Demand Avoidance, Trauma Sensitivity and Feldenkrais

There probably is a connection between trauma and demand avoidance (the strong impulse to avoid being trapped in a literal or figurative corner). At least, it is well established that trauma-sensitive somatic teaching offers people a lot of options. Leaving options is a very strong feature of the Feldenkrais method, for a lot of reasons. At its core, the goal of Feldenkrais is to increase your repertoire–more options!

There are a number of Feldenkraisian teaching principles that are very kind to people with demand avoidance:

- no demonstrating, because the teacher's way is not the only or even the right way;

- even the ambition to expand your repertoire is held somewhat at arm's length, because ambition is a form of demand, and demands are narrowing;

- going slow and small means staying in the option zone (because when you complete a motion at the end of your range, your options are exhausted);

- we ask you to pay attention, but we also ask you not to strain – let it go and come back, so that even 'pay attention' is optional and forgiving;

- the 'how' of your attention-paying is totally up to the student – maybe you 'see' your movement or maybe you sense it some other way, and that’s great;

- we constantly invite you to stray – do a different move you are curious about, or pause or sit stuff out; and

- we invite you to be your own witness.

Feldenkrais is a nice loose fit for people with demand avoidance or trauma sensitivities.