Feldenkrais Classes in San Diego: What to Expect
What happens in a Feldenkrais class
The class is called Awareness Through Movement. It is verbal from start to finish.
You will not be shown a pose and asked to match it. The teacher describes a movement, and you find your own version of it. That difference matters more than it sounds. When you copy a demonstration, your attention goes to the teacher. When you follow a description, your attention stays in your own body, which is where the learning happens.
A lesson has a shape. It starts with a scan — lying still, noticing how you make contact with the floor. Then a sequence of small movements, done slowly, with rests between them. Then another scan at the end, comparing what you feel now to what you felt at the start.
The rests are not filler. They are when your nervous system sorts through what just happened.
In my classes, I often ask students to compare one side of the body with the other before and after a sequence. I'm not asking them to fix anything. I'm asking them to notice what has changed, because the noticing is where the learning starts.
What a class feels like for a first-timer
Slower than almost anything else you have taken. People expect a workout pace and find something closer to a laboratory.
The movements are often small. Sometimes they are so small that the person next to you appears to be doing nothing at all. There is no music cueing you to push, no counting, no instruction to go deeper. If a movement hurts, you make it smaller or you imagine it. Both count.
The common first reaction afterward is surprise at how different the two sides of the body feel. The second is a shift in standing — taller, or more even, without having tried to stand that way.
Who comes to class
A wide range of ages and abilities in the same room. People managing stiffness or old injuries. People who sit at a desk all day. Dancers, musicians, and performers who need their body to be reliable. Older adults working on balance and steadiness. People with no particular complaint who simply want to move with less effort.
You do not need to be flexible, fit, or experienced. Lessons can be done lying down or seated, and you control the size of every movement. If you can get to the floor and back up, or sit in a chair for an hour, you can take the class.
What to wear and bring
Wear clothing you can move and lie down in comfortably. Layers help, since lying still can get cool.
Arrive a few minutes early if it is your first class.
Class schedule: in person and online
Online classes run weekly on Sundays. They are live, taught by voice, and open to anyone with a floor and a quiet hour.
In-person classes are taught in San Diego.
Classes are taught by Nicolette de Saint Amour, GCFP, a Guild Certified Feldenkrais Practitioner and Lecturer of Somatics at San Diego State University, and founder of Framework Somatics in downtown San Diego.
Taking Feldenkrais classes online
Awareness Through Movement is guided by voice, which makes it work well on a screen. There is nothing to watch, so nothing is lost. That is why the Sunday class is taught live online rather than filmed.
If Sunday does not work, the Postural Apprenticeship membership gives you lessons you can do at home, at your own pace.
Private sessions
Some people want individual attention rather than a group lesson. Functional Integration is the one-on-one format, where the practitioner works with gentle touch and movement while you lie clothed on a padded table. It is built around you and whatever you walked in with.
Group classes teach you to notice. Private sessions meet what you already noticed.
How to book your first class
Check the current schedule and reserve a spot. If you are unsure whether a class fits your situation, reach out before booking.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need experience with Feldenkrais to take a class?
No. Each lesson stands on its own, and new students are welcome in any class.
What should I wear to a Feldenkrais class?
Comfortable clothes you can move and lie down in. Layers are useful, since you spend much of the class lying still.
How long is a class?
60 minutes.
Is Feldenkrais suitable if I have pain or an injury?
Lessons are gentle and self-paced, and you adjust the size of every movement to your own comfort. If you have an injury or a medical condition, check with your healthcare provider first.
Can I take classes online instead?
Yes. Live online classes run every Sunday, and Awareness Through Movement is taught by voice, so nothing is lost on a screen. The Postural Apprenticeship membership also offers lessons on demand.
Author bio
Nicolette de Saint Amour, GCFP, is a Guild Certified Feldenkrais Practitioner and Lecturer of Somatics at San Diego State University. She is the founder of Framework Somatics in downtown San Diego and Postural Apprenticeship, her online platform for the study of Awareness Through Movement.