By Danielle Laurion, PLMHP, R-DMT, GLCMA
As we near the presidential election and the political parties become more polarized, the consideration of our own polarities comes to mind. We develop our movements through a layering of patterns that build on each other to form a complex web of movement. Body-Half movements arise at the point of development when we start to gain a dominant and subordinate side to our bodies.
What many people may not realize is that this developmental pattern also supports our decision-making process. The clearer our body-half connection is in our bodies, the clearer we can see different sides of an issue and ultimately work toward a decisive decision. Whether trying to decide how to vote in November, or making a decision that involves your day-to-day lives, body-half connectivity can provide a starting place for answers.
Peggy Hackney writes in Making Connections that "from a physical perspective, one side of the body learns to stabilize so that the other can become more mobile. From a psychophysical perspective, the skill of perceiving and really experiencing opposites comes to its zenith in the [body-half] stage. Without this stage, it is hard for an individual to know where he/she "stands" on an issue" (165). While the world is complex and considering only two sides may seem over-simplified, body-half movement begins our understanding of varying viewpoints. In order to gain that clarity, one must understand and explore their sidedness.
Questioning how the dominate side of the body approaches the space, relationships, etc. verses the subordinate side, can give more awareness to how the body experiences opposition such as power vs. delicacy or action vs. rest. Try approaching your world from your non-dominate side and explore how it changes your perspective. Ultimately, in better understanding the contributions of each side of the body, one has a better ability to integration the whole self with clarity. If one side of the body overpowers the other or there is a lack of integration, the mover will be limited in both their movement options and decision abilities.
Hackney also encourages an exploration of opposites. She asks readers to write a list of opposites they experience in their lives, such as "Career-Family", "Yes-No", etc. In trying to move these opposites, notice which side of the body wants to take on each of the polarities. "Let your body sense being pulled in different directions or toward different feelings or concerns" (Hackney, 173). Notice what comes forward.
Whether making decisions, clarifying viewpoints, or stabilizing/mobilizing sides of the body, body-half connectivity provides a foundation for functional answers. Gaining awareness of this connectivity in the body can make the small and large decisions in life a little easier to approach.
Best of luck in your future decisions!
As we near the presidential election and the political parties become more polarized, the consideration of our own polarities comes to mind. We develop our movements through a layering of patterns that build on each other to form a complex web of movement. Body-Half movements arise at the point of development when we start to gain a dominant and subordinate side to our bodies.
What many people may not realize is that this developmental pattern also supports our decision-making process. The clearer our body-half connection is in our bodies, the clearer we can see different sides of an issue and ultimately work toward a decisive decision. Whether trying to decide how to vote in November, or making a decision that involves your day-to-day lives, body-half connectivity can provide a starting place for answers.
Peggy Hackney writes in Making Connections that "from a physical perspective, one side of the body learns to stabilize so that the other can become more mobile. From a psychophysical perspective, the skill of perceiving and really experiencing opposites comes to its zenith in the [body-half] stage. Without this stage, it is hard for an individual to know where he/she "stands" on an issue" (165). While the world is complex and considering only two sides may seem over-simplified, body-half movement begins our understanding of varying viewpoints. In order to gain that clarity, one must understand and explore their sidedness.
Questioning how the dominate side of the body approaches the space, relationships, etc. verses the subordinate side, can give more awareness to how the body experiences opposition such as power vs. delicacy or action vs. rest. Try approaching your world from your non-dominate side and explore how it changes your perspective. Ultimately, in better understanding the contributions of each side of the body, one has a better ability to integration the whole self with clarity. If one side of the body overpowers the other or there is a lack of integration, the mover will be limited in both their movement options and decision abilities.
Hackney also encourages an exploration of opposites. She asks readers to write a list of opposites they experience in their lives, such as "Career-Family", "Yes-No", etc. In trying to move these opposites, notice which side of the body wants to take on each of the polarities. "Let your body sense being pulled in different directions or toward different feelings or concerns" (Hackney, 173). Notice what comes forward.
Whether making decisions, clarifying viewpoints, or stabilizing/mobilizing sides of the body, body-half connectivity provides a foundation for functional answers. Gaining awareness of this connectivity in the body can make the small and large decisions in life a little easier to approach.
Best of luck in your future decisions!
