Mitzvah

Mitzvah is a hands-on method of teaching proper body alignment.  The word ‘mitzvah’ is a Hebrew word meaning ‘a good or charitable act’.  The founder M Cohen-Nehemia chose the word with the idea of doing a good deed for the body.  Nehemia was a dancer and choreographer with the Inbal Dance Theatre of Israel.  He experienced significant back problems at one stage.  He began to actively pursue studies in body movement and alignment and also began helping fellow dancers with injuries and postural challenges.   Eventually he rehabilitated himself back to full mobility.  Nehemia was invited to work in the rehabilitation center of the Tel-Hashomer government hospital.  He studied, trained and taught the Alexander Technique then built on its principles to develop the Mitzvah Technique.   Nehemia introduced his technique to Moshe Feldenkrais and together they worked in rehabilitating wounded soldiers who had severe spinal injuries.

Mitzvah is based on the Mitzvah Mechanism.  The basic idea involves the inter-relationship of gravity and the pelvis, spine and head.  With each step or movement a person takes there is an upward rippling spinal motion.   The head should be free to balance on its spinal support.  If there is synchronization, the spine lengthens, the chest expands, the neck is free and there is release of tension and stress.   Mitzvah is a program of exercises designed to tap into the body’s natural motion, to correct problems of posture and unhealthy movement patterns.

 Benefits of Mitzvah include but are not limited to:  relieving symptoms of fibromyalgia, arthritis and chronic fatigue, pain reduction, increased body performance, improvement in breathing, stress reduction, improved posture and body mobility.