practitioner
Working with a certified instructor helps you optimize the method’s benefits. A Feldenkrais practitioner has the training, knowledge, and experience to guide you through the movements without causing further injury.
You can support the method with at-home practices like yoga. However, working with a certified provider improves your chances of reaching your health goals.
A Feldenkrais practitioner has a responsibility to educate and guide their clients through the method. They perform the following duties:
- Improving a patient’s awareness of movement patterns, including habits that increase chronic pain
- Developing personalized exercise routines that address their clients’ unique challenges
- Leading Awareness Through Movement group classes
- Providing individual sessions through Functional Integration
- Offering encouragement, advice, and support for holistic health goals and habits
Laura Yedwab
Guild Certified Practitioner
The Training and Certification Process for Feldenkrais Practitioners
What training and certification process do Feldenkrais practitioners complete? They undergo a comprehensive process to become qualified movement educators. It takes between three and four years and includes the following components:
- The Feldenkrais practitioner learns to run group sessions by understanding the proper techniques and how to communicate and demonstrate them.
- They gain hands-on training and experience in Functional Integration and techniques for improving body alignment.
- The somatic education provides extensive knowledge of neuroscience, kinesiology, psychology, and anatomy.
- They find a mentor who enables supervised practice and increases the student’s confidence and capabilities.
- The training takes roughly 800 hours and includes a final test demonstrating their understanding of the
Services Offered by Feldenkrais Practitioners
These experts provide two primary services as somatic practitioners. The Functional Integration® sessions offer a one-on-one, hands-on approach, while Awareness Through Movement® classes guide clients in a group setting. Taking advantage of both yields the best long-term results.
The individualized sessions educate you on movement awareness in a way suited to your needs. A person looking to improve athletic performance needs a different approach than one recovering from chronic pain.
The group classes with a Feldenkrais practitioner offer a social method. Participants receive encouragement to discover their mind-body connection and reflect on their habits. They’ll enjoy the benefits of a supportive environment with access to a highly trained educator.
Benefits of Working With a Feldenkrais Practitioner
What benefits do you receive working with Feldenkrais practitioners? The investment can effectively improve mobility and posture. It also often reduces pain musculoskeletal pain.
Scientific evaluation of the method remains limited. However, client testimonials and numerous case studies provide consistent evidence of long-term results for many clients.
Integrating the Feldenkrais Method Into Various Professions
Who can benefit most from working with a Feldenkrais practitioner? You can incorporate the principles into your career if you work in the following fields:
- Physical therapy: These techniques can help your patients recover more quickly and develop resilience against future injury.
- Dance: Dance professionals can improve their technique, gain creative insights into bodily movement, and reduce the chance of damaging joints and muscles.
- Sports: Athletes can improve endurance and expedite recovery by learning to move more efficiently both on and off the field.
- Education: Teachers can learn more inclusive methods and help students practice mindfulness.
Feldenkrais Practitioners Require Continuing Education and Professional Development
A Feldenkrais practitioner must undergo at least 20 hours of continuing education and professional development annually to maintain certification. This helps them stay updated on emerging science and techniques. They can attend workshops and classes as part of their certification renewal.
Contact Kinetic Inquiry To Schedule an Appointment
Are you ready to schedule an appointment with the Feldenkrais practitioners at Kinetic Inquiry? We make the process easy with a simple phone call or online form. Treatment starts with a free consultation.
Contact us online or call 425-202-5685.