Feldenkrais with Uwe Mester. In-Studio Livestream & Online with Uwe Mester

Move out of pain & get your vitality back!

Move out of pain & get your vitality back!

“I feel more grounded.” 

“I’m more level-headed.” 

“This is unbelievable – I didn’t know I could feel this way.” 

These are common spontaneous reactions from people after taking group Feldenkrais – Awareness Through Movement® – classes with Uwe Mester.

The Feldenkrais Method® can benefit those experiencing chronic or acute pain of the back, neck, shoulder, hip, legs or knee, as well as for healthy individuals who wish to enhance their self-image. Feldenkrais® has been very helpful in dealing with central nervous system conditions such as multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, and stroke. 

Anyone – young or old, physically challenged or physically fit – can benefit from the Method. Musicians, actors and artists can extend their abilities and enhance creativity. Many Seniors enjoy using it to retain or regain their ability to move without strain or discomfort.

Through lessons in this method you can enjoy greater ease of movement, an increased sense of vitality, and feelings of peaceful relaxation. After a session you often feel taller and lighter, breathe more freely and find that your discomforts have eased. You experience relaxation, and feel more centered and balanced.

Professional athletes who have enjoyed the benefits of Feldenkrais include basketball star Julius Erving and PGA golfers Rick Acton and Duffy Waldorf. Celebrities who have used Feldenkrais include Norman Cousins, Margaret Mead, former Israeli Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion, Helen Hayes and Whoopi Goldberg. Famous musicians include violinist Yehudi Menuhin, and cellist Yo Yo Ma.

Even if you find yourself knocked off center by today’s circumstances, rediscover your inner optimism!

What happens in a Feldenkrais Method® session?

In group classes, called Awareness Through Movement®, you move in gentle, not stressful ways. The Feldenkrais teacher verbally leads you through a sequence of movements either sitting or lying on the floor, standing or sitting in a chair. To allow your system absorb the new information it’s receiving through doing movements you probably have never done before, you have plenty of times to rest throughout the class. 

Since Feldenkrais® is not intended to stretch or strengthen your muscles, it does not feel like a standard “fitness” class. The focus is much more internal. You may be very surprised at how effective your Feldenkrais® session was – either immediately after class or the next day. 

Dr. Moshe Feldenkrais was an early pioneer in neuroplasticity and a scientist who brilliantly understood the human nervous system linking the mind, brain and body. Because Feldenkrais® so fully engages your mind-body connection, it can positively affect your whole being.

You can also get individualized Feldenkrais® work in private sessions, known as Functional Integration® sessions.

Uwe Mester

Uwe Mester brings the compassion of someone who has suffered back pain and surgery and emerged into health. His clarity and good cheer uplift every class.

Uwe Mester took his first Feldenkrais® lesson in 1997 after recovering from lower back surgery. After unsuccessful rehabilitation attempts with both traditional (medical) and non-traditional methods, Uwe explored the Feldenkrais Method®. His pain symptoms immediately decreased, and he developed a deeper interest in this form of somatic education.

In 2001, Uwe began a four-year training in Germany with Dr. Chava Shelhav (Israel), one of just a few remaining original students of Moshe Feldenkrais, the Method’s founder. Uwe has been a licensed Feldenkrais Practitioner since 2005, teaching both Awareness through Movement®(group classes) and Functional Integration® (individual classes).

He continued his study with Senior Feldenkrais Trainers Yvan Joly (Montreal), Carl Ginsberg (Frankfurt) and Larry Goldfarb (California).

In addition to his Feldenkrais® training, Uwe also holds Master’s Degrees in Education and Social Work. As a social worker, he worked with diverse populations in a variety of settings including: a substance use disorder Therapeutic Community in New York City, and in Germany, a school for special needs children, a group home for juvenile delinquents, and a correctional facility.

In early 2008, Uwe and his family relocated from Wiesbaden, Germany, to Charlotte, Vermont. Since September 2009, he has been teaching the Feldenkrais Method in the greater Burlington/Middlebury area in Vermont and Lake Placid, New York, and now globally through Still & Moving Center.

“Uwe has been the guide that let me continue the fascinating process of learning how to learn.”

“I began attending Feldenkrais lessons with Uwe about ten years ago and never stopped. Initially, I was trying to work through a low back pain problem that had vexed me for many years, but once we figured that out I wondered , ‘How else can I move better?’ Uwe has been the guide that let me continue the fascinating process of learning how to learn.”

— Turner Osler, MD, Emeritus Professor, Department of Surgery, UVM