Santa Fe 6Training Content and Process

Program Year 1 

In the first year of the program, we present the basic tenets of the method. To develop your appreciation of the work from the inside out, you are immersed in Awareness Through Movement (ATM). Fundamental ideas — from learning theory, physics, kinesiology, anatomy and neurophysiology — will be introduced through experimental learning.

We begin by working on listening — with eyes, ears, and hands — to develop your ability to observe movement and understand the mover. Observing yourself and the other trainees, you will begin to recognize how individuals organize similar movements differently. Interactive exercises will bring you a new appreciation of the experience and expression of the physical self.

Functional Integration (FI) training will introduce the art of making contact and the various ways of touching. Exercises will emphasize developing tactile sensitivity, working with awareness through touch, learning basic skeletal anatomy through experiential exercises, and understanding the principles of movement.

Program Year 2

In the second year, you develop an understanding of the grammar and syntax of ATM lessons. We review and elaborate on the themes from Year one. Personal experience and discussion will guide you in reflecting upon what constitutes the underlying structure of a lesson.

We look in depth at a number of classic ATM lessons. You learn how to give instructions and guide a class, as well as how to relate the lessons to activity in daily life. You will teach lessons to each other while being supervised by teaching staff. At the end of the second year you will be authorized to teach FI to the public on a provisional basis.

The teaching of FI will also be included. You will begin to explore the relationship between ATM and FI, learning to teach the same “classic” themes either verbally or by touch. In order to avoid “recipes” and foster real understanding, the same theme is developed from a number of different angles and with varying constraints. Much of the hands-on work is introduced through guided work in pairs and small groups.

You complete the second year understanding fundamental lesson configurations through verbal and hands-on approaches.

Program Year 3

In the third year, you clarify concepts and refine the hands-on skills needed to achieve competence in FI. These skills develop through active learning and problem solving.

Self-guided exercises in small groups require you to grapple with questions and solve problems creatively

Both hands-on and group teaching skills will be developed throughout the program. Inquiry into the teaching of ATM continues into the third and fourth year. As you begin to teach ATM outside the program, we will present more complex ATM lessons, and provide forums for questions, discussions, and exercises.

Through a supervised internship or project in your own community, you begin to apply what you have learned.

You will be giving Functional Integration lessons to other trainees and working with a client from outside the program. In a private tutorial we work closely with you to identify your areas of need and to develop specific, personalized solutions.

This approach is designed to create a safe environment for exploration and learning.

Program Year 4 

In the fourth year, you will continue to refine and broaden your skills in all aspects of the work. We will introduce more unusual and challenging positions and situations both in group lessons and in the hands-on work. We will continue to explore what constitutes a lesson and to develop your understanding of how it works. You will observe the teachers giving two to three lessons with the same outside person.

The ideas behind a series of lessons will be developed. Special attention will be given to the beginning and ending of lessons and interviewing will be presented as a special skill. We will be paying special attention to your ability to articulate and present the work at this stage.

To provide as much individualized feedback and attention as possible, we use small groups with increasing frequency and longer duration in the final year. You will work in small groups under the leadership and supervision of a trainer or assistant trainer.

During year four you will be supervised giving lessons to the general public.

Learning Strategies

The following section explain each of the many teaching-learning approaches on which the training will draw. These include class movement lessons, individual hands-on lessons, small group work, class discussions, lectures, supervision, and between-segment assignments. In order to benefit fully from these learning strategies, the average day at the training will consist of five hours of actual class time.

Awareness Through Movement®

You will experience many hours of Awareness Through Movement (ATM) lessons throughout the training. The core of the lessons will be drawn from the trainings that Moshe Feldenkrais conducted and from the classes he taught. We feel that it is important for you to experience different types of lessons, including intricate lessons that have an extended and interwoven structure as well as those usually taught to the general public. 

We will not make a strong distinction between Awareness Through Movement and Functional Integration (FI). When we practice the Method, we know that they are the same, simply two sides of the same coin. We will begin touching and developing basic FI skills right from the start and we will continue to emphasize ATM throughout the program.

Functional Integration®

As part of your training experience, you will receive at least three individual Functional Integration (FI) lessons each year from members of the staff and from invited practitioners. Beyond that, you will be given opportunities to observe lessons given during class, lessons given to other students during non-class hours, and video tapes of Moshe Feldenkrais giving lessons.

We begin to teach touching and contact skills early in the program, emphasizing the development of basic sensing abilities such as “seeing and listening with your hands.” You will refine your tactile and kinesthetic acuity in ATM lessons and in small group work. In the third year you will be giving supervised FIs to fellow trainees. In the third and fourth year you will also have the chance to practice FI with the teachers in one-on-one tutorials. Individual feedback will be given.

Class Discussions

We will hold regular discussions, both in small groups and with the entire class. These discussions will vary in style from questions and answers, dialogues, open-ended talks, and specific conversations. You will be asked to grapple with difficult questions, and to investigate them without pre-determined answers. To encourage autonomy and competence, there will be opportunities for student-led discussions.

Small Group Experiences

Small groups will facilitate the process of learning. Group exercises will include discussions and assigned activities, such as observing a movement or working with each other in specific ways. Small groups will also be used to develop your ability to understand and teach FI and ATM. For example, you will review ATM lessons in class, analyzing and discussing the structure and logic of the lessons. As the training progresses, you will have the opportunity to present short sections of the lessons and develop your presentation skills. 

We are committed to creating a constructive atmosphere for small groups. The purpose of this setting is to create a place where you and the other students can speak and be heard. In these small groups, you will discuss the training process by reflecting on class events, identifying difficulties, and developing solutions. By drawing on the different skills and backgrounds that the trainees bring, the group will be a place for collaborative interaction and cooperative learning. We want to expand beyond the idea of individual learning in a group to create a process of learning with a group.

Lectures

Trainers, assistant trainers, and guest lecturers will present short talks on the background of the Method, on related areas of current knowledge, and on developing and running a practice.

You will learn about Moshe Feldenkrais and how the historic, philosophical, and scientific bases of his education and experience led to the method. So that you understand how Feldenkrais differs from prevailing ideas about movement and instruction, you will be introduced to relevant topics in the movement arts and sciences, contemporary education, and philosophy.

Supervision

The educational director will get to know you, work with you individually, and track your progress. By observing how you learn, interact, and practice, we will be able to assess your progress and development. That means that supervision — in the sense of watching and guiding — will be an ongoing aspect of the program.

To facilitate this process, Diana will be available to meet with trainees who want to discuss their learning process. Any subject areas or skills that need work will be identified. A personal strategy for supplemental study will be mapped, and assignments for focused learning between segments formulated.

Between Segment Assignments

The training is designed to facilitate your continuous, incremental learning. This includes making sure that the intervals between training segments are well utilized. To that end, we encourage you to take ATM classes or workshops offered by your local practitioners during the interim periods. In this way, you can learn about styles of teaching and begin to interact with future colleagues. For the same reasons, we also suggest that you receive at least a few series of FI lessons between segments. 

To deepen your understanding of the method and to strengthen your ability to express that understanding, we will ask you to read specific texts and give you writing tasks between segments. For example, during the second year, we will ask you to write an outline for a talk to the public; these outlines will then be used in small groups for discussion and suggestions.

To support your ongoing learning, we have available materials on CD and DVD from our other trainings. These materials will be available to students for a nominal charge. To help keep in touch with each other and with the learning process, we will ask you to participate in regular study group meetings with other trainees from the program. We will assign different tasks and exercises for you to do in your study. During the second half of the third year and the first half of the fourth year, you will do an internship or community-based project. You will be asked to apply what you’ve learned about teaching ATM for the benefit of a specific group in the community with the guidance of a local practitioner.

Evaluating Process

Our emphasis is on personalized training, in which you will have ongoing contact with the teaching staff.  Supervision and feedback are inherent in the training process. Your progress and learning will be closely followed, supported, and guided throughout the four years.

Our personalized approach, and emphasis on small group learning, enables us to monitor your progress through the training in a collaborative and supportive fashion. Thus, we can identify your areas of need, develop a plan of action, and follow up over the course of the program.

We expect trainees to exhibit professional behavior throughout the training. However, should this not occur, we will address the matter immediately and seek a positive solution.

To graduate from the Santa Fe 6 Feldenkrais Training Program you will be required to:

  • demonstrate, in-class, the ability to teach Awareness Through Movement and give Functional Integration lessons to a professional standard;
  • attend fully throughout all the segments.

Any student missing more than 5 (five) training days per year or more than a total of 10 (ten) days over the course of the entire four years will be required to make up lost time before being eligible for graduation. Tuition will not be reimbursed for missed days.

Should you miss more than the maximum allowed number of class days, special arrangements must be made with the Educational Directors to make up class time in Santa Fe 5 makeup segments or another training program. This will possibly incur additional costs.

The Educational Director reserves the right to ask any student to receive further training before being considered for graduation.

Graduation

Graduation from the Santa Fe 6 Feldenkrais Training Program means you are qualified to practice as a Feldenkrais practitioner.

As a graduate you will be eligible to apply for membership to the guild of your choosing as a Guild Certified Feldenkrais Practitionercm (GCFP). This will give you the rights to use the service marks the FGNA now own that protect the Feldenkrais Method® in the community. Certification is entirely the responsibility of the graduate.

You will receive a diploma from Movement Educators and can apply for certification with North American TAB which will be recognized by all Guilds who are members of the International Feldenkrais Federation.

Graduation is complete only after all monies have been paid in full.