Imaginary Moves
I’m convinced that many people imagine their body moving, rather than actually feeling it move. I know I do. It’s like how many of us think we’re great singers in the shower — we imagine we’re performing at our best, but it’s all in our heads. In the same way, many of us imagine the way we’re moving. Another way of saying this is that many of us move in theory, not reality.
Consider this: a teacher gives you a stretch to do. Let’s say it’s reaching your arm up over your head. You can do it now. Just imagine you’re reaching your arm, stretching effortlessly.
But then, if you actually do the movement, it becomes a whole different sensory experience. Here’s another example: imagine making a fist, a very tight fist, and squeezing it really hard.
Now, actually do it. Isn’t it a completely different experience?
The reason I’m explaining this is because, over the years, I’ve noticed that when it comes to more challenging areas of the body, I can do them in my imagination, almost perfectly. I can imagine the movement, and it feels easy.
It’s fascinating to me — and somewhat exciting — just how different the human body is from that imagined experience. Although I love the ease of the imaginary, the challenge or feeling muscles tighten, yes tense, does not only feel good it can relieve so much of the chronic injury people live with. And yet we are told to avoid so many movements, until we train ourselves to age. The less you move, the less you will move.
Tension is a good thing! Through a bit of exploration and experimentation your body will help you know the difference between good and bad tension.
For example, many of us have trouble with certain movements: moving the ribs, lifting the back, finding the top of the leg and understanding how it rotates, or moving the shoulder joints and engaging the lats.
We might think we’re doing these movements when asked to make a big movement — maybe when hitting a tennis ball or trying to relieve stiffness in the lower back. We repeat the same movements over and over, but often we experience the same muscular tension we’re familiar with. It feels good because movement usually benefits us by bringing circulation to the muscles.
However, for some of us, movement doesn’t feel good, especially if we’ve been dealing with chronic pain. In this case, the thought of moving may feel limited or even daunting. A common solution is to “relax”. I see people in the classes all the time who believe that if they had no tension, they would have no pain. That can’t be further from the truth. It’s how and where we use our tension and your body can help you. That is the basis of the Miracle Ball Method. Feeling more parts of the body allows your nervous system to realign and introduce you to new parts of the body to use. This is not in your imagination.
The reality is, we have to move. Imagination is a wonderful tool, but the physical body becomes more powerful when you actually experience its movements. A little imagination can certainly help, though.
The next time you tighten your fist or reach your arm, try to notice how it connects with other areas of your body — your rib cage, neck, shoulder, legs, and hips.
But don’t just imagine this connection. When you tighten your fist, you’re experiencing the physical connection throughout your body.
Sometimes, our imagination can actually trap us if it’s only in our heads. If we rely only on someone else’s idea of how to move — which is very common — we may miss out on fully experiencing our own body. We may be moving in theory, not reality.
Your physicality is worth exploring. But to do so, add more detail to what you’re doing and get more specific.
When you reach your arm, notice how the arm itself carries a certain level of effort. That effort can vary from high tension to low tension, and this will create a variety of responses in muscles throughout the rest of your body.
This isn’t about imagination — it’s about how our nervous system works to protect us from straining or overworking the same areas repeatedly.
As creatures of habit, we tend to avoid moving certain areas of our body. We keep repeating movements that work specific parts of the body with intensity, while other parts don’t even make it into our awareness. The areas we don’t pay attention to may be the most influential in our overall well-being.
So, the next time you begin to move, try to invite all parts of your body into the movement. This may sound like it would be difficult — like you’d have to think about so many different parts of your body at once — but actually, it’s easier than you might think.
Your nervous system is designed to coordinate these movements naturally. It’s the miracle behind the electrical connections that link all parts of your body. One part, like an aching back, a stiff shoulder, or tight knees, can influence other areas. Understanding that your body has the ability to move fully can help release tension and improve mobility.
You can’t just imagine it — you have to actually feel it. And when you do, it’s a very different, but incredibly rewarding, experience to explore.