Thinking and Doing - Feldenkrais, Moshe

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Résumé :
In 1929, a young Moshe Feldenkrais published his Hebrew translation of the book, The Practice of Autosuggestion by the Method of ?mile Cou?. Feldenkrais not only translated the book but composed and added his own observations in two additional chapters, which are presented here in this monograph. Feldenkrais noted that the work of Cou? was primarily focused on resolving problems, and realized that these same ideas could be used proactively to improve one's abilities. Feldenkrais writes, We will explore this issue and see if we can take it a step forward. Using examples from real life, we will demonstrate that by using autosuggestion we can achieve far superior results rather than merely being in a condition no worse than someone else's. Feldenkrais offers numerous examples of how autosuggestion can enhance abilities and improve performance and concludes that imagination and correct thinking are more effective than willpower. For many years, Autosuggestion was a reference point for Feldenkrais as he continued to develop his work. He mentioned Cou? in various aspects of his later publications, including Body and Mature Behavior and Awareness Through Movement. Both of these books are considered milestones in the development of the Feldenkrais Method?.

Biographie:
Moshe Feldenkrais, D.Sc. (1904 - 1984), developer of the Feldenkrais Method?, was an engineer, physicist, martial artist, and student of human development. Born in eastern Europe, he emigrated to Palestine as a young man. Later he studied at the Sorbonne and worked in the Joliot Curie laboratory in Paris during the 1930s. His interest in Ju-Jitsu brought him into contact with Professor Kano, who developed Judo. Dr. Feldenkrais was a co-founder of the Ju-Jitsu Club of Paris and was one of the first Europeans to earn a black belt in Judo. Escaping the Nazi advance, he went to Britain and worked on anti-submarine research for the Admiralty. In the 1940s, he began to develop his Method and wrote his first book on the subject. He authored many seminal books on martial arts, movement, learning, human consciousness, and somatic experience. Dr. Feldenkrais worked with people with a wide range of needs, from children with Cerebral Palsy to performers such as the violinist Yehudi Menuhin.