The Anat Baniel Method is a NeuroMovement® approach that evolved from the Feldenkrais Method.

It is centered in the empirical evidence, collected over thirty years of work with thousands of children, that under the right conditions a child’s brain is almost always available for potent learning, regardless of the diagnosis. The discovery of brain plasticity in neuroscience has validated both methods and Dr. Feldenkrais’ early observation and postulate that the brain can always change for the better.

The Anat Baniel Method identifies nine principals that “wake up” the brain and drive it to work better. They are essential for human growth and development throughout life.

In my work with children, rather than focusing on their diagnosed condition, I closely observe what the child can do and use the Nine Essentials to activate their inert potential for change. Through gentle directional touch, I highlight important structural and functional connections in the child’s sensory-kinetic awareness. With that they can feel themselves in new ways, which they could not access for themselves at the time. This prompts the brain to rapidly grow new neural connections, thereby establishing many more possibilities for a more refined organization and regulation of movement, thinking and feeling.

In this way I engage in an open-ended conversation with the child that often leads to unexpected breakthroughs in their development.

The nature of the lessons allows for the child to be at ease, which is also essential for potent learning.

We know that learning does not happen in a linear way but rather in leaps. Whenever the brain has mapped out enough new “data” it can organize functions of higher complexity. We see this in the child as “suddenly” mastering a new skill. Yet what appears to have occurred suddenly, has in reality been in the making for quite a while “ behind the scenes” in the brain.

While repetition is important to learn new skills it must be combined with a large dose of novel sensory and kinetic experiences.

In order to best drive this potent way of learning I work with children in lesson clusters, meaning a series of lessons on consecutive days followed by a lesson free period. The length of these periods depends on each individual child’s needs.

This learning process can benefit children with cerebral palsy, stroke and other kinds of brain damage and injuries, genetic disorders, ADHD, autism spectrum disorders and dyslexia.

NeuroMovement has also shown to make a difference in children with undiagnosed developmental issues.