Unpacking Posture: Celebrating Feldenkrais Awareness Week 2026

What if better posture wasn’t about “standing up straight” at all?

From 6–13 May, practitioners and learners around the world will be celebrating Moshe Feldenkrais and the transformative ideas behind the Feldenkrais Method—an approach that was exploring neuroplasticity long before the term became mainstream.

This year’s Feldenkrais Awareness Week theme, “Unpacking Posture,” invites us to rethink one of the most misunderstood aspects of health and movement.

And honestly? Most of us have been taught posture all wrong.

Hours spent at desks, looking down at phones, commuting, or rushing through busy schedules can leave many of us feeling disconnected from our bodies.

What is the Feldenkrais Method?

The Feldenkrais Method is a form of somatic education that uses gentle movement and guided awareness to help people move more comfortably, efficiently, and confidently.

Developed by physicist and engineer Moshe Feldenkrais, the method is based on the idea that the brain and nervous system can learn new movement patterns throughout life.

Rather than “correcting” the body, Feldenkrais helps people become more aware of how they move—so they can discover easier, more natural ways of sitting, standing, walking, and responding to everyday life.

Lessons are suitable for a wide range of people, including those who:

• Experience tension, stiffness, or discomfort
• Want to improve posture and balance
• Are recovering from stress or injury
• Use movement professionally, such as performers, dancers, teachers, or athletes
• Simply want to feel more comfortable in their bodies

The method is gentle, accessible, and rooted in curiosity rather than effort or strain.

What is good posture, really?

For many people, “good posture” means pulling the shoulders back, lifting the chest, and holding the body stiffly upright. But posture isn’t a position you force yourself into.

It’s a living, changing process, something your nervous system continuously organises in response to movement, gravity, emotion, stress, and attention.

Real ease in posture comes less from correction and more from awareness.

• How are you sitting when nobody reminds you?
• Where are you holding unnecessary tension?
• What happens to your breathing when you move?
• Can you move freely without bracing or effort?

“Unpacking posture” means becoming curious about these habits rather than trying to fix yourself into a perfect shape.

The Feldenkrais approach: Awareness Through Movement

The Feldenkrais Method offers a radically different approach to improving posture and movement. Instead of repetitive exercises or rigid alignment drills, it uses gentle, guided lessons called Awareness Through Movement.

These lessons are:

• Slow and mindful
• Exploratory rather than prescriptive
• Designed to help you notice patterns and habits
• Focused on learning rather than performance

Through small, comfortable movements, you begin to discover easier and more efficient ways of organising yourself.

People often notice they begin to:

• Move with less effort
• Improve balance and coordination
• Reduce stiffness and tension
• Breathe more freely
• Feel calmer and more connected

The changes can feel subtle at first—but over time, they often become deeply transformative.

Learn with us this summer

If Feldenkrais Awareness Week has sparked your curiosity, this summer is the perfect time to explore further.

Our Health & Wellbeing courses offer a welcoming and supportive space to experience the Feldenkrais Method for yourself—whether you’re completely new or looking to deepen your practice.