Moshe Feldenkrais

Moshe Feldenkrais (1904–1984) was a Ukrainian-born physicist, engineer, and martial artist who developed the Feldenkrais Method, a somatic educational system. A lifelong athlete and one of the first Europeans to earn a judo black belt, Feldenkrais’s own severe knee injury prompted him to apply his scientific background and knowledge of movement. In this process, he taught himself to walk without surgery, revolutionizing the understanding of how the mind and body learn. He was also known for teaching David Ben-Gurion how to do a headstand!

Moshe’s injury led him to explore biomechanics, neurology, and learning theory. By mapping the relationship between physical movement and neurological functioning, he developed techniques that allow individuals to improve flexibility, coordination, and overall well-being. He formalized these insights into two primary branches: Awareness Through Movement (group classes) and Functional Integration (one-on-one sessions). Before his passing in Tel Aviv in 1984, he personally trained his first cohorts of practitioners through intensive multi-year programs in Israel and the United States. His time at Esalen led several of the faculty there to train with him in his method.