What is good movement?

We talk about moving well and wanting to move well. Do you ever consider what good movement actually means, involves?

The concept of mind/body connection is well documented and well received, but what does that actually mean? The Feldenkrais Method is grounded in the principle that good health is founded in good functioning, assuming the body/mind connection. Feldenkrais is very much a holistic approach to managing health and wellbeing. Have you ever noticed that when you are feeling happy you stand taller and you feel more energised? Dr Moshe Feldenkrais understood mind/body connections and the effects one has on the other. “What I’m after isn’t flexible bodies, but flexible brains” is one of his most famous quotes.

So what is involved in good movement? Well firstly there is no ABSOLUTE right way to explain good movement let alone experience it, but it does incorporate the following parameters:

• Awareness of the way you are moving, incorporating focus and attentiveness  

• Breathing that can adapt to the specific situation

• Coordination- that is easy, effortless

• Freedom and flow- rather than jerky stilted movement

• A mental attitude of curiosity and willingness to explore and learn
  

Good movement can be situation specific. We need to fine-tune our body regularly to explore and experience good movement. 

So how can we experience good movement? Feldenkrais is vehicle for learning to move with greater ease, comfort and awareness....to experience good movement. We can experience good movement in Awareness Through Movement (ATM) classes or individualised Functional Integration (FI) lessons and translate learning from those processes to everyday activities such as sitting, reaching, standing, walking. When we experience and embody good movement we feel more vital. Now isn’t that something to aspire towards?

Enjoy your explorations!

Georgi