“Collected” or “Strung out”
This exercise requires familiarity the three major functional segments of the body, both in concept and in terms of their defined locations on your body.
The image exercise here may relate somewhat in effect to the last blog posting, Can NON-awareness and LACK OF control be good for you ? . But it is also different in what posture release it provides.
Study the three “bear rug” style depictions of the dorsal surface common to all tetrapods (that includes us).
All versions of the “bear rug” (dorsal) view show the creature split into the three functional segments, “director,” “motor,” and “rudder.” All segments on the figure on the left are proportional. In the middle figure, the motor segment is larger and the director and rudder segments are smaller. The figure to the right has features opposite of those found in the middle figure. Now, your task is to mentally see if you can come to feel (kinesthetically about your body surface) like the middle figure.
The split between the director and motor segments run precisely through the middle fingers, the shoulders, and the very base of the neck (C7). The split between the motor and rudder segments runs precisely through the third or middle toes, through the knee, around to the hip/leg socket, and back through the very base of the lower back at the start of the “tail.”
By imagining the qualities of the middle creature, I suggest that you will feel something akin to “collected.” Maybe you will feel like you are being a bit “proper” but also more balanced and sturdy. If you imagine the qualities of the figure on the right, I suggest that you will feel a bit strung out… not good. I don’t recommend this image except as a way to compare it with your experience from imagining the middle one. But if there is anyone out there who enjoys and finds the ”strung out” qualities of the creature on the right, PLEASE LET ME KNOW. It would mean I am wrong about the meaning of this image… and I don’t want attest to something that doesn’t hold true.
One interesting feature of the exercise is the sensations from experiencing the sensation of half of your hands and arms smaller or bigger than the other half and half of your legs and feet smaller or bigger than the other half. It will move you.
Later,
John