The edge of sensation

The sensitivity of the human sensory system is remarkable. And we can train that sensitivity through paying attention to ourself - which is a key principle of the Feldenkrais Method. Increasing the sensitivity of our proprioceptive sense - the sense of how the different parts of us are moving in relation to each other - is an excellent way to regulate our nervous system and be resilient to stress.

Let's choose a simple movement - for example, sit comfortably on the front part of your chair, rest your hand (left or right, whichever you like) in your lap with the palm facing down, then gently let your forearm roll over the top surface of your thigh so that your hand turns and the palm faces more towards the ceiling. Then let it come back. Repeat the movement several times and feel the size of movement you can comfortably do. Then, as you continue to explore this movement, gradually reduce its magnitude, rolling your forearm and turning your hand less and less with each new movement until it's just a small fraction of what you started with. Feel how your forearm is still rolling - your elbow stays in place but your wrist is still changing attitude a bit. Then continue to reduce the movement until it's so small it's invisible. Anyone looking at you would not be able to tell you are moving your forearm and hand, but you know - you sense - from the inside - that movement is happening.

This is movement at the threshold of sensation. At what point does the movement get so small it isn't actually a movement at all? Perhaps physical movement isn't required, just the intention, the thought of movement is enough to give sensory feedback. By making movements this small, we awaken our system to delicate sensing. Because no muscular effort is involved, our entire nervous system can be absorbed with sensing ourself. We gain clarity in our perception of our self. As we repeat the tiny movement, our sensation grows from a local perception of movement - in our example, the idea of rolling our forearm - to a broader perception of ourself - how are shoulder, back, ribs, hips involved in letting the forearm roll?

For everyone I know, this kind of micro-movement produces a pleasurable sensation. And it helps our attention stay inside ourself no matter what is going on around us. That makes it a powerful tool for managing stress in real-time, as it is happening. Embodied Stress Management is a 'first aid kit' for stressful situations designed around micro-movements, useful for anyone who needs to manage stressful situations.

What do you do to manage stress? Please leave a comment.