Feldenkrais Method® · North Miami / Aventura, FL
Pain Eases When You Learn to Move Better
A gentler way to move. A kinder way to live.
Pain often shows up where movement has become effortful, guarded, or stuck, whether in the back, neck, shoulders, hips, or joints. In Feldenkrais Method® sessions, you learn to notice how you move and find easier ways to do the things you care about. It is a powerful tool for managing pain and a natural complement to other therapies.
Not sure where to begin? The free one-hour lesson is a good first step.
Why finding easier movement matters
Whatever is going on, whether it is a diagnosis, an old injury, or pain with no clear cause, the way you move can add to it. Feldenkrais helps you find easier ways to move, so daily life does not add strain to what is already there.
Pain changes how we move
After an injury, a diagnosis, or a trauma, we protect ourselves without noticing. Those protective habits can add strain on top of what is already going on.
Awareness finds easier options
Slow, easy movements and attention help you sense what you are doing, so you can try easier ways of moving. With more than 15 years of teaching movement to many different learning styles, I set the pace of each session so you have time to process and retain what you learn.
Less strain, more relief
As you learn to coordinate movement better, strain decreases and standing, sitting, walking, and turning become easier. Less strain means relief from back, neck, and joint pain, and more ease in the things you love.
Movement that meets you where you are
People come to me with pain and stiffness in many places. The details are different for everyone.
Back, hip, and leg pain that keeps returning
Stretching, strengthening, and rest help for a while, then it comes back. Feldenkrais looks at the movement habits underneath, including sciatica-type pain.
Neck, shoulder, and jaw tension, and stress that will not settle
When your head feels heavy or your neck no longer turns as freely as it used to, movement gets harder everywhere. I teach you how to support the weight of your head and improve the range of motion in your neck.
Pain that has been around a long time
When pain has been around a long time, the way you move can keep it going. Bracing, guarding, and favoring one side become habits that feed the pain. Unhurried lessons help you find easier ways to move, so pain has less to hold on to.
Better balance and easier movement at any age
Lessons help you improve your balance, move with less effort, and feel confident on your feet, whether that means getting up from the floor, walking on uneven ground, or keeping up with a favorite activity.
Not in pain, but moving less freely than you would like?
Feldenkrais is learning, not treatment, so you do not need a diagnosis or an injury to begin.
What has pain kept you from doing?
Pain has a way of shrinking life a little at a time. Here is what people tell me they miss most.
Tell me what you miss, and we will build your sessions around it.
What a session is like
This is learning, not a treatment. Your part is simply to notice.
We start with what matters to you
A short conversation about what brings you in and what pain has kept you from doing.
Gentle, specific touch
Hands-on guidance helps you sense how you organize yourself, and where effort has become habitual.
You learn, and take it with you
You leave with more awareness of how you move and simple ideas to explore on your own, so change carries into daily life.
Three ways to work together
One-on-one sessions
Hands-on Feldenkrais Functional Integration®, in the studio or at home.
55 minutes
See sessionsHoliday Zoom series
Learning to Bend, Your Way: six live classes to get ready for all the bending the holidays bring. Fridays at noon ET, starting Nov 6.
Early bird $99 through Oct 30
See the seriesBack Relief Method
A self-paced course of three guided video lessons to ease back stiffness and learn easier ways to move. Stream on any device.
30-day money-back guarantee
See the courseGoogle reviews
What clients say about working with Samantha
“I’ve been taking Feldenkreis for over 45 years and I’ve never experienced a teacher like Samantha. Samantha is on another level …”
“I really appreciate how attuned Samantha is to my process. She takes time to check in regularly, adapts the work based on what’s coming up for me, and makes sure each session feels supportive and aligned. I’ve felt comfortable and well-guided throughout, and I highly recommend her as a feldenkrais practitioner!”
“The only thing that helped me with my back pain!!! Samantha truly addresses the root of the problem. Her studio is magnificent! If you’ve tried everything and are still in pain, I highly recommend trying this!”
“Samantha is amazing! Very patient, extremely intuitive and has been an excellent guide on my path to greater body awareness. Thank you!”
Common questions
Can moving differently really change pain?
For many people it can. Whatever is behind the pain, whether a diagnosis or not, the way you move can add to it or ease it. Feldenkrais does not diagnose or treat conditions, and it works alongside medical care. Results vary, but people often notice movement getting easier first, with comfort following.
What is the Feldenkrais Method®?
A gentle way of learning to move with less effort. Instead of stretching or strengthening, we pay attention to how you organize movement and explore new options, with hands-on guidance in a session or spoken guidance in a lesson.
Can it help with sciatica or back pain?
Many people with back and sciatica-type pain come to sessions. I cannot diagnose or promise a result, but we look at how you move and explore what feels better. If you have numbness, weakness, or symptoms that are getting worse, please see your doctor first.
How is it different from physical therapy, chiropractic, massage, or Pilates?
Physical therapy strengthens weak muscles. Feldenkrais teaches you to sense the parts you are not moving well and coordinates them into better synergy. It is learning rather than fixing, with no adjustments, injections, or strenuous exercises, and many clients use it alongside other care such as physical therapy, chiropractic, massage, or Pilates.
Do I need to be flexible or in good shape?
No. You do not need to be in pain, flexible, or in good shape. Movements are small, slow, and comfortable, and can be adapted for any age or ability.
Can I come if I have a diagnosis?
Yes. Feldenkrais works alongside medical care and does not diagnose or treat conditions. People come with many kinds of diagnoses and with pain that has no clear cause. We start with what you can do now and what you would like to do more easily. If you have questions about what is right for you, please check with your doctor.
Is there research behind it?
Yes. Studies have found gains in balance, comfort, and ease of movement, especially in older adults, and there is research on back pain, neck and shoulder pain, and long-lasting pain. Research is still growing and results vary, so I do not promise any one outcome.
What happens in a first session?
We talk about what brings you in and what pain has kept you from doing, then you lie or sit comfortably while I guide movement with gentle, specific touch. Sessions are 55 minutes.
Free one-hour lesson
Not sure where to begin?
Try the first lesson of The Back Relief Method: a guided exploration of how the pelvis, head, and feet work together. It is a free way to feel what learning to move differently is like.