Anat Baniel
Is founder of the Anat Baniel Method, NeuroMovement™ (ABM), a cutting edge, science-based approach that transforms the lives of children and adults, helping them move beyond pain and limitation and reach new levels of performance, often thought impossible to achieve. Over the past 30 years, Anat Baniel has worked with adults and children suffering from back pain, injuries, genetic disorders, and a wide range of conditions, as well as athletes, musicians, and people wanting to achieve a higher performance in their professional or private lives.
From the early years of her life Anat Baniel was a close student with Dr. Moshe Feldenkrais and she worked with him until his death in 1984. (ABM) is probably the most influential and talked about method today, in such areas as helping children with special needs improve and overcome their limitations and live better and more functional lives.
The Anat Baniel Method (ABM)™
ABM is a learning based method that focuses on the relationships between our body and mind as we move: Movement is life and without movement there would be no life. Movement constitutes physical sensations, emotions and feelings and we learn, think and reason as a result of that. When we bring attention to how we move and what we feel. We are offered the possibility to change and re-organize for a better and more functionally improved condition. Hence the process of learning based movement requires that we slow down and bring attention to what it is that we are doing. That we become more aware about how we are moving in relation to where we want to go and how we can achieve to our intention in a more easy and effective way. In this conscious work the brain is stimulated to change and evolve.
In ABM the student is guided to feel him/herself through a through a sensory movement experience. In this process the brain is offered possibilities to form new neural connections where new learning is introduced. Through these guided series of movements the practitioner works with the impulses that goes to the brain and as a result the nervous system. Gradually there will be a change in how the brain functions and how we manage to organize ourselves more effectively and with a greater variety of choice.
The Nine Essentials for learning
The Nine Essentials are nine learning-based guidelines on how to communicate with the brain in a way that creates the best possible conditions for the development of human potential.
ABM differs from existing rehabilitation forms, fitness and other more automated theraputic forms, often used when looking to "fix" the condition of a child with special needs. ABM involves a progressive, intuitive and science based approach of thinking and that we as humans are intelligent information-based systems moderated by the brain - a brain that is a potent learner and has the ability to change and regain lost function all of our lives.
Anat is a great teacher. She has organized several training courses aiming at making the theory and work which underlies her method accessible. Prominent scientists in movement science and brain research supports the theory behind ABM as an effective method for the rehabilitation and development of our human potential.
ABM addresses mild to moderate as well as severe conditions in both children and adults. For people with long-term chronic, physical / mental disabilities, the ABM method has often made a strong and positive difference, changing the lives and possibilities for people.
Seniors with the desire for better quality of life and movement, athletes and groups of professionals with a need for increased performance can also benefit from ABM.
The following diagnostic groups may benefit from ABM:
- Multiple Sclerosis,
- Cerebral Palsy
- Brain Injury
- Sensory Integration Problems
- Stroke.
- Asperger and Autism
- ADHD
- Genetic defects (i.e., Fragile X Syndrome and Down's).
On Anat Baniel`s webpage you can read more about how ABM can contribute positively in relation to these different diagnostic groups.