Researchers Schmalzl et al. (2014) identified a broad but inclusive term to consider consciously directed movement: Movement-based Embodied Contemplative Practices (MECPs). This category of movements is rooted in the concepts of situated motility and deep examination. What does this mean? Well, it means a few things and we will explore each component in 3 separate posts so that I don’t put you to sleep. The first component of MECPs is that they are situated in the body. This may seem like a no-brainer, however, its a critical factor and it is important to mention because it means that only the individual performing the movement can truly understand the experience of moving in this way at any given moment. Therefore, it highlights the importance of the first-person, subjective experience. For example, if I (Niki) am experiencing something in my body, you (reader) can never know exactly what I am experiencing (and vice versa). I can be incredibly descriptive, use analogies and metaphors, and I can show you, but you still cannot exactly understand. This first defining feature of MECPs also helps us understand why the researchers framed them in terms of motility rather than mobility. The latter explains the range of motion of a joint while the former describes the natural and normal movement of an organism. Therefore, motility lends itself to accounting for the first-person experience of an individual organism which, in this case, are humans- you and I. My normal will certainly be different than your normal, and that baseline will affect our experiences even when the outside parameters look identical. So, the takeaway from this first part is that we understand our orientation in our bodies and the world around us as a salient factor in movement practices. Enjoy being you- in the way that only you can! See you for part deux (I don’t actually speak French).
References:
Schmalzl, L., Crane-Godreau, M.A., & Payne, P. (2014). Movement-based embodied contemplative practices: Definitions and paradigms. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 8, 1-6. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2014.00205
