Do we need effort ?

22 october 2024

Highlights

1. Announcements:

• The Feldenkrais Training in Cantal is Still Open for Admissions

2. Thought of the Week:

• Do we need effort ? Reconciling Growth Mindset with the Feldenkrais Method.

3. Book of the Week:

• How we change… and 10 reasons why we don’t.

4. Quote of the Week

Announcements

Where Creativity Meets Community – The Feldenkrais Training in Cantal is Still Open for Admissions

10 years ago, Pia and Yvo had a crazy idea: they wanted to redo their training all over again. A Feldenkrais training is like a good book—you can read it many times and always find new insights. But this time, they wanted to be on the other side of the table—they wanted to partake in designing the pedagogical journey… so they created Feldenkrais Cantal.

Why set up a training in Cantal, of all places? Well, before the Feldenkrais trainings rolled in, Pia and Yvo already had something brewing—the Beliashe Institute, a center dedicated to the arts and human potential. Formerly a secondary school, the building was transformed in 2011 into a vibrant center with a big theater stage, a café, a garden, and various workspaces. More than 500 students have since walked its halls, their lives profoundly impacted by the teachings they encountered.

Yvo and Pia spent a big part of their lives crafting the art of teaching and transmission. They taught movement and theatre in just about every setting imaginable: rural French villages, rehab centers, prisons, and even the most prestigious drama schools. Creating a Feldenkrais center was the perfect opportunity to put their years of experience into action—and maybe go a step further.

Their mission? To craft the optimal environment for learning. So making sure the center is stimulating and inspiring place is high on their priority list—right up there with ensuring the quality coffee never runs out. Nestled amidst mountains with views of volcanic hills and surrounded by books and paintings, it’s a haven for creativity. Pia and Yvo also put a lot of effort into making sure students learn from the best and most experienced teachers out there. That’s why the trainers there come from all around the world. And let’s not forget—a key highlight of Feldenkrais Cantal is the array of conferences, concerts, and events that light up the place after training hours. By the end of the four years, the place is brimming with memories. Many students finish the training calling it their second home.

So there you have it—a wild idea that blossomed into a thriving community in the heart of Cantal. Who knows? Maybe you’ll be the next to call it home?

Thought of the week

Do we need effort ? Reconciling Growth Mindset with the Feldenkrais Method.

Some readers reacted to last week’s newsletter, in particular about the idea of embracing “effort”.

We presented the theory of Carol Dweck – the difference between a fixed mindset and a growth mindset. What does she say about effort? She proposes that a fixed mindset views effort as a sign of inadequacy, while a growth mindset embraces effort as a necessary part of learning and overcoming challenges.

In the Feldenkrais Method your practitioner will often suggest that you to stay in your comfort zone without using effort. Is staying in your comfort zone compatible with embracing effort ? We think it is, but there’s a nuance.

In ATM lessons, the focus is on learning through ease and comfort because the nervous system learns best without strain or effort, i.e. when it is not overwhelmed. Indeed, this approach fosters a more nuanced awareness of one’s movements and promotes more efficient, natural movement patterns, that can later be applied in everyday activities. However, this principle is often misunderstood as a recommendation to avoid effort in all aspects of life. Is that even possible ?

In life, challenges will often require significant physical, emotional, and mental effort. The Feldenkrais method is not about avoiding these challenges, rather about preparing the body and mind to meet them more skillfully. By practicing movements in a non-strenuous way, we cultivate a sense of ease and control that can be transferred to more demanding situations. Whether in sports, work, or personal growth, this heightened awareness allows us to tackle difficult tasks with less unnecessary tension.

Effort can’t be avoided, but how can the same action be achieved with the least amount of effort ? That’s efficiency.

Book of the week

How we change… and 10 reasons why we don’t.

Many students are drawn to the Feldenkrais Method in search of change—one that unfolds gradually, at a pace that feels natural to them, and that is rooted in their own experience.

In his book How We Change (And 10 Reasons Why We Don’t), Ross Ellenhorn explores the idea that change is difficult, not because of a lack of willpower or knowledge, but because people are often entangled in deep psychological and existential reasons for staying the same. Personal change involves facing one’s aloneness, taking accountability, and confronting the fear of hope. Importantly, true change involves understanding the roots of our resistance to change.

So here are ten reasons why we might not change:

1. Staying the same protects you from aloneness and accountability : Change forces individuals to confront the fact that they are solely responsible for their own lives.

2. Staying the same protects you from accountability for “what’s next” : Change brings uncertainty and the need to face the unknown future.

3. Staying the same protects you from the unknown : Venturing into the unknown is inherently uncomfortable and anxiety-inducing.

4. Staying the same protects you from your own expectations : Change raises expectations, which in turn creates pressure and the fear of failure.

5. Staying the same protects you from others’ expectations : Once a person starts to change, others may develop new expectations, creating social pressure.

6. Staying the same protects you from seeing where you are : Remaining unchanged allows individuals to avoid facing the reality of their current situation.

7. Staying the same protects you from the insult of small steps : The gradual process of change can feel insignificant, leading to frustration and discouragement.

8. Staying the same protects a monument to your pain : Holding onto the past and resisting change can act as a way of memorializing past trauma or suffering.

9. Staying the same protects you from changing your relationship with others : Personal change often necessitates shifts in how one relates to others, which can feel risky.

10. Staying the same protects you from changing your relationship with yourself : The process of change alters one’s self-perception and identity, which can be unsettling.

These reasons illuminate why change is not simply a matter of discipline or knowledge but is deeply tied to human emotions and existential challenges. Do you have a sense that some of these reasons might apply to you ?

Quote of the week

Les analphabètes du XXIe siècle ne seront pas ceux qui ne savent ni lire ni écrire, mais ceux qui ne peuvent pas apprendre, désapprendre et réapprendre.

—Alvin Toffler