The Five Facets of Movement

In the quest to understand the body, or more to the point, how to live in one’s body, it is helpful to distinguish five ways of “seeing” the body: the body as (1) location of here-and-now-experience; (2) holder of personal and socio-cultural history/identity; (3) part of earth’s evolutionary continuum; (4) part of the physical, space-time universe; and (5) connection to a greater Self, or Oneness.

These may be regarded as frameworks to guide inquiry into the more essential and elusive mystery of being. While no single facet is complete, and all are connected, somatic modalities tend to center on one, or fold them all in together. Recognizing physicality as able to reflect multiple dimensions at once may avoid unnecessary conflict or confusion, while liberating awareness and expression.