"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, neuroscientists
Even after studying and leading movement for more than two decades, I was struck by the profundity of the words of Wolpert, Ghahramani and Flanagan. 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 Pt 1 in 5-part series, Movement is the Point: all about movement qualities and how they support the health and functionality of the body and the brain.
See above photo. This photo: same river, same place, different water. (Photo: Susan)
Look at how rain water puts out a forest fire. Look at how waves sculpt the shore after even one storm. Look at the Grand Canyon. Go out into nature and you’ll see: water always wins.
Water is a malleable and miraculous force of nature. It is solid. It is gas. It is liquid. Each with its own unique power. Ice crushes a ship. Steam powers a train. And liquid water is nature’s patient nourisher and sculptor.
Our very bodies are more than half water. A lack of water doesn’t just cause thirst. Headaches, dizziness, constipation, dry skin and dark urine are all signs that your body needs more water. And in extreme cases, of course, dehydration is deadly.
Even though intellectually we might know that our bodies are mostly water, it’s easy to disconnect that knowledge from physical sensation. Try this simple experiment* to connect yourself to watery movement.
First, take a sip of water and notice the sensation as you swallow it. How far down your body can you feel it? Does your spine move at all when you swallow?
Then, take a sip of water and hold it in your mouth. Gently move your head — side to side, front and back, any direction — and notice how the water is always finding the lowest point. Do this a few times to get the sense of how water moves in a contained space.
Then, imagine that your eyeballs are full of water (they are about 98% water) and see how that informs your body’s movement.
You can do the same thing with other parts: your spine, your pelvis, your knees. See how the experience of feeling water’s movement qualities impacts your own.
Not only the water inside us but all of water’s natural states can inform the way our bodies move. Connect to water’s constant, effortless flow when you feel stuck. Or to lake-like stillness when you feel rattled. Or the repetitive power of waves when you need persistence. When would it help you to move with the expansive push of ice or the super-heated energy of steam?
Spend time exploring the movements of water that come naturally to you and the ones that are less familiar. Hydro-exploration (I just made that word up!) connects us to the movement variety that allows our bodies to thrive and helps us break habit. Moving like water lets us tap into what we need moment to moment.
Water always wins — thanks to its ubiquity, its constancy and its ability to shift forms. How might we embody watery movement in our bodies, minds and emotions? Check in right now: what water-movement would feel good? Some steamy energy? Some solid icy strength? Some effortless, edge-less flow? Try on all of water’s wide-ranging wardrobe and see what fits you right now.
* Adapted from Move Like Water online class which you can find and experience here.