Hello Movement Friends! The video in this post is a lesson I filmed wayyyy back during COVID times for my online community, Movement Detective School (which no longer exists, but all the videos still live in an archive!). As a follow up to my latest interview with Helen Hall, last week I thought it would be nice for you to experience a tidbit of what we discussed.
In this movement exploration video, I take you through a bit of theory and exercises to experience the developmental movement patterns associated with a few select spine movement reflexes- The early movements that would develop your spinal mobility and body functions related to the spine’s movement capability.
What functions might those be? Healthy development of spinal movement is associated with:
Digestive function
Vestibular system function
Visual field
Core musculature development
Circulation of cerebral spinal fluid
Scoliosis
Autonomic nervous system adaptability (switching from sympathetic to parasympathetic back and forth as needed)
And more!
This exploration focuses primarily on movements in the sagittal plane, i.e. forward and backwards movements: Flexion and extension of the spine. I filmed a part 2 which focuses on rotation and lateral flexion of the spine as well. Perhaps I shall share that one too if enough of you reading this ask nicely ;)
What might have interfered with little you’s spine movement development? A lot of things, including:
Bonks on the head and concussion
Birth challenges such as C-sections, suction or forceps deliveries, cord around the neck, etc
Any sensory motor deprivation, such as being confined in the NICU, or an early injury requiring immobilization
Premature birth
Lack of crawling
Illness and use of antibiotics in infancy
And more!
In essence, anything that might have disrupted your malleable, adaptive, little body/mind/brain system to a point beyond which return back to homeostasis was challenged and this required a new coping strategy that changed your movement potential.
These spinal movements I guide in the lesson are a response that we, as infants, would have made to our environment for survival and physical development of the brain and body. The environmental stimuli that cue us to move in a particular pattern involve all our senses- Touch, hearing, visual stimuli, and proprioception (change of position).
In spite of possible disruption to these early movement patterns, we can re-train them at any age to the point that they become a part of our system again, and create the foundation for all upright movement we do as adults, like walking, running, and higher level sports and activities.
I hope you enjoy this lesson! If you are interested in learning more, please get in touch! It is such a fascinating world, and this work has helped me a lot.
If you have a history of spine mobility trouble, pain, or other issues you suspect could be linked to spine mobility and early movement development of the spine, I think you’ll really get a lot out of this movement lesson :)
To learn more about the source of these movement patterns, see the MNRI website (where I’ve studied this work): Svetlana Masgutova Educational Institute
