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Movement, Mind and Healing By Sarah Tewhey For the wonderful thing is that the body is not and never will be a machine, no matter how much we treat it as such, and, therefore, body movement is not and never will be mechanical - it is always and forever expressive, simply because it is human. - Mary Starks Whitehouse from Physical Movement and Personality (Pallaro, 1999). Everybody moves. From the time of conception when cell division begins to the moment of death when existence in the body ceases, movement is a defining characteristic of life. Our bodies move in millions of different ways from the smallest exchange of electrons between atoms to the most intricate and complicated motions of dance, musicianship or martial art. As long as we are alive we are moving. No matter what unpredictable turn life takes, movement is an ever present and constant force. We, as humans, have the opportunity in life to use movement as a way to heal, to nurture and to express ideas and emotions. My own exploration of movement began at age four when I was enrolled in my first dance class. It has steadily evolved over the last twenty years to become a place to return to each day that brings an immense amount of pleasure, healing and insight. To explore the structures, functions and relationships within one's body is to become an expert in one's own being. Exploring the way the body relates to the external world helps to define who we are in our daily lives. This creates a intimate connections between the mind and the body. By understanding the body and mind through movement we can finally come to a place of feeling at home in our bodies. We can return to the matter we are made of and understand completely the fullness of life in a human body, as a human being. The value of this understanding is vast, lucid and immeasurable. However, the path of movement and body awareness to explore this realization is physical and structured to the degree that the body is a structured form. Unlike techniques that use the mind exclusively such as mediation or visualization, movement is a visceral experience. Its techniques take place on a plane of reality that is familiar. Movement exists in a realm that we trust. We trust that three-dimensional space will allow us a range of movement possibilities, we trust that gravity will hold us to the earth and we trust the spatial relationships around us that have been consistent and unchanging since birth. This sets a contextual environment for movement therapy and lends comfort and familiarity to the practice. Unlike wandering through the vast and uncharted ocean of the mind, movement works within a medium that is familiar and solid. In my own experience I have found movement and body awareness to be effective relief for spinal misalignment, pulled muscles and generalized body aches. I have found it to boost the immune system in times of illness and to provide a reversal of depression, fatigue and mental frustration. I have found movement of the emotions to follow movement of the body and for free movement to lend insight into the emotional landscape. This dynamic creates an opportunity of release from habitual and often destructive mental and emotional patterns. Most importantly, a personal practice in movement and body awareness creates a space to check in with, restore and revitalize your being at any moment . In the following pages we will explore some basic physiological benefits of movement and three elements I have found to be particularly relevant to movement regardless of technique or method. These elements are distilled from extensive research into a variety of movement techniques and seem to appear over and over again across disciplines. Whether participating in athletics, dance, tai chi, yoga or simply sweeping the floor of your home the three elements of spinal, gravitational and breath awareness can be acknowledged and worked in any modality. The accompanying recording provides sample exercises that work with each of these elements. Although I can not take credit for creating the movement sequences, I have over time adapted them in the way that suits my particular style of movement. As you gain familiarity with each of the sequences I encourage you to do the same and to truly make these movements your own. Essentials of Movement and Physiology Movement is paramount to our existence as human beings. Without our conscious effort cells take in vital nutrients from the fluid in which they are bathed, the heart pumps faithfully and the lungs expand and contract with the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide. Movement allows us to work, to play, to give birth and to do a million other tasks that are essential to our survival. For many of us, the fact that our bodies have the ability to move at whim is taken for granted until this element is taken away due to accident, illness or injury. Today, the average American is more sedentary than ever before (Booth, 2002). Between the advent of television, computers and fast food we have become increasingly lethargic and altogether less concerned with the way that movement effects our physical health and mental well-being. This loss of concern is something we simply can not afford. Movement is what shapes the body over time, making it stronger or weaker, lengthened or more contracted, light and comfortable or riddled with pain and discomfort. In the words of Professor Hocking of Harvard University and recounted by Mark Starks Whitehouse in her essay Creative Expression in Physical Movement is Language Without Words, "we are born with the body God gave us, but by the time we are forty we have the body we created for ourselves." (Pallaro, 1999, p.58). On a basic level, one that most individuals are familiar with, movement is important for the strength, length and tone of the muscles. We tend to think of the muscles only in terms of being "in shape", but muscular health is vitally important for the function of the heart, the digestive system, the respiratory system and the skeleton (Marieb, 2001). Muscles are essential for keeping many parts of the body held safely in place. Our muscles create a multi-layered structural form that holds the vital organs, bones and blood vessels. The muscles wrap around in every imaginable direction and are in a constant dynamic relationship to one another as we move freely and respond to gravity. This kinesthetic sense of relationship provided by the muscles allows us as humans to perform so many complicated, coordinated tasks. Movement also improves the efficiency and coordination of the relationship between the muscles and the nervous system. When we try to learn a new task, motor neurons and their counterparts in the brain rearrange themselves in accordance with our learning. This constant shift within the nervous system accounts for how the movements required for playing a violin or typing on a computer keyboard become more coordinated over time (Marieb, 2001). When we choose to engage in a practice of movement that requires specific activities and coordination of the entire body, we change the way the brain is signaling the muscles to move and therefore we change the muscle use, alignment and quality of the movement. Through a variety of different movement techniques this repatterning teaches the individual to use the body more effectively (Krasnow, 2000). The muscles hold the most solid structures of the body in place, these being the bones. Through weight baring physical activity the skeleton is kept strong. The National Institute of Health has acknowledged that physical activity helps children to build bone mass early in life and can help adults to maintain the bone mass accumulated in the early years. Generally, by age eighteen formation of the skeleton is complete and from this point forward physical activity and specifically weight baring exercise appears to help maintain strong, healthy bones. Studies have show this to be true specifically for pre- and post menopausal women. (Exercise and bone health, 2001) We generally think of weight baring exercises as jogging, jumping and other high impact sports, however other ways of moving also provide nourishment for the bones. The ancient Chinese art of tai chi is practiced in a standing position and has many movements that require balancing the body on one leg. In addition, yoga offers a variety of weight-baring postures not only on the legs, but the the arms, head and the spine as well. Yoga also does not include movements characteristics of more high impact exercises that are risky for women who are already showing loss of bone density. The distribution of weight baring movements throughout the skeleton and low impact nature of yoga make it an excellent choice for sustaining bone health (Sparrowe & Walden, 2002). In the lymphatic system the transport of lymph is almost completely reliant on outside movement. The channels of lymph run alongside the blood vessels and form a fine mesh throughout the entire body, cleaning waste from the blood and interstitial fluid. The health of the lymphatic fluid is indicative of the health of the entire body. In order for the lymph to do its job correctly it must be able to move from the arms and legs back into the torso where many of the lymph nodes are located. Because the lymphatic system is without a pumping organ, it requires momentum from the movement of the skeletal muscles, the pumping action of nearly blood vessels and the movement of the torso during breathing to operate efficiently (Marieb, 2001). The many movement's of the body provide propulsion for the lymph, keeping our blood and cells clean and our ability to respond to injury, bacteria and viruses at an optimal level. Physical activity also has an impact on the brain and specifically an area known as the hippocampus, responsible for memory and learning. In numerous studies with mice it was shown that voluntary physical activity not only stimulated this area of the brain, but generated the growth of new brain cells. Mice tested in the experiments showed a better ability to remember and an increased capacity for learning if they were inclined towards voluntary exercise (Ariniello, 2000). Movement even effects some of the smallest neurochemicals. Endorphins, a group of neuropeptides that are directly related to the suppression of pain and the state of consciousness known as "runners high" are secreted in large quantities during exercise and active movement. They serve to reduce the sensation of pain in the body, give a boost of energy and quell feelings of anxiety (Marieb, 2001). The study of movement and neurochemicals is in its infancy, but may eventually help to explain some of the mood altering effects experienced with different disciplines of movement. The endorphins, along with the mood altering neurotransmitter seratonin are secreted from a wide variety of locations in the body including the spinal cord (Marieb, 2001). Perhaps, stimulation of the spinal cord could trigger these chemicals and provide a variety of mood altering effects within the body. In addition, movement keeps the gastrointestinal tract balanced by helping food move along at a healthy pace. Through the movement of breath the body is oxygenated and nutrients are more readily accessible to the cells. If we engage in aerobic exercise, then the heart rate increases and in turn tones and strengthens the muscles of the heart and the walls of the blood vessels (Marieb, 2001). Each of these physiological components of movement are intimately connected with the ability of the human being to survive as an organism and the presence of a comfortable, healthy and happy experience of life in the human body. Enriching Movement through Fundamentals The Spine There is not a nerve in the body that is not, somehow, dependent on the integral functioning of the spinal cord and consequently on the vertebral column (Scaravelli, 1991, p.37). At the back of the body, from the base of the head to the tail bone there exists a column of bone, cartilage and nervous tissue that we know of as the spine. The bony vertebrae of the spine creates the structure that holds us upright. It also provides protection for the spinal cord, a vital highway of information, to pass through the entire torso and transmit signals with speed and efficiency. In between each vertebrae are thin disks of cartilage that make flexibility and movement of the spine possible. Within the spinal column there is also a channel for cerebrospinal fluid. This fluid allows the spinal cord to float comfortably within the spinal column and carries nutrients and chemical signals between the brain and the spinal cord (Marieb, 2001). Because the spine is such an integral part of human functioning its overall state of health has a huge influence on the body. Misalignment of the spine due to repetitive movements or habitually asymmetrical body positioning can slowly displace the bones of the spine from their natural stacked position and cause deformities in the musculature of the back. Misalignment of the spine can also have a serious effect on the nervous system (Spinal anatomy, n.d.). Recent advances in psychoneuroimmunology now link the nervous system, the immune system, the mind and the endocrine system into a vast network of information. Disruptions in the nervous system related to the misalignment or compression of the spine may have wide reaching effects on the function of the entire body. The fact that human beings stand upright differentiates us from other living creatures and can reek havoc on our body structure. As Vanda Scaravelli points out in her book Awakening the Spine (1991), four legged animals have the advantage of a spine that is parallel to the ground and therefore, with each step they elongate and stretch the spine. Humans, on the other hand have a spine that is perpendicular to the ground. We spend our days sitting and walking upright, causing a increase in compression due to the pull of gravity as the day wears on. This compression is relieved during the night as we sleep, but during each period of wakefulness the spine of an average human being compresses approximately 3/4 of an inch over the course of the day (Scaravelli, 1991). This daily compression on the human spine is something that we should both acknowledge and work with on a regular basis. Pioneers in the field of movement and spinal health such as Scaravelli, Rolf and Alexander all created techniques to be practiced on a regular basis that emphasize a simple lengthening of the spine from the top of the head through to the tailbone. Other therapists such as Bertherat (1989) emphasize muscular release in proximity to the spine by lying prone on the floor. Yoga's contribution spinal health are the forward and backward bending movements found in so many yoga postures. Each tradition has unique techniques and teachings on how spinal health can be achieved, yet each tradition agrees in full that the length and alignment of the spine is a key element in health, happiness and well being. The health of the spine can be better accessed and understood through the second fundamental of gravity. Gravity Gravity is a force that we are all familiar with, one we all believe we know and understand. However, we rarely pay attention to gravity in relation to our own bodies. Numerous modern movement therapists and innovators recognize gravity as a key element to bringing alignment, functional integration and grace back into the structure of the body. In the words of Ida Rolf, There is something about the fact that we live in a gravitational field which makes us insensitive to the recognition of that field...If gravity is pulling in an imbalanced fashion, the body itself is out of balance...If we are going to try to change the body permanently, we have to recognize a relation of body and gravity (1978, p.87). The legs and pelvic girdle of the body pull down with gravity, bringing about the possibility for the upper torso, neck and head to extend and elongate away from the pull of gravity. The pull toward and away from the earth creates a dynamic tension that when utilized gives a rebounding spring to movement. The acceptance of the pull of gravity is the key to finding and utilizing this dynamic tension. When we resist the gravitational pull this movement of elongation is an impossibility. By resisting, the pelvis tilts too far forward or backward, throwing off the internal center of gravity. By compensating the body will throw the chest out too far in front, or roll the shoulder forward into a hunched position. By responding to gravity properly and releasing these holding patterns we bring the center of gravity back to its rightful position and gain freedom from so many aches and pains. To give in to gravity is to follow the path of least resistance in the body, another concept that permeates the work of so many experts in movement. Moshe Feldenkrais, who created the Feldenkrais Method of movement therapy emphasized in his teachings this path of least resistance. The awareness exercises that he developed work largely with the pull of gravity and the opposite force that creates the elongation found in a healthy body and spine. Feldenkrais (1977) describes many human movements as being full of "wasted energy". We often use numerous parts of the body in any given movement that are not required to make the activity happen physiologically. By repatterning movement in accordance with and in relationship to gravity we can learn to make our movements more efficient and more graceful. When we learn to work with gravity instead of against it, we free up a huge amount of energy that is being wasted by the muscles. The pull of gravity is a force that most of us take for granted and altogether ignore on a day to day basis. However, I have found that the recognition of gravity whether engaged in dance, or simply sitting at a desk creates an immediate reaction of muscular release and spinal alignment. When you consciously allow your weight to move with the force of gravity the body automatically drops the "wasted muscular energy". If there is a simultaneous remembrance of length in the spine, then the dynamic tension of the movement toward and away from the earth is fully realized. Breath Breathing is a unique process and provides the most readily available access to an integration between the mind and the body. It is emphasized over and over again in ancient texts of movement therapy, and modern techniques alike. Recent research has found slow, deep breathing to help lower blood pressure (Inspiring news about blood pressure control, 2002) and that certain techniques based on methods used in yogic breathing can help to relieve symptoms of asthma. (Cooper et al, 2003) In the yogic tradition control and understanding of the breath is an entire discipline unto itself and is known as pranayama. Breath or prana has long been recognized as the most vital nutrient of the body. It influences the activities of each and every cell and, most importantly, is intimately linked with the performance of the brain...Respiration fuels the burning of oxygen and glucose, producing energy to power every muscular contraction, glandular secretion and mental process. The breath is intimately linked to all aspects of human experience (Saraswati, 1999). More recent movement therapies also link breath and movement as a way to access the mind and the deeper physiological processes. Large portions of Rolfing, a bodywork technique developed by Ida Rolf (1978) in the twentieth century strives to free the muscles that support the breathing process to facilitate more efficient respiration. In the practice of Authentic Movement, developed by Mary Starks Whitehouse (Pallaro, 1999) breath is used as a way to turn the awareness to the subtle movements of the body and through these subtle movements to the subconscious mind. Across time and traditions the act of breathing plays an intimate role in the methods of movement techniques and their subsequent success. It is a movement intrinsic to movement. Breathing takes place automatically for most of us throughout the day and continues even while we sleep without our conscious effort. Many individuals notice their breath only when they are faced with physical exertion leaving them "out of breath" or when faced with a situation in which it is difficult to breath due to pain or constriction. If you take a minute now to notice the pattern of your breath you make find it to be fast or slow, deep or shallow, easy or laborious. Most likely, simply by focusing on you breathing you will begin to breathe more deeply. You may find yourself unable to get enough air, or suddenly completely confused about your own breathing pattern, or even how to breath at all. These are all characteristics that are common when we begin to pay attention to the pattern of our own breath. The importance of breathing is evident for so many reasons physiologically, however in relationship to movement it holds a unique place as an instrument that bridges the body and the mind. Like so many other processes, such as the beating of the heart or the contractions of the digestive tract, breathing is largely an involuntary process. However, the rate of respiration is easily controlled by any individual. Our breathing is controlled by multiple centers in the brain stem that keep respiration happening fluidly throughout the day without much conscious thought. However, signals from the hypothalamus can override the system and change the pattern of breathing in response to emotions such as anger, fear or excitation. In addition to this, the cerebral motor cortex of the brain can send signals directly to the motor neurons of the respiratory tract, completely bypassing the brain stem (Marieb, 2001). Because the breath can be controlled voluntarily and because it has already a relationship with the emotions, the breath provides an important link between the body and the mind. My own experience with breath control is an ongoing experiment as I monitor my own patterns in times of joy, sadness, anger or fear. In the latter three emotional experiences I notice that my breathing becomes shallow and quick. Often I can ease emotional tension simply by repatterning my breathing. When breath awareness is combined with any type of movement practice it informs the practitioner of places within the body that are not functioning correctly, are working unnecessarily or are tied up habitually with emotional response. In movement practice if we can notice movements or places in the body that the breath quality becomes shallow and then consciously inhale and exhale more fully, we send a message to the brain and to the tension, anger or fear is held in that region of the body. By changing the breath pattern we gain information into what is going wrong internally and receive clues about how it can be fixed. In this way, breath can both inform the practitioner of places that are suffering and can play a role in helping these areas to release and regain balance. Going Within While movement through physical exertion alone is physiologically important, there is an element to movement that relieves stress, improves performance and enhances the sense of general well-being. Ancient methods of movement such as tai chi and yoga were designed not only to condition, tone, relax and release the muscles of the body, but have built into them a mysterious component that allows the practitioner to feel more at ease, more a part of their own body and more "themselves". Unlike visualization, mediation or participation in spiritual or religious practices, believed to readjust the nervous system and immune function via the activity of the mind (Koenig & Cohen, 2002 ), movement offers a unique approach to mind-body integration. Instead of accessing the systems of the body via the mind, we instead work with the body directly to stretch, energize and create movements that enhance its functioning and send health affirming signals to the brain. In my own personal exploration I have tried to seek out the "why" of the importance of movement as a therapeutic tool. I discovered that dance therapy may beneficial for patients of Alzheimers and dementia (Hokkanen, Rantala, Remes, Harkonen, Viramo & Winblad, 2003), that tai chi can reduce high blood pressure and boost the immune system (Wang, Collet & Lau, 2004) and that the practice of authentic movement has been effectively used as a tool in psychotherapy (Pallaro, 1999). Articles touting benefits for a variety of conditions are flooding magazines and journals. Despite all of this promising initial research into movement as a tool for healing both physical and psychological disorders, something still feels hollow. Perhaps it is because the effects of movement are felt so deeply within the body that the mind is not satisfied with the rational mental answers of scientific inquiry. My own experience of understanding myself through movement is surely not something that could be measured by any research experiment. When I wake up in the morning and head to the small carpet in the back corner of my house I know that while I am there I am free to be myself in any way I choose. I stretch, I lie still, I move fluidly at the whim of my body and breath. Sometimes I add a series of structured movements from a particular tradition or technique, sometimes the movements that emerge are entirely spontaneous, uninhibited and new. Each morning I am conducting my own research experiment. Every day, every experience of movement is different, but in my experiment I find that the results are almost always the same. I walk away from my small carpet and into my day feeling more light on my feel, better able to focus on the tasks ahead, full of energy and ready for life. Not very scientific, but in this case the results are so palpable within my own body that I need no outside sources to prove what I know I feel. This reformation of the conscious experience through movement is an ancient practice that began with dance and continues today through a variety of movement therapies. The fact that movement as an expression and a tool for human consciousness has been present in human culture for thousands and thousands of years lays testament to its power to heal. While the minute and complicated physiology and psychology of movement and consciousness remains hidden to scientists, one thing remains true. Movement is intrinsic to life and consciously participating in movement helps to facilitate its expression and brings us each a little closer to living as who we truly are. Cited Sources Ariniello, L. (2000). Exercise and the brain. Society for neuroscience. Brain briefings. Retrieved on July 27, 2004 from http://apu.sfn.org/content/Publications/BrainBriefings /exercise.html. Berherat, T. (1989). The body has its reasons: Self-awareness through conscious movement. Rochester, Vermont: Healing Arts Press. Booth, F. (2002). Sedentary death syndrome is what researchers now call americašs second largest threat to public health. Retrieved on August 20, 2004 from www.endseds.org/PressRelease.pdf. Cooper, S., Oborne, J, Newton, S. Harrison, V., Thompson Coon, J., Lewis, S & Tattersfield, A. (2003). Effect of two breathing exercises (buteyko and pranayama) in asthma: a randomized controlled trial. Thorax. 58(8):674-80. Retrieved on July 20, 2004 from Expanded Academic Search. Exercise and bone health. (2001). National institutes of health osteoporosis and related bone diseases - National resource center. Retrieved on August 15, 2004 from http://www.osteo.org/newfile.asp?doc=r707i&doctitle=Exercise+and+Bone+Health&doct ype=HTML+Fact+Sheet. Feldenkrais, M. (1977). Awareness through movement. San Francisco: HarperCollins. Hokkanen, L., Rantala, L., Remes, A., Harkonen, B., Viramo, P.& Winblad, I. (2003). Dance/ movement therapeutic methods in management of dementia. Journal of american geriatric society. 51(4):576-7. Retrieved on August 2, 2004 from Pubmed. Inspiring news about blood pressure control. (2002). Harvard health letter. 13(3). Koenig, H.G. & Cohen, H.J. (Eds.) (2002). The link between religion and health: Psychoneuroimmunology and the faith factor. New York: Oxford University Press. Marieb, E.N. (2001). Human anatomy and physiology (5th ed.). San Francisco: Benjamin Cummings. Pallaro, P. (Ed.) (1999). Authentic movement: Essays by Mary Starks Whitehouse, Janet Adler and Joan Chodrow. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers. Rolf, I. (1978). Rolfing and physical reality. Rochester, Vermont: Healing Arts Press. Saraswati, S. (1999). Asana, pranayama mudra, bandha. Bihar, India: Bihar School of Yoga. Scaravelli, V. (1991). Awakening the spine. San Francisco: HarperCollins Sparrowe, L & Waldern, P. (2002). A womanšs book of yoga and health. Boston: Shambhala. Spinal anatomy. (n.d.). First chiropractic of tucson. Retrieved on July 27, 2004 from http://www.firstchiro.com/21spinal.htm Wang, C., Collet, J.P.& Lau, J. (2004) The effects of tai chi on health outcomes in patients with chronic conditions. Arch intern med. 164:493-501. copyright 2004 ------------------------------------------------------------ Sarah Tewhey is a student and teacher of Yoga, Ayurveda and the healing arts. She completed two years of study with Dr. Vasant Lad at The Ayurvedic Institute and a B.S. at Lesley University in Mind/Body Studies with a specialization in the female healing process and its relationship to modern medicine. Sarah is currently a student in the Masters program at Southwest Acupuncture College in Albuquerque. Sarah can be contacted at: sarah@ayurlight.com |
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