“Motion is a healing art”, my teacher explained the other day. She was teaching us about fascia and myofascial motion. What did she mean when she said this? I do not know yet, but I will certainly ask her in our next session. Nonetheless, it felt innately true for me and so I decided to try and explain why motion is indeed a healing art for me. I bet you will have an opinion on this powerful sentence as well and I hope you will share your thoughts with me. Anyway…
I know that when I feel stiff and sore, I work it out by getting on the mat and I roll and twist and lengthen and breath.
If I am anxious, I head out for a walk to clear my mind…to clear my mind to either empty it of overload or make way for a new plan or idea.
I know there was an elderly ballerina with dementia on Facebook who couldn’t function but she could still remember her choreography from Swan Lake…when she heard the music, her body led her through the motions.
And I have had clients break down in tears when a seemingly random exercise or stretch released old sorrows stored in their tissue somewhere.
And of course, there are all those biological, chemical, physiological benefits to the body when we exercise.
Ahhh, but why is motion a healing “art”, do you suppose? Claiming that motion is a healing art presupposes that there is an air of creativity involved, perhaps beauty and certainly, expression. So moving and helping others move is creative, expressive and hopefully even beautiful.
Well…I know that every body, every form is one-of-a-kind…as a movement teacher, I am not trying to make you look like anyone else, I am leading you to feel and function at your unique best.
I know that every body is beautiful (and miraculous), especially when in the midst of a move that is both challenging and without strain.
And expressive? I have often said of my clients when they are truly being introspective in a movement or position…really trying to feel…”I can see your kindergarten face!” The eyes have a look of wonder and learning in these moments, so much so that the client might as well be five years old and not 30 or 60 or 75!
Motion is a healing art, my friends but only if you allow it to be. Turn to your movements, whether they be in a class or when you are out on a walk or dancing in your kitchen, and let them teach you something about your beautiful, creative, feeling, expressive self.
