Working in Movement

To be conscious means paying attention, among other things. But pay attention to what? In performing or learning movement or motor skills, there are three general possibilities. You can focus on the internal sensations of your movements, an internal focus. Or you can focus externally on the results of your actions, an external focus. Or you can ignore the question of focus and not direct your attention to anything in particular. Movement educational practices like the Feldenkrais Method, generally direct clients to focus internally, sometimes almost exclusively. For many of us, this internal focus provides a novel learning environment that may produce dramatic changes.

There's an old saw in the world of systems: if you only have a hammer, you see every problem as a nail. It's tempting to recommend internal movement awareness for everybody for whatever brought them to the practice in the first place. But is it always the best option to follow? At least for some people with Parkinson's disease, a study at the University of Nevada at Las Vegas suggests that an external focus might be better. Better, that is, for the balance and stability of the Parkinson's person. Since falls can be a major complication of the condition, it's an important topic.

The study (in pdf format) tested the stability of its Parkinson's subjects using three possible focuses or attention as they stood on two squares of construction paper on a special platform: internally ("focus on keeping your feet parallel"), externally ("focus on keeping the squares of paper you're standing on parallel"), or no particular focus. The subjects could be in one of three conditions as they tried to maintain balance: eyes open, eyes closed, or under sway referenced conditions, a challenge to their stability.

It turned out there wasn't a great difference in the equilibrium of the subjects when their eyes were either open or closed. But under the challenging conditions of sway, subjects focusing externally (on keeping the squares of paper under their feet parallel) exhibited markedly greater equilibrium then either those with internal focus (keep your feet parallel) or those with no focus directions. In addition, there were no falls under the sway conditions from those with the external focus.

Now this does not suggest an external focus is better than an internal one. That probably depends on what you are doing. But it is interesting that someone is looking into these sorts of issues. Here are some other research projects at the school.