"The entire purpose of the human brain is to produce movement. Movement is the only way we have of interacting with the world." ~ Daniel M. Wolpert, Zoubin Ghahramani and J. Randall Flanagan, neuorscientists
Even after study and leading movement for more than two decades, reading the words of Wolpert, Ghahramani and Flanagan surprised me with their profundity. The whole point of our brain is movement. And like many profound statements, there is a quality of both “Wow” and “Oh yeah, of course.” This is Part 5 in 5-part series, Movement is the Point on movement qualities and how they support the health and functionality of the body and the brain. You can find Part 1 here, Part 2 here, Part 3 here and Part 4 here.
“In the midst of movement and chaos, keep stillness inside of you.” Deepak Chopra
When I was a kid, adults mostly wanted me to be still. There were some times when it was OK to run around and get my wiggles out but mostly, I got approval for being still. In school, at the dinner table, at church, at restaurants (especially ones with multiple forks), in my grandmother’s living room: the way to be was to be still.
Sixty years of living and 25 years of guiding movement reveals that human stillness doesn’t actually exist. In the body, stillness is a two-sided paradox.
1. A living body is never truly still.
2. Even in the midst of movement (and even chaos), some part of a living body is always at rest.
Because of this paradoxical double helix, I call human stillness “alive stillness” and it’s something you can feel for yourself whenever you like.
A Living Body Is Never Truly Still
Most of us (with some exceptions) can choose to stop voluntary movement. But even if you are one of those Human Statue street performers, if you are alive you are always moving. Your breath and heart are always expanding and contracting. Your blood and fluids are always flowing. If you get cold, you might get goosebumps and the hair might raise on your arms. If your eyes are open, they blink.
When we stop consciously moving, Alive Stillness has a distinct sensation. For me, I feel a tingling and gentle pulsing that feels both reassuring and dynamic. It feels like a gentle anchor to the life force that has been moving through me since before I was born but that I might not even notice when I’m hustling around.
Check it out for yourself right now: get “still” and see what keeps moving. What do you notice, what is the quality of the sensation and where do you notice it?
Why is this interesting? This half of the Alive Stillness paradox keeps us present when we are in times of stillness. When in meditation, for example, or while sitting with a struggling friend or resting, the sensation of movement within stillness can help keep you connected rather than drifting off into daydreaming or thought spiraling. This half of Alive Stillness reminds you that you are alive.
Even In the Midst of Movement, Some Part of the Body is At Rest
For many of us, modern life is a whirlwind of busyness and activity. We are almost always doing something, ricocheting from one thing to another. Movement can be quick and even frenetic. Imagine dodging and swatting away a couple of yellow jackets, chasing your hat on a windy day, or picking up a wriggling child. Even when you are bobbing and weaving, or running and reaching, for at least a microsecond, some part of you is still.
If you watch Usain Bolt sprinting along the track, it looks like every single bit of him is moving, right? But actually, every time his foot hits the ground, it pauses there – even for a tiny micro second – to push off. You can find this stillness within movement in your body, too. You might notice a small pause at the top or bottom of your breath. You might be typing furiously and notice the stillness in your belly. You might be shaking your whole body, but your eyes are resting steady on the horizon.
Why is this interesting? This half of the Alive Stillness paradox allows us to tap into the calm and presence that is always available, even if you are bolting through your morning. When trying to get to an appointment on time or plowing through a long to-do list or dancing to a fast song, instead of getting agitated or increasingly frantic, shift your attention to the Alive Stillness that is always there. This half of Alive Stillness reminds you that calm us always available.
There are all kinds of movements within an apparently placid lake. There is a calm in the midst of the biggest storm. In living systems, movement and stillness are not mutually exclusive but rather coexisting. In your human body there is movement within stillness and stillness within movement. And that, my friends, is aliveness.
