Why integrated movement is better than mechanical exercises
How to learn deeper movement patterns
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Many people come to the studio in pain, uncomfortable, and at their wits end. They’ve tried everything, from different referrals to different therapies. Nothing has worked and they come wanting to, finally, fix their problems.
And the solution they seek seems so obvious: “Just tell me what to do…”
Just give me the right exercise
Just tell me how many times to practice
Just give me a printout
If you relate to this experience, you’re in good company and you have good reason to think this way. There are many movement practices that are taught exactly like this.
But wanting mechanical instructions often falls short. It doesn’t relieve your pain and it doesn’t “stick” as a solution.
You need something more.
Learning to ride a bike
“I can ride a bike since Thursday,” Rose shouted as she whizzed by me.
She was pedaling up and down our block, swerving a little too much and stopping both too quickly and too slowly.
She stopped near me (but not next to me) and proudly told me about how she is allowed to ride around the entire block–even out of sight from her parents. As she took off to demonstrate that she could complete the circuit, they reminded her to stay on the sidewalks.
Rose knows the basics. She can pedal and break. It’s not complicated.
But to actually ride her bike, she needs more practice.
She needs to have balance and coordination, to be alert to what’s ahead and make decisions about how to react. She needs to understand the rules of the road.
Rose’s parents know that she isn’t ready to manage the complexities of the road. Understanding the mechanics of operating a bike isn’t enough.
If you want to move in an integrated way, you go through a similar process. First you learn the basic ideas. This isn’t complicated.
But then, you need to practice. You need to experience the movement and its complexities before finally becoming fluid. In effect, you need to know more than how to pedal and break.
Today let’s talk about this process of learning to move in a connected, integrated way. Let’s map the course so you know what to expect.
But first, let’s start with how moving with awareness is different from simply moving mechanically and how this can help your chronic pain.
Mechanical movement aka “Just tell me what to do,”
Mechanical movement is when you simply move your body with no connection to how you're moving.
Your leg goes up and down. Your arms lift and lower.
Lots of exercise is like this. You’ve probably done exercise like this and you may have even had good results.
But if you’re still struggling with discomfort, then you might be realizing that you need something more.
Moving with awareness changes things. There’s something different about connecting your movements and body.
Moving with awareness is more than just pumping your limbs back and forth. It’s learning to be present in your body.
It’s like learning to bicycle fluidly and safely on any road.
Isn’t embodied movement just movement?
Sometimes moving with awareness, in an embodied way, feels foreign or contrived.
I mean honestly, we move every day of our lives. Do we really need to make a big deal about it?
I hear you and I’ve wondered the same thing.
And yet, there is a difference.
Bringing awareness into your movement brings you into the present moment and into the experience of your body. It’s different from moving your body mechanically. It feels whole. Grounded. Calm.
So many of us have learned to mask, avoid, and repaint the present moment. We have lots of very clever tricks to keep us from being here. Now.
The answer is to rekindle our relationship with our body. It’s like scheduling a date night in a 30-year marriage. It might seem silly but the benefits are huge.
How do you learn to move with awareness?
When you learn to move with awareness, I see several common phases:
Cognitive understanding
Experiential learning
Integration
Step one and two can go in either order, depending on your natural learning style. They may go back and forth, and ebb and flow. But at the end of the day, you’ll probably move through all these phases.
Cognitive understanding of the movements
For many people, this phase is the most natural and easy to understand. In fact, this is often the start and finish of many exercise programs.
Cognitive understanding can take several forms.
If you’re a “thinker”, you may want to know exactly what body part goes where in an exercise. You’ll find the anatomy interesting and physiological explanations very helpful. Exercises are easier if you know why you’re doing them in addition to how.
If you’re kinesthetic, you have similar questions but from a body’s perspective. What should I feel? Why do I feel shaky?
It’s helpful to understand what you’re doing but movement can get stuck at this stage.
Sometimes, you might get caught in your head because you “think” about the movement too much.
Sometimes, you might grasp for perfection, always trying to do it “right”.
If this happens, let go of the understanding and focus on the next step.
Experiential movements
Once you have a basic understanding of how to move, it’s helpful to turn your awareness to just experiencing whatever comes up.
Sometimes you feel good. Sometimes bad. Sometimes coordinated. Sometimes clumsy.
Sensations. Emotions. Thoughts. Questions. Endless excuses to avoid, change, or replace the experience.
All of this is good.
There are many ways that emotions will surface in this phase.
Often, the first ways are preferences: “I hate this”, “I love that”. If you feel yourself rolling your eyes when I mention an exercise, your emotions have entered the room.
The next layer is more subtle. Often these are the emotions born of trauma, coping, and a lifetime of living in an uncomfortable body.
Fear
Distrust
Trauma
Disassociating
Bravado (pushing the body forward with pride)
When these layers show up, work with them exactly the same way.
Do your movements. Notice the emotions. Keep practicing.
You’re now at the phase when you’re riding your bike around the block. You have the basic skills but you need to become more adept. The only way to get better is to practice and allow your experience to be whatever it is.
After that, keep practicing.
Integration
When your body, your movements, and your emotions become integrated, this is when you are strong and stable in a new way–different from the strength gained by moving your limbs mechanically.
Physiologically, your nervous system and soft tissues have created new, more healthy patterns of movement. This helps you feel stable without the tension patterns you used to have.
On another level, you and your body move as one. You’re present and grounded. Because you’re familiar with the rise and fall of your emotions and sensations, you are aware without as much kerfuffle.
“I no longer have to think about activating my hamstrings”
“When I have a flare up, I have the tools to cope”
“I feel strong and capable and at the same time, I know how to manage my limits”
All the layers of embodiment come together. You and your body are connected and your movements are integrated in your everyday life.
Integration and connection–these are the pieces that are missing when you practice exercises mechanically. Yes, you move your limbs and your muscles may gain strength.
But without developing your relationship with your body, you’re always stuck in the same place.
Once you understand how awareness brings you to a different place with your body, you have new tools to manage your uncomfortable body. Understanding, experience, and integration can get you there.