Mitzvah Technique
Encyclopedia
The Mitzvah Technique is all about proper body mechanics in a state of motion. It is a development of the Alexander Technique
, the Feldenkrais Method
and health-oriented work on musculoskeletal problems and stress diseases. Each of these techniques is based on correcting common postural faults by addressing the neuromuscular system through postural re-education. However, the Mitzvah Technique encompasses both a unique philosophy and a set of procedures. This includes the discipline, exercises, and the work that Mitzvah Technique practitioners do with their hands.
The Mitzvah Technique is based on the philosophy of the Mitzvah Mechanism. The Mechanism consists of a sequence of natural body movements that magnify the rippling motion in the body. There are four components to the Mitzvah Mechanism: (1) The interplay of physical forces acting between the pelvis and spine, (2) the rippling spinal motion, (3) the dynamic relationship involving the pelvis, spine and head in a synchronized motion, and (4) the freedom of the head to balance on its spinal support. All of these together promote the operation of the Mitzvah Mechanism.
The Mitzvah Technique is designed to improve posture and release tension and stress through exercises and therapeutic table work. It realigns, rebalances and exercises the entire body during sitting, standing and walking. Rather than long-term work by practitioners, students learn how to use the Mitzvah Technique itself. Musicians, actors and singers have been extensive users.
The Exercise should be performed under the direction of a suitable Mitzvah Technique teacher and does not substitute for necessary professional health care. It is best described in a booklet prepared by the founder of the Technique, M. Cohen-Nehemia: The Mitzvah Exercise and Its Principle.
The Mitzvah Technique is designed to improve posture and release tension and stress through exercises and therapeutic table work. It is based on the "Mitzvah Mechanism", an upward rippling motion that gently reinforces the body’s balance with gravity. It realigns, rebalances and exercises the entire body during sitting, standing and walking. As a result, this mechanism is readily applied to daily activities.
The technique was developed by M. Cohen-Nehemia of Toronto
, a Yemeni-Israeli immigrant to Canada
. It was originally derived from the Alexander Technique
, but has independently developed since the early 1970s.
of Israel. Similar to F. M. Alexander who lost his voice as an actor and regained it through self discovery, Nehemia suffered major back problems as a dancer and gained functionality by successfully helping himself through his own experiences and research on body movement. He participated in training seminars for dance and physical education teachers at the kibbutz
school which gave him insights into the relationship between body movement and body health.
Nehemia also studied anatomy with Dr. Yitzhak Farine of the Tel-Hashomer government hospital. This resulted in Dr. Farine inviting Nehemia to work at the hospital’s rehabilitation center. Nehemia was introduced to the Alexander Technique
through a course given at the Tel HaShomer Hospital
to medical staff. This introduction affected Nehemia’s work. Together with his wife Malka, they travelled to London
where Nehemia spent five years qualifying as an Alexander Teacher at the London School as well as studying at F.M. Alexander’s studio. He concomitantly began developing his own version of the Alexander Technique that he called the Mitzvah Technique to emphasize the rippling motion of the body.
When Nehemia returned to Israel, he assisted Moshe Feldenkrais
by introducing the Mitzvah Technique into the Feldenkrais Method
. They worked together at the Tel HaShomer Hospital in the physical rehabilitation of wounded Israeli Defence Force soldiers suffering with severe back and spinal injuries. At the same time, Nehemia was taking classes given by Feldenkrais for teachers and actors. As a dancer and Alexander Teacher, Nehemia also spent years observing working bodies in action among animals, children, fellow Inbal dancers and the nomadic Bedouin
. Out of these myriad experiences and observations came the fuller development of the Mitzvah Technique, emphasizing the natural rippling motion of the spine.
Nehemia came to Toronto
in the late 1960s where he established the Centre for the Alexander Technique that later became the Mitzvah Technique Centre. This centre has trained scores of Mitzvah teachers and treated thousands of clients who have come from around the world.
Alexander Technique
The Alexander Technique teaches the ability to improve physical postural habits, particularly those that have become ingrained and conditioned responses...
, the Feldenkrais Method
Feldenkrais method
The Feldenkrais Method is a somatic educational system designed by Moshé Feldenkrais . The Feldenkrais method aims to improve movement repertoire, aiming to expand and refine the use of the self through awareness, in order to reduce pain or limitations in movement, and promote general well-being...
and health-oriented work on musculoskeletal problems and stress diseases. Each of these techniques is based on correcting common postural faults by addressing the neuromuscular system through postural re-education. However, the Mitzvah Technique encompasses both a unique philosophy and a set of procedures. This includes the discipline, exercises, and the work that Mitzvah Technique practitioners do with their hands.
Principles
The Mitzvah Technique has been designed as an easily learned, rehabilitative and self-care discipline. It utilizes body mechanics in the acts of standing, sitting, and walking. The philosophy is that with practice, the discipline becomes integrated into all common activities of daily life.The Mitzvah Technique is based on the philosophy of the Mitzvah Mechanism. The Mechanism consists of a sequence of natural body movements that magnify the rippling motion in the body. There are four components to the Mitzvah Mechanism: (1) The interplay of physical forces acting between the pelvis and spine, (2) the rippling spinal motion, (3) the dynamic relationship involving the pelvis, spine and head in a synchronized motion, and (4) the freedom of the head to balance on its spinal support. All of these together promote the operation of the Mitzvah Mechanism.
The Mitzvah Technique is designed to improve posture and release tension and stress through exercises and therapeutic table work. It realigns, rebalances and exercises the entire body during sitting, standing and walking. Rather than long-term work by practitioners, students learn how to use the Mitzvah Technique itself. Musicians, actors and singers have been extensive users.
The Mitzvah Exercise
The Mitzvah Technique contends that activating and practicing the Mitzvah Exercise and mastering its discipline are what corrects faulty posture and, by extension, many of the aches and pains associated with it. The Mitzvah Exercise is a set of movements involving sitting, standing, and walking. The Exercise requires no special equipment other than a chair or stool and space for walking around. The seat should be firm and flat and low enough so that the feet will be flat on the floor when the body is seated. Loose clothing and no shoes are suggested. This is to allow freedom of movement at the hip joint and the transfer of energy through the feet.The Exercise should be performed under the direction of a suitable Mitzvah Technique teacher and does not substitute for necessary professional health care. It is best described in a booklet prepared by the founder of the Technique, M. Cohen-Nehemia: The Mitzvah Exercise and Its Principle.
The Mitzvah Technique is designed to improve posture and release tension and stress through exercises and therapeutic table work. It is based on the "Mitzvah Mechanism", an upward rippling motion that gently reinforces the body’s balance with gravity. It realigns, rebalances and exercises the entire body during sitting, standing and walking. As a result, this mechanism is readily applied to daily activities.
The technique was developed by M. Cohen-Nehemia of Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, a Yemeni-Israeli immigrant to Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. It was originally derived from the Alexander Technique
Alexander Technique
The Alexander Technique teaches the ability to improve physical postural habits, particularly those that have become ingrained and conditioned responses...
, but has independently developed since the early 1970s.
History
M. Cohen-Nehemia, the originator of the Mitzvah Technique was born and raised in Jerusalem. There he studied classical, modern and oriental dance and was a member of the Inbal Dance TheaterInbal Dance Theater
Inbal Dance Theater is a dance group operating in Israel. The subject matter and materials the group deals with derive from Jewish tradition and heritage, and from the folklore of the various ethnic groups in Israel – Jewish and non Jewish – such as the Yemenite, Moroccan, Persian and Kurdish...
of Israel. Similar to F. M. Alexander who lost his voice as an actor and regained it through self discovery, Nehemia suffered major back problems as a dancer and gained functionality by successfully helping himself through his own experiences and research on body movement. He participated in training seminars for dance and physical education teachers at the kibbutz
Kibbutz
A kibbutz is a collective community in Israel that was traditionally based on agriculture. Today, farming has been partly supplanted by other economic branches, including industrial plants and high-tech enterprises. Kibbutzim began as utopian communities, a combination of socialism and Zionism...
school which gave him insights into the relationship between body movement and body health.
Nehemia also studied anatomy with Dr. Yitzhak Farine of the Tel-Hashomer government hospital. This resulted in Dr. Farine inviting Nehemia to work at the hospital’s rehabilitation center. Nehemia was introduced to the Alexander Technique
Alexander Technique
The Alexander Technique teaches the ability to improve physical postural habits, particularly those that have become ingrained and conditioned responses...
through a course given at the Tel HaShomer Hospital
Sheba Medical Center
The Chaim Sheba Medical Center at Tel Hashomer , also Tel HaShomer Hospital, is the largest hospital in Israel.-Overview:The hospital was named after Chaim Sheba, the founding director. It was established in 1948 as the country's first military hospital to treat casualties of Israel's War of...
to medical staff. This introduction affected Nehemia’s work. Together with his wife Malka, they travelled to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
where Nehemia spent five years qualifying as an Alexander Teacher at the London School as well as studying at F.M. Alexander’s studio. He concomitantly began developing his own version of the Alexander Technique that he called the Mitzvah Technique to emphasize the rippling motion of the body.
When Nehemia returned to Israel, he assisted Moshe Feldenkrais
Moshé Feldenkrais
Moshé Pinchas Feldenkrais was an Israeli physicist and the founder of the Feldenkrais Method, designed to improve human functioning by increasing self-awareness through movement.-Biography:...
by introducing the Mitzvah Technique into the Feldenkrais Method
Feldenkrais method
The Feldenkrais Method is a somatic educational system designed by Moshé Feldenkrais . The Feldenkrais method aims to improve movement repertoire, aiming to expand and refine the use of the self through awareness, in order to reduce pain or limitations in movement, and promote general well-being...
. They worked together at the Tel HaShomer Hospital in the physical rehabilitation of wounded Israeli Defence Force soldiers suffering with severe back and spinal injuries. At the same time, Nehemia was taking classes given by Feldenkrais for teachers and actors. As a dancer and Alexander Teacher, Nehemia also spent years observing working bodies in action among animals, children, fellow Inbal dancers and the nomadic Bedouin
Bedouin
The Bedouin are a part of a predominantly desert-dwelling Arab ethnic group traditionally divided into tribes or clans, known in Arabic as ..-Etymology:...
. Out of these myriad experiences and observations came the fuller development of the Mitzvah Technique, emphasizing the natural rippling motion of the spine.
Nehemia came to Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
in the late 1960s where he established the Centre for the Alexander Technique that later became the Mitzvah Technique Centre. This centre has trained scores of Mitzvah teachers and treated thousands of clients who have come from around the world.
External references
- http://www.mitzvahtechnique.com/overview.htm
- http://www.mascalldance.ca/classes/master-classes/
- http://www.wholife.com/issues/6_4/02_article.html
- "Lecture on the Mitzvah Technique Set for October 23". Jewish Tribune [Canada], October 23, 2008. http://www.jewishtribune.ca/TribuneV2/content/view/1010/53/
- "Mitzvah technique embraces natural body movement", Steven Warburton, Brighton Ontario Independent. http://www.indynews.ca/archives/news/news2001/newsFebruary2001/mitzvah.html
- "Mitzvah Technique". http://healthybrickroad.com/descriptions.php?type=Mitzvah
- Mel Borins, "Healing Herbs: Treatment for Back Pain?". Canadian Journal of Diagnosis, June 2007: 44-45.