Makiko Method also involves the Feldenkrais Method, with its focus on the Maturity of our soul.
Dr. Moshe Feldenkrais learned Judo, a Japanese martial art that has the common purpose of the Study of Self, which is aligned with Zen Buddhism – both having a common goal of maturing our soul.
Martial Arts, including Judo, teach us about how our fears limit access to our Natural Abilities. Facing and digesting our own fear gives us the wisdom to attain a higher spiritual being, and thus mature our soul. Other martial art forms with the same purpose include: Ken-do (sword-fighting), Aiki-do ( Qi energy wrestling), Sho-do ( calligraphy ), Ka-do ( Flower arrangement), Sa-do ( Tea ceremony), and Kabuki (performing dance and music), etc.
In the Western world, Japanese Martial Arts are misunderstood as focusing on fighting, but they are forms of self-study that are aimed at becoming better human beings by cultivating mindfulness, integrity, determination, resilience, responsibility, proper listening, patience, discipline, and critical thinking, which are then revealed through posture and movement. When we conquer our fear, we can achieve our purpose of action. As you see, at the end of each name of martial art, there is the word “do,” pronounced “DOH” and written in the Chinese character “道,” which means way of life and indicates Daoism, a Chinese philosophy that emphasizes harmony with the natural order and source of the universe.
Posture is Attitude which is expressed with one Japanese word, Shi- sei, 姿勢. And our Posture reflects our capacity to embrace proper attitude and personality, i.e., being grounded and centered to support a well-mannered attitude towards ourselves during our daily lives.
Makiko completed the Feldenkrais® Guild of North America-accredited Practitioner program to become a Feldenkrais practitioner in 2006, which also aligned with her Japanese upbringing and resonated with Dr. Feldenkrais’ understanding of human maturity through the development of self-awareness and movement.
Human beings also possess the transformational capacity of Learning, regardless of age or condition. The Feldenkrais Method is a dynamic, fluid method that emphasizes rewiring the brain’s network. It helps people develop functional self-awareness by highlighting habitual patterns and supporting change.
Lastly, in Norman Doidge, M.D.’s book “Brain’s Way of Healing“, the Feldenkrais Method is described as the use of neural differentiation, where the neuroplastic capacities of the brain are used to alter the connections between the neurons and change their “wiring”, given the following key principles:
- Making the smallest possible sensory distinctions between movements – builds brain maps;
- Differentiation is easiest to make – when the stimulus is smallest;
- Slowness of movement is the key to awareness – Awareness is the key to learning.