I just bumped into an anecdote in my personal notes about Feldenkrais and his thoughts on the training programs he was teaching in the United States from the mid-1970s to 1981. Moshe was talking to his friend of many decades, Franz Wurm.
Have you heard of him?
He chose to stay outside of the Feldenkrais Guild and other organizations, so not many people talk about him.
Franz wrote that he and Moshe would discuss and argue about his training courses.
And Feldenkrais said,
“They’ll pick up a bag of tricks. That’s all, and that’s not what my work is about.
But, they’ll make a living by what they’ve learnt, and that’s something, too - for them, anyway.”
“Perhaps in fifty years, somebody will pick up the threads, and grasp them, and make something better of them.”
Fascinating, no?
My personal view is that in the next phase of learning about Feldenkrais, his ideas (and their limitations) change will come from *outside* of any hierarchical organization such as the Feldenkrais Guild. Hierarchies are reasonably good at maintaining a basic body of knowledge.
But generating new knowledge and forms of action?
Forget about it!
Einstein didn't come up with the theory of relativity while working within a hierarchical structure. Neither did Darwin come up with his theory of natural selection in a university.
Feldenkrais was independent and did not submit his work to a committee for approval!
Awareness, like spontaneity, freedom, and empowerment cannot be taught nor imposed hierarchically.
It must emerge.
One can perhaps create the conditions for someone to empower himself, be free, and develop awareness, but it cannot be forced.
Anyway, just some rough form thoughts for now.
I hope you are doing well,
Ryan
