The concept of “exploring movement” is extremely important for anyone pursuing therapy at the Wellness Station to understand. In a client interaction, I often make the suggestion for the client to explore a particular movement. This is sometimes met with confusion. What does it mean to explore? Am I doing the movement right or wrong? How many repetitions should I do? What next? By asking questions such as these, it is clear that the fundamental nature of the therapy we are providing is not yet understood. By understanding and applying movement exploration in the clinic and during home practice, clients will have a much higher likelihood of experiencing positive outcomes throughout the therapeutic experience and beyond.
Exercise vs Movement Exploration
Many people who have not experienced the Feldenkrais Method or other somatic movement practices may have difficulty distinguishing between traditional exercise and movement exploration. Exercise is a broad term, and of course movement exploration could be considered a form of physical exercise. However, exercise has become more of a societal construct that implies hard work, high effort, rigid rules of what is “right” and “wrong”, and even a “no pain no gain” mentality in certain circles. While traditional exercise can play a crucial role in sustaining health and fitness, the manner in which many people exercise can actually contribute to various issues. Falling out of love with movement, because exercise starts to be related to effort and discomfort. Repetitive strain injuries from overdoing certain movements without incorporating variations. Triggering pain and inflammation in arthritic joints. Sometimes, the way exercise is performed is like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole.
Movement exploration is a process that involves learning, attentiveness, and body awareness.
This is how we naturally learn to move, starting from infancy. It is the parent’s job to provide a safe environment, external props, and opportunities to explore, and the child begins to learn and develop in their own unique way. Child researcher and Feldenkrais Practitioner Esther Thelen demonstrated with her research that no two children move through the developmental stages identically, but in their own individual way based on the dynamic interaction between person, task, and environment (known as Dynamic Systems Theory). (1) Us adults are really not all that different from our younger counterparts, especially when it comes to how we learn to move. Approaching movement with curiosity and a sense of exploration recognizes that every person, task, and environment is unique, and therefore movement should be an individualized experience. Exploring movement allows people to recognize the unique characteristics of their own self, and develop various options that could be more helpful than the “right” way to do a movement that is taught through traditional exercises.
The fundamental difference between traditional exercise and movement exploration is that the former is goal-oriented, and the latter is process-oriented. (2)
It is not just about the destination, it is about the journey itself! Traditional exercise tends to be close-ended (one path leading to one desired result), whereas movement exploration is open-ended (multiple possible paths with no specific desired result, although positive results will still occur). By paying attention to the process of movement without only being concerned with the end result, we can learn to be mindful and attentive to our bodies. This helps to facilitate the learning process, which creates a virtuous cycle in which we begin to get to know our own selves with greater precision.
A real-life example is hiking. Say you are to engage in a three mile hike to the top of a mountain, sprinkled in gorgeous wildflowers, waterfalls, and various paths to the top that will culminate in a panoramic view of glaciers and rocky peaks. In doing this hike, one might reflect on their intentions. Is the intention to walk three miles to get your “steps” for the day, burn 500 calories, and to check the box that you got to the top? If so, the journey itself does not matter. Might as well get on a treadmill for exercise, then drive to the top of the mountain later on. If the intention is to explore, then the journey itself is where the value lies. What feelings emerge as you soak your senses in the variable landscapes? What can you learn from fellow hikers along the way? What new discoveries will occur if an alternative path is taken? What is the qualia of the panoramic peak after engaging in such a journey? It should be noted that the two intentions are not mutually exclusive. One can value the benefits of the exercise (supporting muscle strength, cardiorespiratory fitness, healthy body composition, etc.) while also valuing the experience itself.
Clinical Example: Spine like a chain vs bridging
To distinguish traditional exercise from movement exploration in the clinic, consider the example of the bridging exercise, often referred to as “spine like a chain” in Feldenkrais contexts. Even the language can distinguish some of the differences between the two methods. To “bridge” implies an end result, a goal-oriented approach. The goal is to lift your hips up into a bridge. On the other hand, calling it “spine like a chain” implies a process-oriented approach, in which attention is paid to the actual process of moving the spine one vertebrae at a time towards and away from the floor.
Bridging (Traditional Exercise Context)
Lying on your back, bend your knees so your feet are close to your bottom. Now, engage your glutes to push your hips up towards the ceiling. Hold. Lower back down. Perform three sets of 10 repetitions.
Spine like a Chain (Movement Exploration Context)
Lying on your back, bring your legs up into a bent position, paying attention to where your feet are relative to each other, and relative to your bottom. Press through your feet to observe how your body responds. Notice your tailbone will start to lift. Then release this pressure, lightening the feet, to notice how the body responds. Repeat, with more force pressing through your feet, and notice what starts to lift away from the ground next. Moving throughout your comfortable range, practice peeling one vertebrae at a time from the ground until a comfortable height is reached. Hold this position if desired to sense the stability of your muscles. Lower down in reverse order, one vertebrae at a time until the tailbone is back down. Repeat, resting often. Any variations are encouraged, such as changing where the feet are placed or what range you are moving in. Explore this movement until you are no longer feeling engaged, or your body asks for something different.
Although the latter might be more wordy and perhaps confusing to some, it is a process-oriented approach that leaves space for the person to explore and discover. While the end-result of strengthening the core and hip muscles might be the same for the two options, the exploratory approach is more apt to facilitate additional benefits such as improved motor control, spinal mobility, and a refined ability to be present with oneself in order to sense and respond to the needs of the body throughout each moment in time. If one can approach traditional exercises through an exploratory lens, the greatest benefits can occur with a deeper enjoyment of the process and a lower likelihood of reinforcing strain-inducing movement patterns.
Challenge: How might one turn spine like a chain into a unilateral exercise? See the last blog “The Importance of Unilateral Exercises” for more on this topic.
Written by Jacob Tyson, DPT - Physical Therapist, Yoga Instructor and The Wellness Station Team
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