Surprise

[johnvanpt]

I had a patient today who I have treated many times previously, but who, for the first time described her new movement as "surprising". She is probably more in touch with her movement than average,but I can't recall anyone describing their movement as surprising to themselves. She wasn't ready to go there again, but I can't help but feel that we have found something powerful.

[nari]

John,

One patient said to me: That's astounding. She was more than surprised.


Nari

[johnvanpt]

I am an amature bicycle racer. We are nuts for data...cadence, heart rate, time, power to name just a few. On the frozen tundra of Wisconsin this time of year, we endure the monotony of stationary bikes if we want to be ready to race in April. I find it interesting that any novel variation in the program actually translates into increased power output. I can feel as though I am completely spent, but changing resistance helps spike output again. This leads me to believe that the brain craves that "novel" movement the the same way a new outdoor route spurs motivation.
Maybe I should be increasing the novelty and variability of my treatment?

[lloyd]

and encouraging the patients to increase the novelty and variability of their movement /function and thinking
I try to keep aware of that for myself. I think noticing the newness is also important.
regards
lloyd

[Barrett Dorko]

John,

As a recent student in one of my workshops I presume that this surprising movement was the result of "new" handling (Simple Contact) on your part and "new" activity on her part (isotonic ideomotion).

Remember that one of the characteristics of correction is surprise, and that Freud commented that when our own words surprise us they are especially valuable, even if disturbing in some way. These words come from the unconscious just as ideomotion does.

You're absolutely right that a variance in effort, timing, range, goal orientation and attention to the detail of movement can be wonderfully helpful to any task. To me, this is what Feldenkrais is primarily about.

Thanks for contributing here. By now I think you can appreciate how rare that is.

[nari]

Another way of looking at novel movement is for the patient to have a gentle play with, for example, the median, radial and ulnar nerves; there are endless combinations of movements there which are not particularly specific to those nerves but include them.
Some are choreographed, such as in many forms of expressive dancing (Spanish flamenco comes to mind), but a lot of people enjoy spontaneous movements to music.
Tai Chi, although choreographed, also introduces novel movements for the brain/nervous system. Some people will make up their own slow movements, however.

The problem with most "PT" exercises is that they are mesodermally based and not particularly novel in that they follow rules and regulations. And they are boring beyond belief.....so many patients don't bother much with them.

Nari