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| Poppy and Tiger getting ready to attack my toes. |
This week, I was presented "The First Rush of Movement: The Phenomenolgical Preface to Movement Education" by Dr Stephen Smith. I had an opportunity to sit with my Article Sherpa, Dr. Kathyrn Alexander. She is a professor of many talents. This is time to explore scholarly writings with a skilled person who guides myself and my colleague on how to best understand academic writing. We discussed the article and were then tasked to create a response. Our response was posed as a free write, and free write I did!
What is a rush? What is movement? Air, water, body and breath? This article speaks about the first movements of infants. Starting with random movements, legs kicking and arms waving. I have seen babies with little control whack their face with a toy. Movement also has intention. In an infant's intention is to gain a repsonse from the watcher. My babies would look at me and I would smile. My babe's eyes would light up and the smile would get bigger. I would show more delight and laugh. My baby will squeal with pleasure. There is communication between the movement, intention and the observer.
My colleague, posed a good question. "Where does the first rush come from?". Is it thought? Mind? Reptilian brain? The source? Movement has many levels. Is it strictly biomechanical? Is it the heart that directs the movement? Do all living things experience a rush of movement in their own unique way? The dog waiting for the human to throw the ball? The child pleading to "watch me, mama". The blade of grass growing towards the sun?
The first rush must come from somewhere. Perhaps from the heart. The excitement of new spaces, new experiences, gathered smiles and laughter. What makes me want to walk toward the smell of fresh baked bread or to dip my fingers and toes into bodies water? Where does that come from? Why do children, dogs and cats lie in warm sunbeams in the winter and cool shady spots in the summer? Is this a primitive knowledge?
The outer most germ layer during embryonic development is called the ectoderm. The ectoderm will differentiate to become the brain, the nervous system and the epidermis (the skin). Perhaps to consider that the skin is the emergency hatch to the brain. The skin gives information of our environment, the landscape which we must move in. Maybe the first rush is in the skin.
I am a massage therapist, I work with the skin, muscles and surrounding soft tissue. I also support the heart and mind as newly pregnant and newly delivered mothers are working through their evolution into parenthood.
My question that I am pondering:
What is the root of the first rush of movement?
