The use of the power of the mind has been known for thousands of years. Today it is used in a variety of fields: by health practitioners, movement teachers, psychologists and by athletes and dancers.
Eric Franklin developed the Franklin MethodTM where we experience the benefits of the mind-body connection through imagery, movement and touch. Our imagery will provide the brain with the feedback it needs to create improved ease of movement, flexibility and strength.
We will use experiential anatomy to both experience and experiment with our anatomy. To know the design is to know the function and as a result we will be able to recondition movement.
The body was designed to move and movement is the great elixir of life. Where there is lack of movement life becomes stagnant and stale. Thus the Franklin Method uses a rich variety of movement ranging from everyday activity, walking, sitting, standing to dynamic stretching, Therabands®, Franklin balls, dance, rhythm and improvisation to stimulate the ongoing dialogue of life in the body.
I apply the method in all my teachings, may it be in class, in an individual session or in a workshop.
I D E O K I N E S I S
Ideokinesis -idea (Ideo) and movement (Kinesis) - was developed in the
1920's by Mabel Elsworth Todd to improve muscular coordination. Mabel
Todd had injured herself so badly that she could no longer walk. While
the doctors gave up on her she was determined to walk again. She
explored ways of improving her condition and worked on her own body. She improved so much that in the end she helped others with movement
impairments and difficulties.
The method applies the power of imagery to change
neuro-muscular patterns of posture and movement. It's a creative and
scientific approach that is based on evolution and functional anatomy.
It's creativity lies in the application of imagery through sensing,
feeling, seeing and hearing. It would be too difficult to organise
movement by directing individual muscles. Instead imagery is used as a
means of communicating ease of movement and thereby re-patterning the movement.
Mabel Todd often worked in the supine position that she called 'hook
lying' to facilitate the imagery process. Lulu Sweigard, a student and later a colleague of Mabel Todd called it the constructive rest position (CR)
because it is a means of resting that aims to create more efficient
movement and posture.
You can find a CD giving you an introduction to CR on the products page.
For more information visit the Ideokinesis website.