Another week, another presentation of an article in the Classical Feldenkrais’ collection. After presenting the article about the Feldenkrais Institute for Inquiry of the Action and its Improvement, it is time for Article number 3.

https://bit.ly/YRactionnotmovement

Action ≠ Movement.

"Feldenkrais is about the image of action that precedes the action, acceptance of alternatives levels of control in the Central Nervous System, sensory feedback, the use in everyday life, etc." - Yochanan Rywerant

I have chosen to use a mathematical sign. There is no doubt what it means. Words on the other hand represent meaning, illuminating a certain context, open for interpretation.

In math, the “not-equal” symbol (≠) is used to indicate that two values or expressions are not equal to each other. The not-equal symbol is the counterpart to the equal symbol (=), which is used to show that two values or expressions are equal. Typically, the symbol is used in an expression like x ≠ y. In plain language, this expression means that the value of x is not equal to the value of y.

Yochanan Rywerant had a university degree in math and physics.  He was accurate in his examples and statements. But not always. If someone tried to explain why someone had this or that posture or pain, he became stern and explained that such conclusions could not be drawn. There were too many unknown factors. He was reliable.

In connection with this project, I have made it possible to those of my advisers, who have not studied with him, to see recordings of his teaching. They are amazed at his accuracy and level. It is reassuring to know. My claims in this article rest securely on the writings of Moshe Feldenkrais.

I cannot find anything written by the exalted trainers of the San Francisco training who are meticulous about this particular detail in their writings. They all mix action and movement. Without exceptions. I don't see it as meaningful to name them. What we can know is that they have not integrated ABC, or should I say Alef Beit? It is close at hand to call it a cultural phenomenon, but it is probably so complex that I refrain from all speculation. I can only state that I notice it. The sources are everywhere both on the internet and in book form, for those of you interested, you will easily find it yourself. Search engines are very valuable.

Accuracy is a virtue. Irène Joliot-Curie knew that. She is always unmentioned in the context of Moshe Feldenkrais. It is remarkable and I asked Mark Reese about this negligence. He had no answer.
It doesn't take much general knowledge to understand that if she shared a Nobel Prize in Chemistry with her husband, it was the two of them working and researching together. It's called source review. I claim it is missing in many of the subjects I write about at yochananrywerant.com. It matters.

I am open for Q&A – I paraphrase MF “thinking means new means for action”

If you find my material of interest, please share.

I continue to present my project based on published texts to document Classical Feldenkrais, capturing the teaching and the path in such a way that the reader clearly can perceive a common line of development of the authorships from 1929 when MF translates Autosuggestion until 2008 when YR publishes Corollary Discharge, The forgotten Link; Remarks on the Body - Mind Problem.

I have created an article I call “Procedures and Intents Have Meaningful Names.”

https://bit.ly/indexclassical

I want to provide an overview as well as simple routes in the vast material. It is material that I know well, still it surprises me when I see the collected fragments giving such a clear, self-evident overall picture. I hope some of you will agree with me.

Some weeks ago, I received a copy of a letter that Yochanan Rywerant wrote to the Israeli Guild as late as 2006, after 54 years of inquiries. In 2004, the Israeli newspaper Haaretz published an article about Moshe Feldenkrais at the 100 anniversaries of his birth, named “The personal trainer of David Ben Gurion”.  Among many persons interviewed, Yochanan Rywerant expressed why he choose to stay around MF. I quote him from the article.

"For 15 years, I went to him (MF) once a week," he says. "The thing that especially intrigued me was his being a first-rank scientist. I see his whole method as a scientific achievement, because a man of science doesn't have answers - he only has questions and theories. Some of these theories are adopted and some are left behind. The search for answers is typical of the whole method."

Now, the definition YR wrote in the letter to the Guild is written more than 20 years after MF’ death. It has a high level of sophistication and clarity. I have translated the letter to be known.

“Clarifications and comments regarding the definition of the Feldenkrais Method

The Feldenkrais Method is teaching people to be aware of the possibilities of action, mental and physical, additional to those that man uses habitually in accordance with a habitual mode…”

It can be found as no. 4.

 [ or Author menu, the Article section]

The letter of recommendation from Ben Gurion, where he calls for the establishment of an “Institute for promotion of mental and physical efficiency”. You can find it at no. 18. [or article 2, paragraph 0)]
It never materialized but might be of interest.

Another new article is about why “The origin of the Method is the brain”. It is no. 22. [or article 14)]

Based on YR's answer in the interview, and his legacy this is self-evident, but since there are divided opinions among trainers/teachers, I decided to formulate it in an article.

When I recently received BG's letter of recommendation, it became even more clear how the Feldenkrais Method has developed in harmony with its surroundings, the young Jewish state.

It is a historical fact.

Israel in the fifties was innovative and transformative on many levels. It is easy for me to understand how, in this social climate, a brand-new pedagogical model was developed. This Method we know well, with a pronounced physical and mental learning, gathered people in an assimilating safe group format and suggested to change/adapt their self-images. The many students on the table and the floors were an active part in the creative process of deciding how it could and should be designed and done.

I have just finished the semester's ATM teaching via Zoom, and I am also in the process of rounding off the rehab activities for the summer break. With the YR´s well-articulated definition in mind, it has been noteworthy that so many of the students express exactly what he formulates when I ask them to report what they have learned during the semester.

Clarity of thought is a good guide in the realm of the elusive obvious.