In the first half of the 20th century, several independent researchers introduced new methods of bodywork based on principles of bodily awareness. All of them tested the effectiveness of these methods on themselves, healing from serious illnesses through their own efforts.
Frederick Matthias Alexander (1869-1955, Australia) was a young actor who lost his voice. Through deep self-observation, Alexander identified the cause of his ailment. He taught himself to control the muscles of his upper torso and neck, corrected his posture, and restored his voice. Thus, his unique method of bodywork was born.
Moshe Feldenkrais (1904-1984, Israel) was familiar with Alexander and impressed by his discoveries. In his youth, Feldenkrais suffered a knee injury. Doctors recommended surgery, but they were unsure of the outcome. Moshe refused the surgery and took charge of his own rehabilitation. He restored his knee, returned to practicing martial arts, and became one of the first Europeans to earn a black belt in judo. Gradually, he also began developing his own method, which later became world-renowned.
Thomas Hanna (1928-1990, USA) met Moshe Feldenkrais in the early 1970s. He was fascinated by Feldenkrais's novel approach to movement. What attracted him the most was the concept of awareness as a tool for achieving freedom and unlocking human potential. A talented writer and charismatic individual, Thomas Hanna succeeded in making Feldenkrais’s complex concepts accessible to a broad audience.
Thomas Hanna defined somatics as “the art and science of the process of interrelationship between awareness, biological function, and environment, where all three are understood as a synergistic whole.”
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