Feldenkrais Method

One the most fascinating elements of movement education is the incredible plasticity of the body schema in learning new movement sequences. We see it everyday in working with all sorts of clients. And it's not just the body itself that's represented. As I've written about elsewhere, the tools that we use are also included in this plasticity.

In In Pioneering Study, Monkey Think, Robot Do, [New York Times: Science] writer Sandra Blakeslee reports on a new study that seems to confirm all this. At Duke University, researchers have taught monkeys to control robotic arms. The fascinating thing is that the monkeys do it with their thoughts. In previous studies, the animals could control robotic devices by moving their own arms, but in this one they were able to do so with only mental activity.

Interesting, but it turns out that effective use of tools still depends on learning, and learning depends on recognizing the tool as part of the schema and then incorporating it. According to the article:

When the robot is first added, the monkey's performance degrades. It takes two days for the animal to learn the mechanical properties of the arm and to incorporate its delays into motor planning areas.

"By the end of training, I would say that these monkeys sensed they were reaching and grasping with their own arms instead of the robot arm," Dr. Nicolelis said. "Every time we use a tool to interact with our environment, such as a computer mouse, car or glasses, our brain assimilates properties of the tool into neuronal space. Tools are appendages which are incorporated into our body schema. As we develop new tools, we reshape our brains," he said.

This all reminded me of something that Moshe Feldenkrais said in one of his classic lessons:

... Those who can't (make the movement), it is enough for them to do it in thinking, but it is necessary to observe from outside, in the body, that the thinking is working and that the intention is good. That, by itself, will do everything. [Alexander Yanai lesson #68: Rolling the fists]

- Posted by Tom Landini - 11:57:35 AM -