Feldenkrais
Method
The Feldenkrais Method is not only a rehabilitation tool, but also a lifelong learning process. It empowers individuals to continually refine their movement, discover new possibilities for self-expression and enhance their relationship with their body and the world around them.
Vasso Giannakopoulou is a Feldenkrais Practitioner since 2015, graduated as a Practitioner in the Feldenkrais Method, following the Feldenkrais International Training Programme “Greece I”, under the ed.direction of Ruty Bar 2012-1015 (accredited by the EuroTAb & IFF – International Feldenkrais Federation).
As a Certified Feldenkrais Practitioner, she has been regularly teaching group and individual Feldenkrais classes in Athens and on the island of Syros since 2015, and organising seminars and retreats worldwide.
Her interests lie in how the F. Method can become one of the tools for human development through movement, how it can support and inspire dance and physical activities in all stages of school education, as well as a significant form of practice for performers, musicians, dancers, actors.
Regular Classes
2015-now: “Akropoditi dance centre” | Syros island-Greece
2015-2024: “Studio Union” | Athens-Greece
Online classes
Weekly online classes via Zoom platform
Workshops
2025: “Real Pilates Chios” | Chios Island-Greece
2025: “Lithografeion Theatre” | Patra-Greece
2025: “Horos” | Athens-Greece
2025: “Synergeio Cultural Space” | Larisa-Greece
2024: “The mikro Studio” | Aegina island-Greece
2024: “Art Evolution” | Patra-Greece
2021: “Greek National Opera Professional Dance School” | Athens-Greece
2019: “Galerie Anixis Baden” | Zurich-Switzerland
2018: “Feldenkrais & Yoga Retreat” | Syros Island-Greece
2018: “Aktina Professional Dance School” | Athens-Greece
2017-2018: “Eirinis Lambrou Yoga Studio” | Nauplius-Greece
2017: “Elenis Toli Yoga in Tinos studio” | Tinos island-Greece
2016-2017: “Olias Lidaki Studio” | Heraklion Crete-Greece
2016: “4th Akropoditi Dance Festival” | Syros island-Greece
Contact us for information on weekly lessons, upcoming workshops or to book an individual lesson in the Feldenkrais Method. Classes are taught in Greek and English.
Check the Calendar/News for upcoming classes, workshops and retreats.
Applications and Benefits of the Feldenkrais Method
Feldenkrais Method is used in a wide variety of settings and offers significant benefits for both physical and mental health. It is accessible to everyone, regardless of age, and requires no previous movement experience.
Rehabilitation & Health
Helps improve balance, reduce muscle tone and restore sensation. It is used to relieve pain, improve mobility and aid recovery from injury, stroke and neurological conditions.
Sports & Performing Arts
Improves precision and coordination of movement while preventing excessive strain. Athletes, musicians, dancers and actors use it to refine movement, increase endurance and prevent injury.
Everyday Life & Wellbeing
Can be applied to daily activities to reduce tension from sedentary work, improve breathing and manage stress. It helps anyone move with greater ease, reduce stress levels and develop greater self-awareness and physical well-being
Modes of Teaching in the Feldenkrais Method
The Feldenkrais Method is taught through two primary formats: Awareness Through Movement® (Group Lessons) and Functional Integration® (Individual Lessons).
Group Lessons (Awareness Through Movement)
Group lessons last approximately 45-60 minutes and are verbally guided by the Feldenkrais practitioner. Participants perform gentle, exploratory movements on the floor in various positions – lying on the back, stomach, side, sitting, or standing depending on the focus and goal of each session.
Each lesson is structured around a specific theme, such as improving spinal rotation, increasing shoulder mobility, or improving balance. Through this process, participants recognise inefficient movement habits and learn new, more effective alternatives, reducing tension and promoting ease of movement.
The group setting allows participants to learn through observation and self-exploration, providing a supportive and inspiring learning environment.
Individual Lessons (Functional Integration)
Individual lessons are personalised sessions conducted on a special Feldenkrais table. The Feldenkrais practitioner uses gentle, non-invasive touch to guide the nervous system to discover new movement possibilities.
Through this hands-on approach, the student experiences immediate changes in mobility, balance and posture. As with the group lessons, the focus is on identifying and transforming limiting neuromuscular connections to develop more functional and comfortable ways of moving.
The one-to-one lesson is fully tailored to the student’s needs, providing personalised guidance and direct feedback to improve movement and overall physical ease.
Differences between group and one-to-one teaching
Group Lessons (ATM)
- Offer verbal instruction to several participants.
- Focus on exploring movement through different positions and themes.
- Aim to improve posture, flexibility and self-awareness.
Individual Lessons (FI)
- Offer personalised hands-on guidance from the Feldenkrais practitioner.
- Address specific movement needs and neuromuscular adaptations.
- Provide immediate feedback and a deeper learning experience.
Both approaches complement each other and are suitable for people of all ages and abilities. Whether through the dynamics of a group setting or individual instruction, the Feldenkrais Method provides a unique path to greater mobility, comfort and self-awareness, enabling the restructuring of movement patterns and improving overall quality of life.
“The goal is a body that is organised to move with minimum effort and maximum efficiency, not through muscular force, but through increased awareness of how it works.”
Moshe Feldenkrais
Feldenkrais Method
Τhe Feldenkrais Method is an innovative practice of physical and neurological re-education designed to improve movement, posture and overall well-being. Developed by Moshe Feldenkrais, a physicist, engineer and movement researcher, it is based on the principle that awareness and mobility are deeply connected and can be enhanced through gentle, mindful movement.
The method teaches that movement is not just a mechanical function of the body, but a learning process involving the brain and nervous system. Through slow and attentive movement, practitioners discover new ways of moving, improving posture, reducing pain and increasing mobility.
Rather than imposing a ‘correct’ way of moving, the method offers the opportunity to explore different options, allowing the individual to choose those that are most efficient and comfortable. This process promotes reduced tension and ease of movement.
“Learning to undo unnecessary habits will have a more lasting effect than trying to correct your posture from the outside by using extra muscular effort, such as pushing your shoulders back in a military posture. As soon as you forget to monitor such a movement, it will be dropped. But if you learn to sense your comfort zone, you will find yourself staying within it more often.”
Moshe Feldenkrais
How the Feldenkrais Method Relates to the Nervous System and Neuroplasticity
The Feldenkrais Method is based on neuroplasticity – the brain’s ability to adapt, form new neural connections and reorganise its movement patterns. Rather than relying on physical strength or repetitive exercises, the method uses gentle, conscious movements to activate the sensorimotor system and promote learning.
When someone experiences pain or limited mobility, it is often due to ingrained neural patterns and movement habits that no longer serve the body. The Feldenkrais Method helps the brain discover new ways of moving by introducing new sensorimotor stimuli, allowing the body to function more efficiently without unnecessary tension. Gentle and non-coercive movements support the nervous system’s self-regulation, reducing stress responses and increasing the body’s adaptability.
The Role of Feldenkrais in Rehabilitation and Cognitive Function
The Feldenkrais Method has been shown to be highly beneficial in rehabilitation from injury, stroke and neurological disorders such as Parkinson’s disease and multiple sclerosis. By gently retraining the nervous system, patients discover new ways of moving, reducing tension and improving their quality of life. It also helps to reconnect sensory and motor functions, offering new opportunities for adaptation and recovery.
Its effects extend to cognitive function, as it requires concentration, self-observation and awareness. These processes encourage the formation of new neural connections, improving memory, attention and mental flexibility. In other words, learning through movement benefits not only the body but also the brain, promoting overall neurological health and well-being.
Moshe Feldenkrais
Moshe Feldenkrais (1904-1984) was a physicist, engineer, human development researcher, and pioneer in the study of movement and neuroplasticity. Born in Ukraine, he emigrated to France in the 1930s, where he studied physics and worked with Nobel laureate Frédéric Joliot-Curie. At the same time, he trained in martial arts and was among the first Europeans to earn a black belt in Judo.
In the 1940s, he developed his Method and wrote his first book. After a serious knee injury, he began exploring the deep connection between movement and the brain. During his research on human movement and the development of his method, he studied anatomy, physiology, child development, evolutionary theory, psychology, and various Eastern mindfulness practices. His method combined science, biomechanics, neurology, and self-observation, demonstrating that the brain can retrain the body through gentle and mindful movement.
In the 1950s, Feldenkrais returned to Israel, where he lived and worked until his passing in 1984 in Tel Aviv. In the 1970s, he trained his first students in Tel Aviv, later teaching groups in the United States, including San Francisco and Amherst. He collaborated with leading scientists such as anthropologist Margaret Mead and neuroscientist Karl Pribram.
Today, the Feldenkrais Method is practiced worldwide, helping people improve posture, relieve pain, and gain better movement control. His work has influenced multiple fields, from neurology and psychology to performing arts and rehabilitation.
“When you know what you are doing, you can do what you want”
Dr Moshe Feldenkrais
Contact us for information on weekly lessons, upcoming workshops or to book an individual lesson in the Feldenkrais Method. Classes are taught in Greek and English.
Check the Calendar/News for upcoming classes, workshops and retreats.
Vasso Giannakopoulou
Choreographer, performer, Feldenkrais practitioner
Contact
CONTACT
Vasso Giannakopoulou
Choreographer, performer, Feldenkrais practitioner