This week, we explored the evolutionary story through movement. Beginning with the single celled organism, we danced through millions of years of evolution in these two classes. The asymmetry of the cell to the radial symmetry of the starfish are still apparent in our present day selves. Our head/tail connections evolved in the oceans until the push of the head brought us onto land as both species and individually in our own lives.
If we believe the evolutionary story, as early mammals we took to the trees where we learned to crouch and extended our spines by hanging from branches as life on the ground became dangerous with large carnivorous animals. When our ancestors returned to earth, the brachiation (cross lateral swinging of the arms) allowed us to reach upward with our heads and balance as we learned to walk by falling forward.
We finished this journey in class by standing still and taking note of the small dance of proprioception that keeps us from falling over. Each day this week, we also took time to revisit Authentic Movement.
What will you remember most from this week of evolutionary movement? How do your in-class experiences connect with your readings for this week?
I will definitely remember this walk through evolution. It was hard for me to imagine being a single cell, because we are ourselves are made of so many. But it was definitely interesting to try to experience ourselves from our origins to where we are now. In the reading, Day 3, Underlying Patterns: Body, the author says, “We are indeed fluid creatures, with adaptability and responsiveness as key characteristics for survival on earth,” (pg.11). I agree with this. We started in the ocean and had fluid movement, but on land, fluid means being able to respond and adapt to our environment. We have to be able survive, and pass on our genes. She also says, “Humans require connection to air, earth, and nourishment for survival, as well as touch, movement, and community,” (pg.13). Our body is in equilibrium when all the elements in our body is balanced and it falls ill when it isn’t. Without the elements such air, earth, fire, and water, many healing systems believe we would be very ill. Our body needs a balance of everything to be at its best. Another statement the author made, “a gift of our bipedal structure is our multidimensional agility of body and mind which keeps us alert and responsive, adaptable to change… the risk is that instability can cause fear and rigidity in our attitudes and stance,” (pg.20). I agree. When we become fearful or when we don’t respond to what our body needs, our body responds by making us ill or not feeling well. When we are frightened our body becomes rigid and still in shock. It’s was like when we were “in the water” being chased by a predator- when I thought of that, even “in the water” my body wasn’t fluid- perhaps a bit more than when I am scared normally but definitely fear can cause instability in our bodies which leads it to not be an a good equilibrium.
ReplyDeleteOne of the things that surprised me most about this week’s journey was how sore I was after “evolving” through all the steps in the process. Looking back through how humans have changed over time, it is amazing how different we now are from our predecessors and how our physical strengths are now different than they have been in the past. For example, when crouching, my hip became very tender and painful and then my hands were hurting when we experienced “swinging through branches”. As mentioned in Day 6: Evolution to Standing of BodyStories on page 27, Olsen mentions that “the hunkering posture, our familiar “squat,” encouraged three structural changes in the body”; she also states that “our ape ancestors began hanging fro their arms and swinging from limb to limb through the treetops [which] allowed extension of hip and shoulder joints, repositioning of the scapulae to the back surface of the body and elongation of the spinal curves”. This proves that the bodies of our ancestors were constantly changing and adapting for what was being asked of them and have continued to adapt since that time. Similarly, many of the movements were difficult because since then our bodies have changed in so many other ways that I am not used to engaging those same body parts. Even though we often think of our ancestors as being primitive people, it is interesting to see that in many ways, their strength is more advanced than ours.
ReplyDeleteThe other thing that I will take away from this experiential learning is the idea that our body is very fluid. In my daily life, I often forget this, but standing still is a great reminder of how our body is always in constant motion and that there is fluidity always moving as well. As stated in Day 3: Underlying Patterns of Body and Earth on page 11, “our ancestors traversed through various body forms, [but] we retained our liquid core”. It is important to remember this in movements because how we move can often change how the fluidity moves in our bodies. For example, I remember from a yoga class that certain movements (such as downward facing dog) are vital to keeping the fluidity in our bodies moving and keep the fluid in different body parts from drying up. All of these ideas have helped me to become more aware of not only how my body reacts to movements, but also how movements might affect the fluidity of my body.
“We come from the oceans, and the ocean is still within us.”
ReplyDeleteI found the class on Tuesday to be healing, and rejuvenating. I found it quite beautiful to experience our evolutionary story through movement. I enjoyed feeling weightless as a single-celled organism, playing with asymmetry, and radial symmetry, pushing upward with the crown of my head (reminiscent of the Alexander Technique!) as we were invited up from the floor to stand. That lightness emanated from my being as I swayed and bathed in the moment of, “there is so much magnificence in the ocean…”
During the session, Louis remarked that the ocean that was home to our origins, our primordial selves is still within us. The idea that the majority of our being is made of water, permeable, and fluid is fascinating. I want to share with everyone the work of Dr. Masaru Emoto because I believe it is very relevant to our movement-based exploration of water, a bridge into the interconnected essence of the mindbody relationship and the affect of our thoughts/intentions on our watery selves.
Water…
The Earth is largely made up of it.
As are we…
And yet about it we know significantly little.
Until the groundbreaking work of a pioneer Japanese researcher whose astonishing discovery about water, documented photographically, changed most of what we didn't know…and led to a new consciousness of Earth's most precious resource.
Dr. Masaru Emoto was born in Japan and is a graduate of the Yokohama Municipal University and the Open International University as a Doctor of Alternative Medicine. His photographs were first featured in his self-published books Messages from Water 1 and 2. The Hidden Messages in Water was first published in Japan, with over 400,000 copies sold internationally.
What has put Dr. Emoto at the forefront of the study of water is his proof that thoughts and feelings affect physical reality. By producing different focused intentions through written and spoken words and music and literally presenting it to the same water samples, the water appears to "change its expression"
Essentially, Dr. Emoto captured water's 'expressions.' He developed a technique using a very powerful microscope in a very cold room along with high-speed photography, to photograph newly formed crystals of frozen water samples. Not all water samples crystallize however. Water samples from extremely polluted rivers directly seem to express the 'state' the water is in.
Dr. Masaru Emoto discovered that crystals formed in frozen water reveal changes when specific, concentrated thoughts are directed toward them. He found that water from clear springs and water that has been exposed to loving words shows brilliant, complex, and colorful snowflake patterns. In contrast, polluted water, or water exposed to negative thoughts, forms incomplete, asymmetrical patterns with dull colors.
The implications of this research create a new awareness of how we can positively impact the earth and our personal health. The success of his books outside Japan has been remarkable. Dr. Emoto has been called to lecture around the world as a result and has conducted live experiments both in Japan and Europe as well as in the US to show how indeed our thoughts, attitudes, and emotions as humans deeply impact the environment.
Dr. Emotos newest book, The Hidden Messages in Water, further explores his revolutionary research. Since humans and the earth are composed mostly of water, his message is one of personal health, global environmental renewal, and a practical plan for peace that starts with each one of us. The implications of this research create a new awareness of how we can positively impact the earth and our personal health.
"Half of the earth is water; our body is three-quarters water. Water represents the interface between the 4th dimension in which we live and the 5th dimensional sphere of our soul. Many studies have shown subtle effects of healers upon hydrogen bonding and infrared absorption of water. None of these scientific studies can compare with the beauty and clear messages shown by Dr. Emoto's elegant work. The impact of thought and beauty has never before been demonstrated so well."
C. Norman Shealy, M.D., Ph.D.
Founding President, American Holistic Medical Association
"As with Galileo, Newton, and Einstein, Dr. Emoto¹s clear vision helps us see ourselves and our universe differently. Science and spirit unite, resulting in a profound and undeniable quantum leap in how we view our world, and how we can reclaim our health and create peace."
-Marcus Laux, ND, Editor, Naturally Well Today
http://www.whatthebleep.com/crystals/
Check out the website above to learn more about this interesting study and to see images of the water crystals.
-Lindsey
Hi louis!
ReplyDeleteI just wanted to mention that I found this whole evolutionary experience really interesting. I thought it was really cool how we started off as a single celled organism and through our movement grow into who we are today. Seeing the evolutionary process was really interesting.
One of the reasons why I like this is that at one point, I actually felt that evolution and that natural selection was necessary, which has always been a hard concept for me to grasp. "Throughout the evolutionary story, species become extinct, remain constant, or adapt in a process called natural selection. Change occurs by random genetic mutation, followed by successful reproduction. Some creatures evolve characteristics which allow survival when new conditions force a change." After we evolved with our arms and legs as the lizard, we moved into the trees and we began to walk upright as our bodies changed. "The hunkering posture, our familiar "squat," encouraged three structural changes in the body: the heel bone gravitated to the back surface opposite the toes, an arch was formed by the connecting bones of the foot, and the pelvis shortened to allow the femurs to fold in squatting position." As our bodies changed, it allowed us to be upright. The problem was our posture and the way we moved hurt! This is why we evolved and our bodies changed through natural selection to outgrow our ape ancestor's bodies. It was cool to feel relief as we transitioned from this hunkering position into taking a regular walk.
This whole idea of natural section has always been a hard concept for me to grasp. In my Economics of Animal Behaviors class I took last quarter, I learned about natural selection and I always thought to myself . . . "WHY and how does our bodies know how to natural select? WHY?" But after putting my body through those positions . . . I now understand why there was a need for natural selection. To make movement easier and less painful! This was definately cool and I had an awesome time experiencing it. Too bad the thing I remember most is the pain:)
cougar.
And the journey continues...
ReplyDeleteMany moments within the week standout for me. I remember swinging as I tried to bring myself off the ground and reach further and further towards food and away from predators. I remember trying to communicate from across the room with just motions and a simple language of grunts and noises. I remember times of near-stillness on my back with my body reacting to the water surrounding me and within me, being lifted and swayed. I remember how comfortable I was on all fours and when adventuring about the room with my hands and feet and interacting with other animals around me.
All of these moments in my mind have a special place within my own growth and evolution as a dancer and a human being. I realized this week just how connected I feel to the animal realms and how connected I feel to life on this planet. The exercises and practice of evolving through all of our many stages in evolution brought me into my body in a way that I have never experienced before. I feel as though I am more deserving of my abilities as a human now. I feel as though I am more human now. I feel more.
I am in the process of watching every movie that Jet Li has been in. As Olsen was describing the three-dimensionality of our more current evolutionary positions and how we could interact with the world in more and more ways I kept thinking about kung fu and Tai Chi. My mind kept coming back to these martial arts, but also martial arts in general as Olsen continue describing our existence. She kept writing about “energy flow” and our constant imbalance on two feet. This in particular I can identify with as I constantly feel imbalanced when standing. I would much rather be moving or on all fours. In these positions I feel the most stable and alive. But coming back to the martial aspect of our lives, the last page of Olsen’s writing on Day 4 was very powerful to me and very true. “Alignment is relationship, to self and the environment. Even when standing “still,” the earth is always moving, we are always moving. A gift of our bipedal structure is our multidimensional agility of body and mind, which keeps us alert and responsive, adaptable to change. The risk is that instability can cause fear and rigidity in our attitudes and stance. When we have a relaxed, toned body, if we are pushed, we recover. If we are pushed when rigid, we fall off center. Our fluid body, undulating spine and reflexes of face, gesture, and language support our vertical and vulnerable selves.” When I read this I had to call up my Mom and read it to her. This paragraph has so much meaning to me and will remain as a source of understanding of life in all ways and forms forever. This is the essence martial arts. This is the essence of my life. This is the essence of me.
The way the readings describe the evolutional story demonstrates the experiences we participated in class this week. Starting with a single celled organism, our movements were somewhat simple and only in one direction at a time. The transformation onto our sides, we experimented with movements that were somewhat core/ distal with head and tail movements. As we evolved onto our bellies, we became star fish with five distal ends that reached out into the water with our bellies at the center. This process made me think of a baby starting out in a mother’s stomach as a single celled organism, but a strong one because it is the one that evolved and survived. I kept thinking about being a single cell, but being somewhat powerful and strong in my center because I was the single cell that survived and would soon transform. Being able to expand distally on my belly, I felt safe because of my expansive shape it seemed like I had a better chance for survival. With the ability to reach an arm out and grab food, I now was able to eat.
ReplyDeleteKnowing that the spine did not evolve until later, movements had to be initiated with water or a stretch of a distal end. The transformation into sitting up, I still felt the movements of the water and the pull of the current. As we transformed into creatures on the land, walking on our hands and feet I noticed how much easier it was to eat. One problem was that it was hard to see where I was going. Running into people was easy. But when we moved to the trees, the upright position we formed was gratifying. It felt so good to sit up tall and hang in the trees. At this point in the evolution cycle I felt closer to my human self than ever before. It hurt crouching and walking around like this, but when we walked on our hands and feet though the space again, being able to experience running straight up seemed somewhat of a struggle for me. It reminded me of a baby taking a few steps then falling back down.
My favorite experience was when we finally stood up. What an accomplishment it was. I felt like I had just learned how to walk again, where I still felt the fluid water like movements through my body in this upright position. As said in the readings, standing required a small surface to balance on in gravity. The gravitational pull was strong when I was experimenting with walking and actually walking on two feet. I really appreciate walking and being able to move through space in creative ways more than I ever had before!!!
Katie Boulanger
Starting as a single cell, boneless and asymmetric floating in the sea was really hard to mimic as a multi-celled creature with hard bones lying on a hard floor. I couldn’t really get really good feeling for it. Every movement reminded me that I do indeed have bones, from my pelvic bones, rib cage to the bones in my limbs. I think it would be an interesting exercise to try in water. The evolving to a starfish and upward to more complex organisms was easier. One of the best parts of the exercise was the connection to the water and the waves. We all contain the sea inside us and it was energizing to tap into that. Also as it says in the side notes on day 5 (Andrea Olsen, Body Stories) in her conversation with a Biologist “I remind them humans aren’t the only species on Earth.” , there is a interconnectedness between all life that is most obvious when exploring earliest evolution. For the journey out of the water onto land I followed the exercise on the end of day 6 (Andrea Olsen, Body Stories) . The lizards belly like crawl was awkward and my cold floor made me rather quickly “evolve” to a more mammal like four legged posture. I found my spine having to shift position to be comfortable and also up on my toes, more like the posture of my cat who was rather entertained by me being down at her level. I could see the benefits to this position, the ability to pounce being one. Next the hunkering down made me quite conscious of my rather inflexible Achilles tendon, I have always been amazed at my elderly Chinese neighbor who assumes the squat position when out weeding the garden, with what appears to be a completely natural ease. Then back up to the upright position, which actually doesn’t feel natural at first. I can’t help as seeing my current hunkered over the keyboard position being the final evolution from the second image.
ReplyDeleteBetween the two days of evolution I noticed a stark contrast between how I experienced the bodily evolution in water vs. evolution to standing.
ReplyDeleteWhile we were evolving in water, I felt extremely internalized as if the movement was happening within me. I related this to Andrea Olsen's statement in Body and Earth that “...we retained our liquid core” (11). I really felt like I was relating inward as opposed to expressing outward. Whenever I would try and move, like when we were rolling, it broke my concentration and the reality of the hard floor shattered my visualization of being suspended in water. In reaction to this, I began to move less and focused more on the micro-movements. With this focus, I was better able to relate to the ideas of suspension and the asymmetry of being a single cell. I feel this is because, as Olsen states, we have retained this “liquid core” internally; in our organs and inner composition of blood and water components. When we moved on to experiencing radial symmetry I moved my arms and legs and head very slowly. By feeling the weight of my appendages, it helped me to focus in on my belly as if my eyes and mouth were there because that was the part of me that remained on the ground. The visualization of a starfish was an easy one for me to inhabit and was really helpful in establishing the idea that my stomach was my center. I think, in many ways, our “stomachs” are still the center of our body. With the exception of the brain, our organs are centralized, and though are brain is at the top of our bodies now, we still retain the idea of a “gut feeling” that is somehow supposed to clue us into instincts as to whether something is good or bad. If you follow the evolutionary story, this concept could possibly be related back to times of radial symmetry. I felt very internalized and connected the fluidity within my body. I kept my eyes closed to continue a visualization of being surrounded by water. The background noise of waves was very helpful in creating this environment and I felt very peaceful. When my arms, legs and head were extended I didn't really want to move them, I envisioned a current moving them instead. When I was asked to move, I envisioned the cool touch of the floor as water swirling past me. Once we progressed to bilateral symmetry, movement was easier, but because I was so internal any small movement or suggestion seemed to reverberate throughout my body. When we were breathing with our throats open, the suggestion of hollowness was immediately integrating into my experience of breathing. When we were moving upward into the current head first, the smallest head movement created a huge wave down my spine. As I moved against a current, instead of being suspended I was pushing against something, as Olsen states, “...gravity, friction, inertia are now part of your environment” (25, Body Stories). For me it was hard to transition from internal suspension to forceful progression. My body did not want to move. When we moved up to all fours to continue exploring the waved nature of our spines, my body felt really heavy. The internal feeling of being suspended extended into my authentic movement practice. I felt as if I was moving in a current, though my body was not moving much at all. Overall, evolving from water was peaceful, fluid, suspended and I had more of a feeling of evolving inwardly than externally.
Evolving to standing was a completely different experience. I could feel each stage of development in my body and man was it a struggle! When I started on the ground, leading with my head and flopping around without the use of my joints, I realized how much more difficult movement is with the introduction of the forces of gravity, inertia and friction than I ever appreciated before. Leading with my head, I ran into someone else and, as I said in class, was struck, literally, by how infrequently heads come into contact. I desperately felt the need to raise my head up off the ground. I was using parts of my arms, the soft inside part above the elbow, that I had never used to lift myself before. Without the use of joints, I could feel which parts of my body would have facilitated motion, and they were the opposite of the parts that I use now: the other side of my arms and legs, parts closer to my body instead of my hands and feet, my sternum. Out of general non contact with the ground, these parts were very sore and I was happy when we progressed to being on all fours. From there we went into a “hunkering posture” (27, Body Stories). It was interesting that this progression felt oddly natural in my body, just when one body part got tired and sore we assumed a new posture or stance that used different parts. It also seemed like my body wanted to naturally “fall” into the next position. From moving on all fours, to relieve my fatigue my first instinct was not to stand up but to squat down into the hunkering position. When my body was exhausted with hunkering we moved to the bar/trees. This experience gave my body just the stretch it was craving. When my hands hurt we came back to the ground and attempted to walk. As Olsen informs us in Body Stories “Instability is basic to our bipedal stance” (28) and in Body in Earth “... instability is basic to our structure. Walking, arms, swinging freely by our sides, is an underlying rhythm of our species” (17). So when we attempted to begin walking and Louie told us to swing our arms and push forward and go in bursts, I was still surprised how honestly unstable I was in walking. I used my arms and this gave me enough momentum to get up, but soon I had returned to the ground. It was a wonderfully, oddly, freeing feeling not to use any of the muscles that generally keep me standing, but just trying to use to momentum of my arms and an initial push with my legs. Eventually we progressed to standing upright and walking as we normally would and I was amazed how vulnerable I felt. In Body and Earth, Olsen articulates the difference between horizontal and vertical being.
“What used to be horizontal support (i.e., our backs) is now a vertical series of balanced curves. What used to hang (our organs) is now stacked. What used to communicate (our spinal cord and brain) is now an axis integrating head and tail, sky and earth. Our genitals, belly, breasts, and face, once protected by their horizontal relationship with the earth, are exposed, creating a vulnerable but dynamic and expressive body. Communication within community is now face to face, belly to belly, responding to information from all the senses” (18).
After spending so much time being actively horizontal, or crouched over, it was a weird feeling being in contact with so little of the floor and having so much of my body exposed. I also felt really stacked up over just my feet. When doing the small dance again, however, I was more stable than the first time and felt much more connected to the ground. Overall, while evolving to standing, I was struck by how easily I could reenact the progression with the body that I currently possess, not that it still functions in the same way. But, unlike evolving in water, where I felt I had to internalize the experience, while evolving to standing, I experienced it by actually physically re inhabiting it.
Somewhat when we were on the bars we were able to reach out or away from ourselves. But mostly our movement was limited, on the bars we had to hold on, on the ground we moved homo laterally or hunkered over or where mostly in contact with the surface of the ground. While evolving from water, the feeling of suspension created a sensation of being moved rather than pushing against the water to get somewhere. When I look back on the two class days, the day where we evolved to standing is much clearer and crisper and the memory is in my body. From the evolution in water day, it is more a general overall feeling that I remember and the day kind of meshes together. I was intrigued by this quote form the reading, that “Our physiological capabilities were matched by our capacity for three-dimensional thought in the past present and future” (28, Body Stories). After thinking about this, I realized that only when I was standing was I really aware of what had happened, what was happening, and that we would be moving on to something else. The rest of the time, while evolving to standing, I was focused on the present and perhaps a future goal or next step later on in the evolution. While evolving in water, time seemed as suspended as I was imagining myself to be. I was amazed at the difference in my thought process and in my overall body experience and how correlated the two seemed upon reflection.
While evolving, it was a struggle, but also a pleasant recognition of different types of movement within my body. I enjoyed experiencing movement that originated thousands to millions of years ago but is still present within my body.
-Allexa Laycock
This week of evolutionary movement was very poignant for me but this was especially true in relating the material from the reading in the analogy between our development in the womb and early years with our own evolutionary story. The concept that we are allowed to first be nurtured and live in the freedom and care of an environment of water is beautiful.
ReplyDeleteThe experiences we had on Tues was difficult for me in trying to find the movement back in our environment of fluidity and the ocean because that is what my body longs to remember. When given the opportunity to remember being in the ocean, my body seemed to have an instant switch to its muscle memory of fluidity. I can remember a particular occasion last summer when I was swimming in utter freedom in the warm ocean and I felt as free, playful and careless as a dolphin. I remembered and tried to recreate this experience in our class and was surprised at how much my body remembered. It was, however, much harder for my body to focus on the image and movement that a fish would have swimming upstream. This may be due to the peacemaking nature I am prone to, I feel more comfortable being allowed to move freely rather than resist the stream and flow of the many.
My experiences on Thurs contained a slight amount of resistance in the evolutionary process. My body was not well and did not wish to leave the ground. When we slowly moved to slither on the floor, I felt very tired and can imagine that many species might have wished to give up and remain in their simpler states of being, but I decided to persevere. As this movement transitioned to experimentation with movement along the ballet bars/branches, I became more and more energized at the different prospects of movement options before me. When we began to interact with others across the floor, I surprised myself in how assertive I was in my development and my interactions with other beings were effortless and natural. In a manner of coming ‘full circle,’ I felt that our small dance in a standing pose at the end of class reminded me of our similarly subtle beginnings. There is a slight movement within our bodies when we are complacently lying in water just like the subtle movement caused by our proprioceptors in standing “still.”
A felt overall that, more than ever, I could not separate my personal life from experiences in class this week. I was battling being sick for half of this week and I actively tried to approach the way in which I cared for myself as one of reflection on my body – I would stop sometimes and just try to calm my mind and focus on what my body wanted. I was pleasantly surprised by how quickly my symptons dissipated when I listened to my body’s pleads to sleep, instead of just drinking massive amounts of fluids.
As an addendum:
The connection with my authentic movement partner on Thurs was incredible – we were both incredibly tired and had different issues affecting our movements, yet we almost had more to offer in the way of our movement quality and intention. I felt more empathetic than I have watching their movement than I have watching any authentic movement yet. I felt their spirit and intention even in my own movement. It was incredible and a shame that our movements had to be cut short in that class – there was even more that needed to be said.
The evolution of the creature parallel the evolution of my own mental state of well being, in conjunction with the interconnectedness of my body and mind. Before there was consciousness, I existed as a cell. As consciousness increased, memories formed and habits are developed. Though I may not know why I am doing something, I will do it because something is pushing my body to do so. As the consciousness continues to grow, so do my options for living a life. I can go to something because I know I want or need it, beyond that of the natural inkling.
ReplyDeleteFrom water I came, and water remains to be the driving force of my vitality. The semi-permeable skin of the amoeba is not unlike that of my own. The moisture of the air is taken in through my pores. I sweat out the salt that was once in the sea.
After all these years of evolution, I feel most complex when I can move with the unconscious grace of the unassuming amoeba.
I was intrigued as we explored radial symmetry throughout the week. I keep getting the feeling that, on a more primitive level, my body is still very much on a radial symmetry. Energy flows to and from this center to other radial ends of the body. My Authentic Movement reflects this: I observe myself extending body parts away from and drawing them towards the center, which I understand from the book are the physiological extension and flexion respectively.
ReplyDeleteAnother insight I reinforced is the interconnectedness of our body. The fish swimming upstream with the swish of the head and allowing the movement to undulate down the spine showed me how the body can function in a more efficient, connected manner. I have fallen prey to the modern day pitfall of isolating body parts, therefore stopping the natural flow of energy and moving in clunky ways. This notion is revisited when I took note of the small dance I did: the movement and liveliness is not limited to the legs; when my legs move minutely to keep myself in balance, my whole body moves in response.
Speaking of standing, it is no easy feat, I definitely find it harder compared to moving. I realized I might have tried to use tension in my muscles to overcompensate my poor standing posture as according to the book, our bodies are structurally efficient when we align it correctly. I played around with different postures throughout the week, trying to relax and using as little muscles as possible when standing or walking.
Walking is to fall, and when this was brought up, my mind conjured up the image of balancing a pole (spine) on its end. And the imagery of a pole somewhat reminds me to be connected throughout the length of my spine and not to be cut off at the neck or chest.
May we all relax and melt into the environment and move with the flow rather than struggle rigidly against it.
During this week of evolutionary movement, I will not forget my entire experience with moving on Tuesday. The morning began with the experience as a single cell that explored with asymmetry and radial symmetry. As the evolutionary story begins in the water, I was able to experience self purity in its simplest form; lying on the floor with my eyes shut.
ReplyDeleteAs Andrea Olsen mentions in Body and Earth, Day 3, “Although we may think of ourselves as solid, fixed, or hardwired, we are indeed fluid creatures, with adaptability and responsiveness as key characteristics for survival on earth.” With this in mind, it helps me loosen up. I approached my experience with free thoughts and practice. Leaving what we’ve accumulated throughout our lives is something very hard to do. Our practice on Tuesday really gathered my body, mind, and thoughts to a central core that allowed for free asymmetrical or symmetrical movements. It was amazing.
When we were allowed to stand up and move… I body went through electrifying sensations EVERYWHERE; from the sensation through my feet, toes, eyes, face, arms, hands, and ears. However, these sensations never caused any fear at all. Strange..
Going through the evolution millions of years in a couple of hours may seem to trivialize the whole process, but for me, it was a reminder for how far we have come. To start from the beginning and experience each developmental step intensified the awareness as each development occurred. Most people go through life taking for granted their existing condition without consideration of the work and patience it required. Just within the structure of our face, a surface area that does not even cover a fourth of our bodies, to learn that all the muscles developed in order for us to communicate more effectively and proves that our bodies are engineered to accommodate to immediate demands.
ReplyDeleteI was also surprised to see how vulnerable and manipulative my body was. When given certain restrictions, the body follows as if these limitations had always been there. My body resigned to limiting its movement vocabulary to working within whatever instructions it was given, eventually making every effort to really adopt the movement.
Going through these stages intentionally also helped my awareness and freedom during the authentic movement session. Discovering new ways to connect to our bodies helped me to really release my mind and allow my body the authority it needed. Knowing when to abandon habit and adopt change meant allowing my body to listen for the developments it needed. Does that mean that our mind inhibits growth? Perhaps it’s the cooperation that will make sure our development does not stagnate…
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ReplyDeleteOlsen says, in Day 6, "Our ability to plan and to shape our environment makes us responsible for what we create and for how we choose to live in that creation."
ReplyDeleteThis week, I wanted to slow down. Somatics gave me a gentle way to wake up, to the moment and to this life. I healed deeply in our journeys with water. The water soothed my heart, offering tenderness as her gift.
Moving through the states of organism from cell to consciousness to choice allowed my body and mind to experience a condensed journey of my life. This journey gave me a real structure to understand in term of a biological history. Understanding history, in many ways, gives my life a certain depth, an added layer of awareness. At the same time, this exercise gave me an immense amount of wonder, "there is more to the universe than the human mind can grasp." (Olsen, Day 5).
The evolution exercises lead my conscious body through underlying patterns, from my origins to my present structure. This exercise helped my mind organize itself around it's own evolution process. I can see that I have an awesome "underlying human complexity" (Olsen, Day 3). I have a place where I existed as one cell, containing only minimal amounts of information. This expanded on itself, creating consciousness, forming memories, and developing habits. The contents of my life, my organism, my humanity, were revisited transpersonally in the evolution exercises.
This same material, I found, was revisited in the authentic movement. Dance is an expression of our existence. The movement of my body reflects the movement of my mind. The unconscious mind is a space that I enjoy exploring. Authentic movement provides a safe model for this exploration. These exercises unfolded an agility of my body and brain, growing an understanding of where I come from and presenting an array of interconnected somatic needs. Dynamic tension between the impulses of my body and the grasping of my mind leads me through the exercise, enticing courage to try and develop both movement and consciousness. These exercises had a positive impact, renewing me and setting strong patterns of health and awareness.
This week was an interesting week for me. On Tuesday, I feel like I had a real breakthrough. At the end of the water evolution portion of class, I remember Louis was speaking and asked us to recall a memory of being at the beach. I had a flashback from my childhood. It was my first experience at the ocean. We had taken a family trip, which was very very rare, to Oregon and we had arrived at the ocean. I was probably somewhere around seven to nine years old. It's really had for me to recall my exact age. I was with my mother, my grandmother, my grandfather, my two uncles, one of their wives, and my three cousins. We were on our way to my other uncle's wedding. We stopped of at the beach because none of us kids had ever been to the ocean. As soon as I got out of the car, I ran straight for the beach as fast as I could. I ran up and down the beach and then I ran back to my mom and my grandma. When I got to them I yelled "Is this great or what!!". I had so much fun that day. it is one of the few good memories I have of my mom. it made me so sad to think about and tears began to fall from my eyes. at that point, I curled into the fetal position on my left side. I curled up as small as I could and just held myself. Soon after, Louis had us come together in a circle and speak about our experiences. I really didn't have anything to say. I was still trying to control myself and not cry in front of everyone. Then he said that we were going to have another authentic movement session and my eyes got big and I made eye contact with Louis. I didn't fell like doing this at that point. Louis came over and talked to me and convinced me that I NEEDED to do this and that I was in this class for a reason, and he was completely right. this authentic movement session was difficult for me, but I felt in was necessary for me to do. When I was done I still couldn't speak about it. All I could do was cry. Monique and I just laid under her blanket and I told her my story of the beach. I did not want to talk about the movement I had just done. Later that day I felt better about the situation. I feel that I have to go through and relive some of those memories to even begin the healing process. Thank you Louis for reminding me why I am in your class and pushing me to do this. I can't thank you enough.
ReplyDeleteThursday's class was a different experience for me; it was more enjoyable. I think that's all I have to say about this class, besides the fact that my arms and legs were extremely tired after the class. Oh and I took a big step for myself and worked with a new partner for a short authentic movement session.
In the Day 3 reading there was a quote on page 13: "Why feel if it hurts? Numbness can be learned as a defense." This statement really stood out to me. For so many years I tried not to feel because it hurt so bad. I do believe that shutting your emotions off and becoming numb to everything around is a defense mechanism. But it's not a healthy one. I have lived much of my life feeling numb. Sometimes I still feel numb. I don't know which is better, the numbness or the pain when when I remember something from my childhood. Maybe the water evolution portion was so much more emotional for me because it correlates to early years of life. The early years of my life were filled with horrible events, pain, and trauma. As I've gotten older I have tried to shut those memories out of my life, and as I have gotten older I have become more able to control my experiences in life. Over the years, the numbness has lessened as well. I'm not sure what I' getting at here; I am just typing my thoughts at this point. Sometimes it's hard to make sense of all of this.
** Kali
One activity I remember the most dealt with bilateral symmetry, when we were sitting upright and visualizing we were a fish swimming thru the water. Where our mouth and eyes migrated to the tops of our heads, and the water was rushing/brushing past the sides of our bodies. I felt engaged on a deeper level during this activity versus our activity regarding radial symmetry (the starfish one). It was harder for me to connect to the starfish idea; I had to keep directing my focus to that visualization with much more effort than the fish swish.
ReplyDeleteI also really remember the deep connection I found in my body when we moved through space on Tuesday. I was a little scared at first about bumping into somebody. But I bumped/touched/brushed multiple people and it was fine. I think it helped that I made contact with someone within the first few minutes, this experience helped dispel my future worries. I really liked exploring space after all of our visualizations on the floor as we progressed from lying, to rolling, to sitting upright, to finally moving through space. I feel that all of the visualizations were necessary for me to make that deep connection with my own body before I could venture into space, and hence have the experience that I did. I found it quite pleasurable to be in close proximity to others and pick up on their energy/or whatever it was to give me the sensation I thought I could feel them. It was interesting to find that I really enjoyed particular people or groups of people’s energy. As I had mentioned in class, a cozy kind of warm and cuddly feeling came to me when around certain people. I’m curious who felt so lovely to me. When I think of it now, it’s similar to the way I feel when I’m basking in the sun and everything is great. I found it quite satisfying.
During our evolution on Thursday, I found during the brachiation related activities; it was hard for me to feel the sensation of swing. When pulling your partner and yourself past each other to get that sense of swing, it was hard cause with some interactions I did feel that swing and feeling to suspension, but with others the timing or something was off slightly so I didn’t always get that sensation of swing. It made me crave monkey bars, wonder if I really was suspended in the air, swinging through the air, how would I change my experience.
During our hunkering exercising, I found it tiring on my legs. I just wanted to stand up at times. Also when we combined hunkering and propulsion to temporarily saunter/sway on two feet, I really could feel the saunter and weight of my body during these movements at times, and it really made me want to go back to my hunkering position. My last two sentences, describe opposing sensations regarding hunkering, where at one point it was a relief but at another time it was a pain. It is fascinating to see that the context of the activity entirely changed to sensation that was incurred.
I really enjoyed ending with the small dance, I felt like it brought everything I experienced this week to close, to full circle. Shifting my focus and experiencing sensations with visualizations and their connections to my physical sensations, evolving from the floor up, from fluidity to our striding gait. And realizing that I am solid, I am fluid, physically and sensationally. This week really helped me understand how dynamic movement and position are.
Rachel