The Ilan Lev method works towards improving human capabilities and removing functional difficulties. It also treats motor dysfunction, mental limitations and solves issues concerning physical disabilities or handicaps.

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The treatment resolves body-circulation issues, relieves pain, skeletal and joint problems, etc.

In the session the patient's body is gently moved, creating a rich and thoughtful dialogue between the practitioner and the patient. Movement returns to parts of the body where communication was cut off or stopped due to injury, pain, or emotional issues. Dialogue within the whole system is restored. The session is intensive, with endless new material and allows new knowledge to be acquired within the patient.

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The main idea on which the method is based is that the central nervous system, as well as serving as a monitoring system, also delivers new input from the body to the mind, directly to the subconscious in the sensory part of the brain. The logical brain is an obstacle when it comes to unknown information. The sensory part of the brain goes around this obstacle, as in hypnosis.

This direct reception evokes an unusual, deep and intensive learning process.

Understanding the way this system functions involves understanding the terms- "functional patterns", " movement sleeves", and the relation of "movement-energy-life". This will be further explained.

The Method is Built on the following 3 Main Pillars:
Discovering the possibility of the direct conversation between the body and the brain, thus enriching the set of solutions for functional issues.

"Functional Patterns"
Speaking of the body-brain connection, and the way the mind controls the body, we set out with a preconception, that the brain is "above" the body and so controls it. This is wrong in fact.

The idea of a 2-way equal relationship between body and brain was brought up by Dr. Moshe Feldenkrais, who turned this into a working tool. According to him, the body can tell the brain new things and create a learning process. This process is a rich trial and error one, registering its findings into our sensoric brain, serving our subconscious. This way exactly babies and infants accumulate knowledge. From this work, I also stated the principle of "functional patterns", compiling the dictionary of our basic daily life functions. The richness of this dictionary will set the quality of the functional solutions we have, and it is further enriched by the treatment session. The practitioner, while moving the patient, registers new options of functioning through the patient's body, directly into his brain. The human brain can then turn this information into knowledge, and make use of it.

The Idea of Pain
Pain is not an enemy. It is the body's way of announcing a problem or damage. Like frustration, it reveals the incompatibility of solutions to needs. This is the "fine" we pay for compromising between what we need and what we know is possible for us. Most pain phenomena originate from functional issues. Through The Method, we are able to solve most of the functional issues. Broadening the toolbox brings possible and needed closer, putting new possibilities in our daily life and resolves both pain and frustration. The treatment brings solutions and these cancel pain.

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The pain, therefore, has the main role in the direct conversation between body and mind.

Movement through our bodies is a source of life and a tool for treatment in one.

Movement as Life Value
A moving body is alive, energetically active. The words movement, energy, life, are actually saying the same thing. Movement is not just another "Tool" in life, it is life itself. We know movement which directs our body through the surrounding space, but unaware of it being a flow of information we need to survive each moment. This information is the full set of codes for creation itself, us being a part of. Movement is as fundamental to us as water for the thirsty man in the desert. It is the foundation of our existence. It is equal to energy, and both mean life. Movement updates our knowledge bases, fitting them to the ever-changing needs of our environment. It is the fuel for our body, and as oxygen fuels the physical dimension, movement fuels the energetic one. The body needs it, it is a life source. These elements form the basis of the body-movement relationship and direct the dialogue of the patient-practitioner.

The liveliness grows parallel to movement improving in our body, and better movement flow improves our capabilities.

The Role of Movement in Treatment
Sending movement through, lights-up our body. As if we sent bright light beams to light up dark areas. It improves the blue-prints of unresolved body areas and lights up functional issues.

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Movement is like radar waves re-sketching the surface and functions.

As such, it is a unique treatment tool. There is none more effective.

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Difficulties Recognizing Movement as an Independent Form and Measuring It
Movement for itself is impossible to measure. It moves bodies, but we cannot see movement itself in them. We recognize its existence on and into our bodies and its influence on all that's around us, but we have no idea how it looks or how to measure it.

Because its important function in our existence is clear, we must continue to investigate all its effects and embrace each finding, to be used as leverage to bettering our life.

"Movement Sleeves"
Movement crosses our body through what I call "Movement-Sleeves".

These are two "high ways" crossing the body diagonally, from tow to head. Starting at our feet, through ankles, pelvis, spine, shoulders, and all the way to the opposite palm. Within there are many connecting routes and turns, as in any road net-work or tunnel system.

Good usage of these sleeves opens a new understanding of how our body works: concepts of effort are replaced by "riding". We are invited to "ride" the movement, as migrating birds, sailboats, surfers and jockeys do.

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"Riding the movement" doesn't involve great effort.

It utilizes a movement originating outside the body, such as the vibrations of the earth. Comparing with the effort it takes to create a movement from within the body, "riding" offers a clear advantage. This can be calculated with functional mathematics, based on understanding physical-motoric processes. I won't elaborate on this function here, but the difference between inner-body production to outer-body production of movement is so profound, we must go deeper into it. Through treatment sessions, we discover new knowledge in this matter and the human functions practically transform themselves.

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Characterizing movement and its main function in our physical and mental levels is a unique and valuable contribution of the treatment with my method.

In practice - how is it done?

Manner of Treatment
The session is therapeutically orientated to the skeleton. This direction is utterly different from the Orientation of other pressure or massage therapy, which focuses on circulation or muscles.

Sessions are held fully dressed, the patient lying or sitting on a proper therapy bed, and the practitioner slightly moves him in different practitioner fashions and directions. The process requires great listening skills by the therapist, as he searches for the natural beating of the patient's body. This beating would be the only one that doesn't bring the patient to any conflict during the session and gives him new information regarding his body and functions. It serves as a better basis for his decision-making system and his performances dramatically improve, in a way he never knew before.

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The process is friendly and open, with no pre-judgment or dictation. It is like walking hand in hand towards the unknown and its endless revelations. It is curious, ever-investigating, and brings true and deep learning. Such a process is welcoming and supporting clear and meaningful development.

The Treatment
A session takes place between 45 min to 1.5 hours, depending on the patient and the characterizing of the treatment needed. As a starting point, the practitioner focuses on the breaking-down of movements, while discovering and relieving pain, cleaning trauma "spots" that weigh on the body. This stage characterizes in "differentiating" body parts, getting to know their functions as they work.

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Later on, we focus on connecting the body parts as they work, arriving to the full-length connection of the whole body. This is the "integration" of the full-body functions, acting as one whole organic unit.

Epilogue

Combining these three foundation pillars is what characterizes the method.