May 1
Article Summary
In 2016, I spent five remarkable days studying with Mia Segal, Moshe Feldenkrais’s first individually trained and authorized practitioner. This article reflects on the presence and depth she brought to her teaching, explains Functional Integration®, and presents a short video of Mia working with a woman named Alissa.
I was sitting in the front of the room, chatting with a friend, when I heard the cheerful resonance of Mia Segal entering the training room.
“Good morning!”
That was my introduction to five days with Mia in Boulder, Colorado, in 2016. I was attending an advanced training, and it became one of the most remarkable training experiences I have ever had.
Mia was petite, yet she filled the room with her presence. At the age of 85, she carried an extraordinary depth of knowledge without placing any distance between herself and the people who had come to learn from her. She was approachable, sincere, and completely present. Her understanding was evident in what she taught, how she taught, and how she related to the people around her.
Mia was the true embodiment of the Feldenkrais Method®.
Mia Segal and Moshe Feldenkrais
She began working with Moshe Feldenkrais in 1957, before he conducted any of his professional group trainings. She became the first person he trained individually and authorized to practice his work. Their relationship developed over many years as Mia worked beside him, observed him, assisted him, and eventually taught practitioners herself.
Moshe expressed the importance of her presence in words that now seem especially meaningful:
“With you [Mia], I have reached summits that alone I could not reach. The best lessons I ever gave were inspired by your encouraging gaze.”
— Moshe Feldenkrais, quoted by Mind Body Studies Academy
The encouraging gaze he described was still very much present when I met her in Boulder. Mia possessed enormous knowledge, but knowledge alone does not account for the impression she made. She embodied the work in the way she paid attention. When she looked at someone, listened to a question, or demonstrated a movement, her attention was complete.
The video on this page was recorded at a different training from the one I attended. In it, Mia gives a Functional Integration® lesson to a woman named Alissa. The film introduces Alissa as having dislocated two cervical vertebrae in a bicycle accident ten years earlier. According to the information presented in the video, she had persistent pain in her neck and lower back, could not bend in any direction, and was scheduled for surgery two days later.
What is Functional Integration®?
Functional Integration is the individual, hands-on practice of the Feldenkrais Method® of somatic education. During a lesson, the practitioner uses gentle touch and movement to learn how the student organizes herself in action. That touch also creates a nonverbal conversation. Through differences in direction, pressure, support, and timing, the student receives information about what she is already doing and what other possibilities may be available.
This is part of what makes a Functional Integration® lesson difficult to understand from the outside. The visible movements may be small, but the practitioner is not simply moving an arm, turning a head, or changing the position of a leg. The practitioner is observing how that movement travels through the person and how the person responds.
During this lesson, Mia gently touches and guides Alissa through a series of subtle movements. She works with what she finds rather than imposing a predetermined sequence. Her hands investigate how Alissa organizes herself while also offering support, direction, and different possibilities for movement.
A Remarkable Progression
Even in this short excerpt, we can see a remarkable progression. The video does not give us a complete lesson or tell us what happened afterward. It does, however, allow us to observe a meaningful change during the time shown.
Near the end, Mia asks Alissa whether she will be going to the hospital.
“No,” Alissa replies. Something in her experience had changed enough for her answer to change.
Sources and Related Reading
- Mia Segal: In Memoriam — Feldenkrais Guild of North America
- The Process of Functional Integration®
- What Is the Feldenkrais Method®?
- About Moshe Feldenkrais
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Mia Segal?
Mia Segal (1930–2025) was the first person Moshe Feldenkrais trained individually and authorized to practice his work. She became his assistant and collaborator, helped teach practitioners, and later co-founded Mind Body Studies Academy with her daughter, Leora Gaster.
When did Mia Segal work with Moshe Feldenkrais?
Segal began working with Moshe Feldenkrais in 1957 and was authorized to work independently in 1958. She collaborated with him through the following decades, including international programs and his San Francisco professional training.
What is a Functional Integration® lesson?
A Functional Integration® lesson is the individualized, hands-on form of the Feldenkrais Method® of somatic education. A practitioner uses gentle movement and non-invasive touch to help the student sense their current organization and explore other possibilities.
What happens in Mia Segal’s demonstration?
Segal works with a participant lying on a padded table. She supports and moves the head, shoulders, and arms while the position of the participant’s legs changes, continually observing how movement in one area relates to the rest of the person.
Does the video show a complete lesson or prove pain relief?
No. The five-minute video is an edited seminar excerpt. It shows Segal’s touch and some of the lesson’s progression and the student’s remarkable change.
Tags
Advanced Training, Feldenkrais Method, Functional Integration, Mia Segal, Moshe Feldenkrais
