This article is part of the Legacy Feldenkrais Books Archive.

INTRO

The Elusive Obvious is one of Moshe Feldenkrais’s most accessible and insightful explorations of the principles behind the Feldenkrais Method®. In this thoughtful work, Feldenkrais examines the habits of thought and movement that shape our lives—often without our awareness.

The book reveals how many of the solutions to our difficulties are “obvious,” yet remain hidden because they are buried within our habits. Through reflections on learning, posture, perception, and behavior, Feldenkrais invites readers to rediscover their capacity for awareness, choice, and self-development.

Blending science, philosophy, and practical insight, The Elusive Obvious offers a clear window into the principles that underpin Awareness Through Movement® and Functional Integration®.

About the Book

In The Elusive Obvious, Moshe Feldenkrais presents a clear and engaging explanation of the principles that guide the Feldenkrais Method®. Drawing from his background as a physicist, engineer, martial artist, and movement innovator, Feldenkrais explores how human beings learn, adapt, and organize themselves through movement.

The central theme of the book is that many of our problems arise not from lack of ability but from rigid habits—habits of movement, perception, and thinking that we carry from one context into another. These habits often limit our ability to respond freely and intelligently to new situations.

Feldenkrais suggests that by cultivating awareness of these patterns, we can rediscover our capacity for learning and change. Through improved awareness of movement and sensation, individuals can reorganize their nervous system, reduce unnecessary tension, and restore natural coordination.

The book also explains the two central practices of the Feldenkrais Method: Awareness Through Movement®, which uses guided movement lessons to expand perception and coordination, and Functional Integration®, a hands-on approach that helps individuals experience new patterns of movement.

Accessible yet profound, The Elusive Obvious remains a key text for understanding the philosophy and science behind Feldenkrais’s work.

Key Ideas in the Book

Awareness as the Foundation of Change
Feldenkrais emphasizes that meaningful change begins with awareness. By noticing how we move and respond, we gain the ability to choose more efficient and flexible patterns.

Habits Can Become Limitations
Habits help us function efficiently, but when they become rigid they limit our ability to adapt. Many problems arise from applying the same habitual patterns in situations where they no longer serve us.

Movement Shapes the Mind
Movement is central to human learning and development. Through movement we organize our nervous system, develop coordination, and form our sense of self.

Learning Through Exploration
Rather than forcing change, Feldenkrais encourages exploration and curiosity. Gentle experimentation allows the nervous system to discover easier and more effective ways of moving.

The Unity of the Organism
Mind and body are not separate systems. Posture, emotion, thinking, and movement are different expressions of the same integrated process.

Self-Improvement Through Awareness
Improving the quality of our movement and perception can transform how we think, feel, and interact with the world.

Table of Contents

Foreword to the 2019 Edition – Norman Doidge, MD

Foreword to the Original Edition

Preface

Introduction

The Organism

On Learning

Biological Aspects of Posture

The Body Pattern of Anxiety

A Second Look

Subjective and Objective Reality

Awareness Through Movement

Functional Integration

The Obvious is Elusive

In a Nutshell

Bibliography

Excerpt

From the Preface by Moshe Feldenkrais:

The Elusive Obvious deals with simple, fundamental notions of our daily life that through habit become elusive.

We often carry attitudes from one activity into another where they no longer serve us. A habit that is useful in one situation may cause difficulty in another. We behave as if good habits are always good. It is not so obvious that good habits can make us unhappy.

Yet habitual lack of free choice is often disastrous. When we encounter something new, we should pause and look inward. Discovering new alternatives allows us to grow stronger and wiser.

Closing Reflection

The Elusive Obvious distills Moshe Feldenkrais’s profound understanding of learning, movement, and human potential into a concise and accessible book. Its message is both simple and transformative: many of the answers we seek are already present in our experience, but they remain hidden beneath our habits.

By cultivating awareness and curiosity, we can rediscover the natural intelligence of our nervous system. In doing so, we regain the freedom to move, think, and live with greater ease and adaptability.

For practitioners, students, and anyone interested in personal growth, The Elusive Obvious remains an essential gateway into the philosophy and practice of the Feldenkrais Method®.

Related Reading

About Dr. Moshe Feldenkrais
What is the Feldenkrais Method®
Research on the Feldenkrais Method®
Other books by Moshe Feldenkrais