Running Head: Investigation #1

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Investigation #1: What is Pluralism?: Embodying My Moving Self Susan Thomas UNC Charlotte

Running Head: Investigation #1 Concepts of Body-Mind Integration

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1. The information in this article was very relevant to the understanding of dance/movement and pluralism in my life. The article opened by describing our bodies as vessels for change. It also discusses the importance of remaining connected to occur bodies and that disassociation that can occur very commonly in our lives. In my own experience, I lead a very busy life as a college student. I am involved in several student organizations, also holding executive positions in those groups, I tackle a course-load of fifteen credit hours and I also work as an intern, nurse assistant and wait staff at an amphitheater. This article made me aware of the concept and the often used phrase, My mind was a thousand miles away. (Aposhyan, 1999) It helps me to begin to recognize the disconnect, the movements and gestures associated with this feeling and how that interrupts my connections with those around me. It reminds me that it is important to be involved but to what extent? I may just exist and not truly live. I may not completely take in the here and now because I am always thinking of other things on my to-do-list. In discussing being aware of my connection between mind and body, there is also another idea that arises that was discussed in the article and that has to do with the human ability to be aware and make conscious decisions; an element that makes us so unique as human beings. Often I have the dilemma of choosing between inhibition and choice. (Aposhyan, 1999) My motto has always been that a strong mind breeds a strong body. The mind has the power to engage all of the bodys vital organs, send messages to the body through the nervous system and stores information for us to recall. This article helps me to look at the mind and body as a dualistic pleasure rather than separate entities; one as superior and the other a subordinate.

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2. Why is the mind so commonly thought of as the all controlling force of our lives? Are there some biological/ innate factors that take place and can those factors be controlled or manipulated? How do we become more aware of our physical connection within our own bodies? 3. In the beginning of each movement portion of class, we take the time to center our bodies and really become aware of the room around us. We explore our bodies and various movements that occur on a daily basis. When prompted to get into the circle we have the opportunity to close our eyes and really center into the principle of inclusivity that Aposhyan discusses. When we do the exercises that allowed us to tap our bodies and awaken our nervous system, we are asking the parts that are invisible to our conscious to come forward. (Aposhyan, 1999) Also with the concept of sequencing that was discussed in this article, we learn in class how to communicate within our bodies as well as with the environment. We know the importance of developing this sequence and trusting this sequence because we have the opportunity to journal about our experiences, build on those journals with movements and interactions with our classmates, we facilitate open discussion and we also close class with how we are feeling each day, truly taking advantage of the here and now and really assessing where we are at. (Aposhyan. 1999) Natural Movement 1. This portion of the article really helped me to understand that movement goes beyond the common thought of muscles and bones but also makes us aware that biologically our make up forces us to be in motion constantly. Our cells are very much alive even if the work on the molecular level isnt visible to the naked eye. We are in constant motion. We

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have innate behaviors that guide us to move. When we allow a continuous sequencing of sensations, perceptions, and responses to circulate through our bodies, we feel alive. (Aposhyan, 1999) Sensation in this regard is movement and not the traditional concepts we idealize when we hear the word movement. Our bodies have a natural tendency to react to situations and although mostly it occurs within our bodies, we are still moving beings. When you take the time to really sit and be aware of your movements you learn so much more about yourself. For example, I am participating in a fraternity- sponsored pageant on campus and we have to do a certain style of walk across the stage. Initially, I wasnt aware of my bodys positioning and so I appeared awkward rather than the confidence I should have evoked. I decided to slow up my walk and really become aware of my body movements. When I felt my wrists begin to bend I would relax them and if I felt off balance I would center myself. This process of trying to become aware of natural tendencies really helped me to improve upon my movement and show progress with my pageant walk. 2. What drives us to lose our awareness of our natural movement and the tendencies that are innate? How can trying out different roles (stepping outside of your comfort zone in regards to movement) help you learn more about yourself? 3. Getting to know all of the body is quite a task. Parts of the body that have been ignored for a long time might need repeated attention before they respond. (Aposhyan, 1999) This concept became crystal clear when we were playing with different types and levels of movement; from vertical to horizontal to sagittal and even exploring what we considered to be neutral. I was able to tap into areas of my body that I do not attend to

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often especially when prompted to move horizontally. It was not natural to take up so much space but it really allowed me to think about my flexibility and willingness to extend myself. It helped me to learn dominance and to really take advantage of the space if I am allowed. In discussing pluralism, we learned that there are so many diverse principles that come into play when discussing interaction between people; even down to the simplest form of movement. Although we were moving in our own individual patterns and with our own individual interpretations, we were able to clearly utilize the entire space and everyone had room for expression. Creative Expression in Physical Movement is Language without Words 1. I found it very powerful in this article when Whitehouse described our physical movement from when we were children compared to the movements we may commit to as we grow older. We are no longer aware of that natural tendency to just go for it or to follow or intuition but rather we are inhibited. Such as when the example was given about looking at a plane in the sky or observing a bug on the ground. When we were younger we may reach our entire bodies to the sky when the plane flies over but now, if we even acknowledge the plane is flying by, we will just raise our head slightly and follow the plane until it leaves our sight, never thinking about where that plane is headed or what happens even when the plane leaves our line of vision. When observing a bug on the ground, our natural tendency when we were younger was to bend down to observe the bug but now we just glance down at the bug, never engaging our entire bodies. We no longer allow for spontaneous creative expression. We encourage kids to learn to talk but always quiet them or even when they learn to walk, we always ask them to sit down. We dont accept that we have creativity. We

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have become too afraid to celebrate our differences and accept the pluralistic society that we live in. 2. What causes us to lose sensitivity to gestures and movements as we grow older? How do we tap into the special awareness it takes to see and hear the actions of a little child? 3. In class having the opportunity to close our eyes and open them when we are ready, slowly letting the light in, allows us to be more aware of our natural movement and become connected with our bodies. It allows us to connect to our bodies totally and not just focus on our necks, our arms or even legs but also aware of our fingertips, toes, knees and even our core. We learn that this is how we communicate nonverbally and this exercise can make us more aware of how we communicate with body language. In class, we have the opportunity to become more aware of our spontaneity and how in actuality, it may not be spontaneous but rather a apart of our underlying being. We are always moving and this helps us to not be afraid of our creative and natural movement. References Aposhyan, Susan. Concepts of Body-Mind Integration. In Natural Intelligence: Body-Mind Integration and Human Development.Baltimore: Williams & Wilkins, 1999.(Chapter 1, pp. 1-18) Aposhyan, Susan. Natural Movement. In Natural Intelligence: Body-Mind Integration and Human Development. Baltimore: Williams & Wilkins, 1999.(Chapter 2, pp. 19-35) Whitehouse, Mary Starks. Creative Expression in Physical Movement is Language without Words. In Authentic Movement: Essays by Mary Starks Whitehouse, Janet Adler and Joan Chodorow. edited by Patricia Pallaro. Philadelphia: Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2000. orig. written, c.1956. (Chapter 3, pp. 33-40)