Came across this add for an exercise mat:
From the viewpoint of Feldenkrais Method the lines on the mat are a very bad idea because they promote an emphasis on geometrical correctness and symmetry. What we are looking for in Feldenkrais is functional symmetry. Nobody is perfectly symmetrical. In fact it is physiologically impossible to be symmetric – liver is heavy on the right, the heart is shifted to the left, the lungs are asymmetric – and it impacts all our movements. Fortunately we have so many possibilities to organise entire movements to be symmetric, so that these inevitable structural symmetries do not really matter much. I have been working with persons with scoliosis – functional symmetry is clearly a possibility for them. And when we have good function who cares about geometry?
Also for spontaneous correct movement we need to rely on our proprioception – the sense that lets us perceive the location, movement, and action of parts of the body. It includes many sensations, including perception of joints positions and the movement, tone of muscles and the effort they make. We will be too slow and inefficient if we add mental load to higher parts of the brain. Aligning to external lines requires use of eyes, thinking, etc. This is another bad aspect of having those lines drawn on the mat. One may argue that it’s only a temporary setup to learn correct movement, but still – you don’t start with a bad habit to build a good one. Feldenkrais Method has many ways to develop proprioception though a sequence of enjoyable movements, it’s quite possible.
Acture FM 