Baniel Method Training: Movement, Brain, & Health

	Anat Baniel (left), student of the renowned movement educator Moishe Feldenkrais and founder of the Baniel MethodSM, offers professional certification training.

By Anat Baniel

Health or illness, aging or staying vital and young, are intimately related to movement. In my 30 years of practice I have observed that movement is essential to our physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual well being.

Most everyone knows that it is important to exercise on a daily basis. What many do not realize is that for exercise and movement to give us the health benefits we are looking for, routine exercising by itself is not enough. Doing the same movements over and over again can be counterproductive. We need to introduce new movement skills throughout life and perhaps most important of all is to find ways to improve the QUALITY with which we move.

When we think of movement and of our body we often go only as far as our muscles. We miss the "hidden factor"- our brain. Without our brain there is no movement. Without our brain forming new neural pathways and patterns, we are not only doomed to repeat ourselves like automatons, but we deteriorate and experience unnecessary limitation and pain.

Luckily this trend can be instantaneously reversed at any time. The moment we provide our brain with new and useful information, transformation begins to happen and movement is the most immediate and potent way to do just that. When we move in ways that get the brain's attention, limitation is transformed into new possibilities, we become stronger and more flexible in mind and body, and we get infused with energy and a sense of well being - we become healthier.

How can we provide our brain with the new and useful information that it needs in order for us to thrive? Here are some very simple, yet incredibly potent steps:

Choose a movement or exercise that you normally do and introduce small variations to the way you do it. For example take Yoga pose, turn your head and look with your eyes in many different directions. Round then arch your back. If you are a golfer, change the way you hold the golf club, turn your head in the opposite direction than usual. If you are a walker, find different ways to engage your arms, head, eyes, breathing, and feet for brief periods of time. See if introducing variations improves your outcome.

Often times we use too much force trying to perform a movement and as a result we increase limitation, often get injured and our brains shut down to discovering new and better solutions. Next time you exercise, greatly reduce the force with which you move. While it might feel "weird" and "wrong," soon you will discover that you have improved.

Give yourself and your brain a chance to feel what you are doing. Combined with reduced effort and variations, you will be amazed how intelligent and creative you are and how quickly you transform.

It is never just an arm or a leg, the mind or the body. From time to time pay attention to the different parts of your body. Also pay attention to what you think and make sure to be friendly and reassuring to yourself.