{"id":1331,"date":"2025-12-09T15:21:09","date_gmt":"2025-12-09T15:21:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.feldenkraisutrecht.nl\/treating-yourself-sustainably-can-you-learn-that\/"},"modified":"2026-01-04T11:58:16","modified_gmt":"2026-01-04T11:58:16","slug":"treating-yourself-sustainably-can-you-learn-that","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.feldenkraisutrecht.nl\/en\/treating-yourself-sustainably-can-you-learn-that\/","title":{"rendered":"Treating yourself sustainably, can you learn that?"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t

Treating yourself sustainably, can you learn that?<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

How your body teaches you where your limits are<\/strong><\/p>

These days, sustainability is often about the Earth: how do we make sure we don\u2019t keep exhausting it? But we can ask the same question of ourselves: how can we treat our body, our energy, and our capacity in a sustainable way<\/strong>?
And how do we prevent ourselves from quietly wearing ourselves out? <\/p>

Many people react with surprise when I use the word \u201cabuse\u201d in relation to the body. Yet we do it more often than we realize. Habits we\u2019ve had for years can place a hidden strain on us.
And it all starts with noticing. <\/p>

If you regularly experience complaints \u2014 from sitting, working, exercising, or simply daily life \u2014 that\u2019s often a signal that something isn\u2019t quite right. Not because your body is weak, but because it has been trying for a long time to tell you that something can be different. <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

An example from practice<\/h2>

Jan is someone with lots of enthusiasm and an enormous drive to exercise. But time and again he ran into pain and injuries.
After various treatments, he decided to explore whether he himself could change something. That\u2019s how he ended up with me. <\/p>

What I immediately felt was that his muscles were constantly working hard. Not only during effort, but even at rest. As if he lived his entire life in \u201cgale force 9.\u201d
When your body is already producing that much force at rest, there\u2019s hardly any room left for extra effort. Then every sporting activity is, by definition, too much. <\/p>

I recognize that all too well from the time when I myself constantly had complaints. I always thought it was due to circumstances, headwinds, fatigue, a bad day.
But it was my own baseline tension that was working against me. <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

So is it about \u201clearning to relax\u201d?<\/h2>

Yes and no.<\/p>

In Feldenkrais, you\u2019re not focused on relaxation in itself. Relaxation can be a result, but the goal is much deeper:
rediscovering the natural cooperation between all your muscle groups.<\/strong><\/p>

Movement becomes effortless when:<\/p>