Updates from the Feldenkrais4Life project!

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WELCOME TO THE THIRD F4LIFE NEWSLETTER

Welcome to the third biannual newsletter of the Feldenkrais4Life project dedicated to the development of an ecology of health, well-being and continuous learning of the person with the Feldenkrais Method. If you want to read the newsletter in another of the four available languages (ENG, FR, DE, ITA), click here:

https://feldenkrais4life.eu/media/

HIGHLIGHTS

F4L launches the Best Practices collection!

Outstanding, innovative and already implemented projects that highlight the flexibility and effectiveness of the Method.

Now is the time for teachers across Europe to share their experiences with colleagues and the wider public.
You can submit your Best Practice until January 2026 – the earlier you submit, the more likely it will be published on the website!

Click here to participate

🌐 Language selection available in the right-hand menu: ITA, ENG, DE, FR
📩 For more info or support: [email protected]

#1 - Social and Health Professions in Europe

Health, understood as a balance between body, mind, and emotions, requires integrative and multidisciplinary approaches. The professional landscape has been enriched by many specialized roles, but are they truly ready to collaborate efficiently and productively?

The Feldenkrais4Life project survey reveals that many Feldenkrais practitioners engage in only minimal collaboration with other professionals, even though they recognize the importance of networking. Entrepreneurial opportunities are emerging, but so are uncertainties related to financial management and interdisciplinary relationships.

In light of these challenges, networking skills are becoming essential for Feldenkrais practitioners who wish to take part in a sustainable, genuinely person-centered health model.

📊 A total of 776 questionnaires were collected from Italy, Germany, France, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Spain, Austria, the Netherlands, and other countries. To outline the qualitative profile of Feldenkrais professionals in terms of entrepreneurial, personal, social, and lifelong learning skills, the survey used questions designed according to the European frameworks EntreComp and LifeComp.

👉 F4LIFE Survey Report

Read More

#2 - Exploring the Feldenkrais World

The second pan-European Feldenkrais4Life meeting brought together healthcare professionals, certified Feldenkrais practitioners, and wellness specialists to explore how the Feldenkrais Method can be integrated into chronic pain and fibromyalgia care.
It was a rich session filled with practical experiences and fresh perspectives on interdisciplinary collaboration.

👉 Read the full article

And what’s next? We are now moving toward the third and final pan-European meeting.
We will host a full-scale dissemination event and warmly welcome potential stakeholders to join the conversation.

We will delve deeper into how the Feldenkrais Method can be introduced into medical and healthcare settings by Feldenkrais teachers and somatic movement professionals.
Through a series of interviews, we will highlight inspiring success stories as well as the challenges that still need to be addressed.

👉 Find more information in the Events section of this newsletter and access the registration form for the event!

We would be very happy to have you with us!
Feel free to involve colleagues from different somatic disciplines — and anyone who might be interested in this work.
The more perspectives we gather, the richer our exchange will be.

#3 - Giving Visibility to the Profession

Somatic practices — such as Feldenkrais, the Alexander Technique, and Body-Mind Centering — are emerging as educational and therapeutic resources that support both prevention and rehabilitation. However, their full recognition still depends on the political and institutional dynamics that shape the healthcare ecosystem.

In recent years, political debate has increasingly acknowledged professions that integrate medical knowledge within a broader, holistic health perspective. In Italy, Confcommercio Professioni has initiated a parliamentary discussion on the role of autonomous professions and the importance of promoting collaborative networks between professionals and institutions to strengthen the National Health Service.

Meanwhile, AIIMF, the promoter of the international Feldenkrais4Life project, has joined the national professional network and is establishing collaborations with other organizations in the sector to highlight the contributions somatic disciplines can offer within a more sustainable and inclusive health and wellness system.

Read More

#4 - Chronic Pain, Fibromyalgia, and Feldenkrais

An article presenting the results of the first integrated training programme — which began on 28 April in Italy — has been published in the News section of our website:

CARING FOR PATIENTS WITH FIBROMYALGIA: A BRIDGE BETWEEN MEDICINE AND THE FELDENKRAIS METHOD®

This experimental programme brought together physicians and Feldenkrais teachers with the aim of:

developing a common language
testing a shared model of care and training
integrating mindful movement and clinical skills
broadening perspectives on the treatment of fibromyalgi

📊 Results

The 24 patients with chronic pain/fibromyalgia who took part in the programme reported:

75% significant reduction in pain (p < 0.001)
65% improvement in quality of life (p < 0.01
55% reduction in anxiety and depression (p < 0.05)
84% increased energy and body awarenes
90% overall satisfaction with the programme
94.7% considered the programme “enriching”

To explore the results — along with professionals’ perspectives and additional project data — visit the link: https://feldenkrais4life.eu/da...

🌍 And what’s next?

🇩🇪 Germany: An adapted version of the programme was offered from September to November 2025, coordinated by the partner FVD – Feldenkrais-Verband Deutschland e.V.

The pilot project involved Feldenkrais teachers already working with people with fibromyalgia or chronic pain, some of whom also practice medicine. The programme included a series of meetings featuring theoretical contributions and experience-sharing, followed by eight practical Awareness Through Movement lessons for a group of 12 patients.

During the experiment, a collaboration was established with a German self-help association, laying the groundwork for a long-term partnership with FVD. A workshop is already planned, and further developments are being explored — including expanding the project to regional groups or evolving it into a clinical and academic study.

Read More

#5 - News and events

Somatic Methods in Health and Care Processes: Opportunities and Challenges. Lessons Learned from the Feldenkrais4Life Project

📅 Date: wednesday 17 December 2025
🕧 Time: 12:30–14:00 CET
📍 Format: Pan-European online meeting

📌 Theme:
Building on the first two pan-European meetings, this event explores how the Feldenkrais Method and other somatic practices can be integrated into healthcare and care processes.

👥 Audience:
Professionals, institutional representatives, leaders of professional associations, and stakeholders in the field of somatic practices, health, and care.

Key themes

Somatic methods within health and care: opportunities and challenges
Professionalism/professional identity of the Feldenkrais practitione
Synergies between somatic practitioners and healthcare professionals

We would be delighted to have you join us! Feel free to bring colleagues from different somatic disciplines, as well as anyone who may be interested in this work. The more perspectives we gather, the richer our exchange will be.

Register

Feldenkrais4Life Final Conference: Outcomes, Insights, and Reflections

📅 Date: Friday 23 January 2026
🕚 Time: 11:00–16:30
📍 Format: In-person Final Conference • Brussels

During the final conference, the project will present results, outcomes and its reflections gained during the 2-year long activities.

📌 Key Themes

Feldenkrais and somatic disciplines for health
Opportunities and challenges of the Feldenkrais Method in the treatment of fibromyalgia and chronic pain
Multidisciplinary integration for prevention and treatment
Somatic practitioners: professionalism and recognition of Feldenkrais practitioners
Integrating healthcare and non-healthcare professions

Fibromyalgia and the LEA in Italy: a positive signal, with steps still to be taken

Fibromyalgia Enters Italy’s Essential Levels of Care: What This Means Now — and What Still Needs to Happen

A significant step forward has emerged in Italy: fibromyalgia has been included in the draft update of the national Essential Levels of Care (LEA). This long-awaited development could improve access, recognition, and structured care pathways for thousands of people living with chronic pain.
But important questions remain regarding implementation, coverage, and what this change will actually mean in practice.

👉 Read the full analysis

#6 - Testimonials

The collaboration between two partner associations of the Feldenkrais4Life project, AIIMF and AISF, began in 2020 with the Experimental Project for the Introduction of the Feldenkrais Method® in the Management of Fibromyalgia: a scientific protocol to evaluate the benefits of the Feldenkrais Method for fibromyalgia.

For many fibromyalgia patients, chronic pain is often the only parameter by which they perceive themselves and evaluate life experiences.
The path followed by participants allowed them to reconnect with their “moving body,” rediscovering it as a “vital expression of the self.”

This video brings together the stories of patients and participants involved in the project who experienced ten Feldenkrais Method lessons.

Fibromyalgia Meets Feldenkrais: Testimonials

More information is available at:
AIIMF –https://www.feldenkrais.it/progetto-f...
AISF ODV –https://sindromefibromialgica.it/meto...

Feldenkrais4Life Team

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