Runners: Ever said one (or more) of these things to yourself?

• “I love running, but it’s hurting my knees/back/feet/…”
• “I haven’t PR’d in years.”
• “I’m not working hard enough at my running. I just need more discipline.”
• “I’m too weak/tight. I just need to strengthen/stretch more.”
• “I’m following all the running cues and form tips I’ve heard, but running still doesn’t feel easy or natural.”
• “I don’t know who or what to believe or trust when it comes to running well.”

Or the worst one of all…

Running is no fun anymore.

You shouldn’t settle for less than a rewarding running experience.

Running is a fundamental human movement. We evolved to do it, and to do it pretty darn well.

But for too many runners, training injuries seem like a feature rather than a bug. According to one systematic review, between 19 and 79 percent (79 percent!) of distance runners develop lower-leg injuries at some point.

So why do things go so wrong for so many, turning experienced racers against the sport they love and prompting would-be runners to slog it out and give up after just a month or two?

Is it sitting? Too much time indoors and not enough outside playing? The information overload of multiple competing theories about the best way to run? Overcushioned $130 shoes?

These things all play a role. But if you’re a runner finding yourself in the injury hole, or the “running is too hard/no fun” hole, you’re probably less interested in how you got there than what you can do to get out of it.

Running should be fun. It should be easy. And it can be.

A Feldenkrais® Approach to Better Running

When it comes to developing a running technique that’s easy, efficient, natural, and pleasurable—and less likely to injure you—you’ll enjoy much more progress when you work from the inside out.

When you’re running, you can’t see yourself, so you can’t observe your “form” in any meaningful way. But you can feel yourself. Your ability to sense what you’re doing, and make changes based on that information is your superpower, one you can use to take your running to the next level.

You see, our brains are always changing, adapting based on external and internal stimuli. At our core, we are learners.

And research is showing that we can direct this power of adaptation, at any age. This is the concept of neuroplasticity, and it’s at the core of the Feldenkrais Method®, a form of movement education that works with the nervous system to help us better understand our movement habits and safely, easily develop new, more efficient ones.

Feldenkrais® lessons aim at building your ability to “self-sense”—to know where you are and what you’re doing as you move—as well as helping you learn how to reduce unnecessary muscular effort and distribute it appropriately throughout the whole body.

A Workshop to Unlock Your Inner Runner

What does this mean for you as a runner? Feldenkrais® provides some powerful tools and concepts to understand how the whole body works together to produce easy, fluid, efficient running mechanics.

In the Feldenkrais® Runner’s Workshop, hosted by certified Feldenkrais practitioner Ray Sylvester, you’ll gain a true “inside-out” understanding of what it takes to run well. The workshop will take a deep dive into the key concepts of whole-body movement that lead to efficient running form. You’ll then get a chance to apply those concepts in several gentle Feldenkrais® Awareness Through Movement lessons.

You’ll gain clarity on three key things:

• how your ability to sense your body and know what you’re doing is your most powerful tool to improve your running
• how letting go of unnecessary tension and muscular effort can make your running feel more fluid and natural
• how to access your own ideal running form every time you run

You’ll also come away with a better understanding of:

• why the “spring” action of efficient running makes your running orthotics obsolete
• how your breathing pattern relates to your running form, and how to use the power of your breath to improve your running
• what to do about plantar fasciitis and IT band syndrome
• a few easy-to-remember form guidelines that will make a positive difference in your running

We’ll also take breaks so you can test your running and feel the effects of what you’re learning on your form. As a result, you’ll be able to feel for yourself what easy, efficient running is, gain more trust in your running abilities, and rekindle your love of that most human of activities: running.

All Runners Welcome

The Feldenkrais® Runner’s Workshop is for runners of all stripes—whether you’re thinking about starting a couch-to-10K, an experienced mega-miler, or someone in between. No special skill is necessary to benefit, other than curiosity and the desire to learn something about yourself.

Want to join the next workshop and unlock your inner runner?