


































Microsoft Word - Elgelid_book review_pdf.doc


Feldenkrais Research Journal • volume 3 (2007)

Article

Book Review:
A Manual Therapist’s Guide to Movement by Gordon Browne

Staffan Elgelid
PhD, PT, CFP, University of Central Arkansas

Abstract
Gordon Browne’s “A Manual Therapist’s Guide to Movement” is a book that attempts to bridge the gap
between traditional/objective/scientific thoughts on movements and exercise, and a more
integrative/subjective/awareness based model. For Feldenkrais® practitioners reading this book, it should
be noted that this book deals primarily with the movement aspect of the Feldenkrais Method. As noted in
the title, Mr. Browne’s audience is primarily the physical therapist/manual therapist who works with an
orthopedic clientele. Mr. Browne does not claim that this is the “whole” Feldenkrais Method or that this is a
book that describes the Feldenkrais Method. The book can still be a tremendous resource for the
Feldenkrais practitioner who is interested in an explanation for what might happen from anatomical,
biomechanical, neurological, and/or motor learning aspects during lessons.

Keywords
Feldenkrais, movement, manual therapy, Feldenkrais lessons, clients

Copyright ©: The copyright for this paper remains with the author(s).

Please cite: (First published in the) Feldenkrais Research Journal, volume 3; 2007.

Service marks: The terms Feldenkrais®, Feldenkrais Method®, Awareness Through Movement®, ATM®,
Functional Integration®, and FI® are service marked terms of the International Feldenkrais® Federation
(IFF) and Feldenkrais professional guilds and associations in many countries. In keeping with academic
conventions, they will not be service marked in the entire text as may be required in nonacademic use,
but only for the first and most prominent use of the terms. In recognition that these phrases are formal
terms referring to specific practices within the Method, and to the Method as a whole, capitalization of all
the words in each term has been retained.

Published by the International Feldenkrais® Federation (IFF) https://feldenkrais-method.org
Available online at https://feldenkraisresearchjournal.org

https://feldenkrais-method.org/
https://feldenkraisresearchjournal.org


 1 

 
 
 

Book Review 
 
A Manual Therapist’s Guide to Movement by Gordon Browne 
 
Staffan Elgelid PhD, PT, CFT 
Assistant Professor in Physical Therapy 
Arkansas State University 
 
Gordon Browne’s “A Manual Therapist’s Guide to Movement” is a book that attempts to 
bridge the gap between traditional/objective/scientific thoughts on movements and exercise, 

and a more integrative/subjective/awareness based model. For Feldenkrais® practitioners 
reading this book, it should be noted that this book deals primarily with the movement aspect 
of the Feldenkrais Method. As noted in the title, Mr. Browne’s audience is primarily the 
physical therapist/manual therapist who works with an orthopedic clientele. Mr. Browne does 
not claim that this is the “whole” Feldenkrais Method or that this is a book that describes the 
Feldenkrais Method. The book can still be a tremendous resource for the Feldenkrais 
practitioner who is interested in an explanation for what might happen from anatomical, 
biomechanical, neurological, and/or motor learning aspects during lessons. 
 
The book is divided into three sections and seven chapters. The sections and chapters build 
upon each other, but can also be used as freestanding chapters. Each chapter has a number of 

experiential lessons (short Awareness Through Movement® lessons) included that follow the 
general theme of each chapter. The movement lessons included in each chapter can also be 
found on a CD set that can be bought separately. The CD’s add enormous value to the book, 
since readers can do the lesson that pertains to the book section they just read. After doing the 
lesson, the reader can then go back to the book and read about some of the ideas and theories 
based on the central nervous system and biomechanics that pertain to the specific movements 
of the lesson. “A Manual Therapist’s Guide to Movement” is unique in the way it presents the 
lessons and then discusses possible mechanisms involved with each of the movement 
variations just described/performed by the reader. 
 
The first section of “A Manual Therapist’s Guide to Movement” discusses the background of 
the book and concepts in motor learning and motor behavior. This section includes a brief 
sketch of the author, the author’s reasons for writing this book and a brief biographical sketch 
of Moshe Feldenkrais. The author goes on to discuss different factors influencing motor 
learning and motor behavior, including sections on development, injuries, avoidance, 
cultural/emotional factors, pattern specificity, gravity, effort and other factors that influence 
motor learning and motor behavior. While each section is short, the sections give enough 
background to make the reader familiar with the concepts, and provide enough references for 
the reader who wants to delve deeper into any of the aspects.  
In section two, Mr. Browne goes on to introduce global patterns such as balance, trunk control 
and different ways to orient from the vertical.  Throughout section two, the author introduces 
concepts such as skeletal weight bearing, baselines (scanning), constraints, comparing 

   
IFF Academy 

Feldenkrais Research Journal 3 (2007) 
® 2007 by the author 

ISSN 1817-4000 



 2 

baselines and variations. These concepts are familiar to most Feldenkrais practitioners, but are 
not necessarily familiar concepts to manual therapists. Mr. Browne does a very nice job 
explaining these concepts to the reader, and the reason why these concepts are important. 
Feldenkrais practitioners can benefit from the authors’ explanations of how these concepts 
that Feldenkrais practitioners perform all the time are important from a 
proprioceptive/awareness, neurological standpoint.  
 
The experiential lessons in section two follow a developmental/evolutionary pattern. From 
falling in different directions (flexion, extension, side bending and rotation), to orientation, 
balance, and finally a combination of orientation and balance, the lessons follow a sequence 
that is easy to follow and understand while doing the lessons and reading the explanations. 
The lessons focus on global patterns and do not introduce specific patterns, standing, walking 
or more developmentally advanced movement patterns. 
 
Section three is divided into three chapters. The chapters follow a logical sequence that goes 
from connection of the legs to the pelvis, to the low back and finally to standing activities. 
Section three includes sections on standing, posture, walking and more specific sections on 
dysfunctions such as low back pain, lumbar stabilization, joint replacements, sprains, strains, 
etc. To many Feldenkrais practitioners, this might go against their belief that the Feldenkrais 
Method should not be used for specific dysfunctions, but, as the author points out in the 
preface, this book is primarily written for the physical therapist with an orthopedic clientele. 
Many people with various orthopedic dysfunctions come to Feldenkrais practitioners for pain 
relief and to find out how to improve their movements for better efficiency and performance, 
so the sections that deal with specific orthopedic conditions can be very helpful to deepen the 
Feldenkrais practitioner’s understanding of orthopedic conditions from a movement 
perspective.  
 
The first chapter starts out by discussing posture, but quickly moves on to focus on the 
connection of the pelvis and the legs, and pushing through the legs to go from sitting to 
standing. The author uses several examples, in different positions, of how spinal and pelvic 
control is built from the ground up. 
 
The second chapter in the third section discusses lumbar and pelvic stressors and stability. 
When discussing different types of stresses (flexion, extension, side bending/rotation), the 
author gives examples on how to identify the stressors, by observing people’s body types and 
movements. The author then moves on to the concept of stability. The experiential lessons in 
this section do a nice job of taking the reader through a series of lessons that puts 
progressively more and more demands on the stabilizers of the trunk. The lessons range from 
stability on the floor to stability in gait. 
 
The third and last chapter in section three covers the organization of the lower extremity and 
how the lower extremities contribute to and influence lumbar and pelvic control, and our 
ability to move around with comfort and efficiency. Many of the experiential lessons in this 
chapter focus on awareness of the feet and ankles. Medial/lateral and heel/toe patterns are 
explored both in writing and lessons. The author clearly explains what happens in the feet, 
knees, ankles, hip and spine (lower extremity kinetic chain) when a person walks with the 
feet, knees and hips in different positions. At the end of this chapter, the author also discusses 
common conditions and muscles that can be influenced by a variety of lessons that have been 
presented in the book.  
 



 3 

Overall this book does what the author set out to do for the intended audience. That is, to 
bridge between traditional/objective/scientific thoughts on movements and exercise, and a 
more integrative/subjective/awareness based model for the physical therapist/manual therapist 
who mainly works with an orthopedic clientele. Considering that many Feldenkrais 
practitioners work with the same clientele, many practitioners could benefit from reading this 
book to gain a deeper understanding of motor learning, biomechanical and/or neurological 
aspect of movements. Readers will get much more enjoyment out of the book if they buy the 
CD set that is sold separately from the book. The CD set will make it easier and more 
pleasurable to do the experiential lessons described and analyzed in the book. 
 
Volume 2 of the “Manual Therapist’s Guide to Movement” is forthcoming and will cover the 
upper extremity and cervical spine. If the second volume is as complete and well written as 
Volume 1, then Feldenkrais practitioners and physical therapists/movement therapists have 
something to look forward to. 
 
Manual Therapist’s Guide to Movement 
Gordon Browne. PT, GCFP 
2006 Churchill Livingston Elsevier, Philadelphia, PA 
ISBN: 0 443 10216 3 
 


