ABM For Everyone

Questions:
a. What is the Anat Baniel Method?
b. What is it for?
c. Who is it for?
d. Is it something to do with Feldenkrais?

Answers:
a. An innovative way to improve human function
b. Doing better at whatever you want to improve
c. Anyone
d. Yes

Let’s elaborate.  You will know from the answer to question c. that the Anat Baniel Method (ABM) is for anyone.  This could mean a senior with stiffness or balance problems, someone with stubborn pain, a top performer who wants to perform better or a baby with cerebral palsy.

ABM can help anyone because it works with the brain and we all have one even if we don’t give it much thought.  It just sits there inside our skull and doesn’t seem to do much.  It doesn’t pick up that tasty snack and transport it to your mouth, it doesn’t taste it, it doesn’t feel pleasure or satisfaction (or guilt!).  Actually it does all of these things because it is responsible for everything that we do.  Think about this: your brain contains no muscles yet it uses 20% of the calories you consume.  It does a lot so it needs a lot of fuel.

Our brain controls our movements, thoughts, emotions and senses and when it works better each of these things improve.  ABM is a way of getting the brain to function better and that is why it can help anyone.  Although we look for improvement everywhere, our focus is on movement.

If your back, neck, hip or anywhere else hurts it is because of the way that you move - even if there is physical damage you can move yourself in a way that avoids pain (if your brain knows how).  If you have difficulty with balance, you can improve it by changing the way that you move.  If you want to dance, play, run or hit better, you can do it by moving yourself better.

ABM improves the function of the brain by communicating with it through movement.  Movement is a huge conduit for information to enter our brains.  You learned to sit, stand, walk, run, write, drive and eat through movement.  You know where you are and what you are doing through movement.  We use movement so much as a learning channel that we forget that we do (kind of like how we forget about our brains).

ABM presents new options to the brain.  The brain considers the options and selects those that will improve any given action.  Your brain has more tools in its toolbox and spontaneously uses them to figure out the solutions that work best.

Moshe Feldenkrais was a genius who lived from 1904 to 1984.  He was a physicist, an engineer, a judo master and held a medical degree.  He was also a soccer player who badly injured his knee.  The treatment options available to him did not offer a bright prognosis and so he used his engineering/judo/medical knowledge to figure out how to get beyond his knee problem.  It worked so well that he was able to first help others and then to train practitioners.

As Dr. Feldenkrais’ health declined near the end of his life he appointed his assistant of several years to continue the training of practitioners.  His assistant was Anat Baniel and she has further refined the work and the way that it is taught.  After a great deal of evolution the Anat Baniel Method was born.

ABM has helped thousands of people with thousands of issues.  It really can help anyone do better with anything.