A recent article from Psychology Today speaks to everything I "know" and believe about movement. Entitled "Slow Movement with Awareness: Better Than Exercise?", I'll quote: "There is mounting evidence that slow movement, with body sense awareness, has astounding health benefits by itself and in combination with regular exercise routines." The article then describes studies involoving patients with chronic low back pain and the effects of 12 weeks of hatha yoga. Besides overall improvement in their quality of life, patients also reported decreased levels of pain, depression and disability. In addition to yoga, the article cites Body-Mind Centering, Nia and Tai Chi as practices that produce these outcomes.
I refer to these practices as "integrative-restorative" and include both Pilates and Laban-Bartenieff Movement in this category. I have seen amazing changes in students, clients and patients as I've applied integrative-restorative movement in my work over the past 20 years. As a Movement Analyst and teacher in a P.T. clinic years ago, I was stunned that such slow, small and subtle movements (Bartenieff Fundamentals and yoga) could have such a big impact on patients' lives. More recently I observe the contentment, ease and sense of inner support my Pilates and yoga students express. Developing body sense is the key to connecting psyche and soma. I believe this connection forms the basis of the union we cultivate through our practice of yoga.
The full article by Alan Fogel is from his PT Blog, Body Sense, www.psychologytoday.com
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