• Movement Lessons for infants to adults using the Anat Baniel Method (ABM)
  • ChildS’pace consultations and groups for infants, toddlers and parents

What is the Anat Baniel Method (ABM)?

“No part of the body can be moved without all the others being affected.”

– Moshe Feldenkrais

The Anat Baniel Method (ABM) is a non-medical sensory integration modality based on the pioneering work of Dr. Moshe Feldenkrais’ approach to somatic education of connecting the brain and the body through movements done with awareness. This is not a form of exercise, but of learning, training the brain to sense the body kinesthetically, as it moves in specific ways. Hence, each session is called a “movement lesson.” ABM provides information to the nervous system / brain to help us sense ourselves by noticing what we are doing. By providing new information through slow, guided movement and/or gentle touch we learn to sense where we are and to feel the possibility of new movements. By beginning with what we can already do, a sense of safety is established, and a foundation is laid for building new functional skills and patterns of movement based on preparing all parts of the body, from head to toe, to participate in exploring movements that feel good. As the brain experiences new movements, it will choose to use the ones that are most meaningful and purposeful given the information it has acquired. It can upgrade a delayed nervous system, or accelerate development in a more neurotypical nervous system. This work is supported by research done on the neuroplasticity of the brain. New experiences create new neuropathways in the brain, allowing for new configurations of movement to occur.

Services offered:

Movement Lessons

Movement Lessons are done in two ways. Individual Sessions are done on a Feldenkrais table, which looks similar to a massage or mat table, with a certified ABM practitioner, and sessions last from 30-60 minutes. Usually a series of lessons are given to attain a certain goal or level of function. Group Movement Lessons last about 55 minutes each, and are usually offered in sets of 8-12 sessions and are specific sequences of movements led by a certified ABM practitioner designed to help the student move with awareness, an opportunity for self-education, if you will, to sense how to move with ease. This can provide a variety of outcomes including moving without pain, moving with greater efficiency, and better overall sense of well-being and vitality. Sometimes these movement lessons are referred to as anti-aging movement lessons because the change in self-organization can be profound.

ChildS’pace Consultations and Groups

Enhancing parents’ skills for typically developing infants and toddlers

Dr. Chava Shelav has developed this educational approach to working with caregivers and neurotypically developing children, and it is also based on the work of Dr. Moshe Feldenkrais. Through play and guided movement and touch, the parents can enhance a child’s development.

Contact

For more information on services from Senses in Motion or to arrange a consultation, please contact:

Rene’ Manker, Physical Therapist and certified Anat Baniel Method (ABM) Practitioner

616-308-3385