Tummy-Time?

by David Zemach-Bersin

The early part of our life has an enormous influence on who we become, what we feel we can or can't do, and our perceptions of the world. In other words, our early formation influences our adulthood. This influence begins with movement. The early stages of our development, which are primarily pre-verbal, shape crucial aspects such as posture, vision, and our sense of capability. 

Unlike other mammals, we are not born with all the skills that we will need as adults. Horses and other mammals are either born with or very quickly gain the skills that they need as adults for survival. For us, it takes ten to fourteen months just to be able to stand, whereas a horse can stand within minutes of being born. We require a long period of apprenticeship before we can lift ourselves up from the floor, and then, walking takes another few months to develop.

During our early development, we spend a good deal of time lying on our stomachs. The skills we learn during this time are so essential that without them, we wouldn't be able to stand upright. These include being able to orient our head in relation to the horizon and being able to use our eyes to apprehend our surroundings. Most importantly, what happens when we're lying on our stomach is the development of the muscles of our back and the coordination between our extensors and flexors. It is an extremely important time for each one of us.

Now, the learning that takes place while lying on our stomachs rarely unfolds ideally; it's interrupted and distorted by the social development that's occurring simultaneously. We're learning what is desirable or undesirable in relation to our caregivers, and this social development is integrated with our physical development. So, our ability to move is also being influenced in a significant way by our emotional and social development, and by dynamics like punishment and encouragement.

Many parents urge their children to walk early and consider them to be extra smart when they do. Yet, when children are encouraged to walk around nine, ten, or eleven months, there is a cost, because this is the same exact time period in which they are ideally lying on their stomach and maturing their back muscles. As a consequence, the muscles of an early walker's back are frequently not as organized and as strong as they would be if they had spent more time lying on their stomach. Even if you are not an expert in child development, it’s easy to see that there's a logical development from being on the stomach, looking up, creeping, then crawling, and each of those stages involves the maturation of the back muscles.

Why does this matter? It matters because if our period of development is, in any way, distorted, abbreviated, or linked to emotional trauma, it affects our upright future and everything we do when we are upright; our posture, our movement, and all of our activities, as well as our sense of capability. This is why I consider the lessons in my upcoming course, Upright Wisdom, to be amongst the most powerful lessons that I teach.

In working privately with clients for over fifty years, the most common ‘breakthrough lessons’ have involved lying on the stomach. In other words, we are all missing pieces of learning from that period in our development. And this is why almost everyone can benefit from doing lessons lying on their stomach!

I recognize that some of us have resistance to lying on our stomachs. We find it uncomfortable and haven't done it for many years, so it’s fallen out of our postural repertoire. But, the people who have resistance to lying on their stomach are often the ones who will benefit the most! If you are concerned about lying on your stomach, please be assured that we will provide you with the necessary information to ensure your comfort. Assistant teachers will be available to demonstrate alternative positions and show you how to use extra padding to ensure your comfort. In addition, you can do the lessons on your bed or while sitting in a chair.

These lessons can help you in many ways. Firstly, you will experience a new lightness in your ability to be upright. You will experience a new ease in your walking. The mobility of your arms will improve. The stress on your hip joints will be reduced significantly. It will improve your breathing because being more upright allows your breathing mechanisms to work more effectively. You'll also likely notice an improvement in your vision because the health of your vision is dependent on focusing at different lengths. Neck and lower back problems will likely be alleviated as well.

I hope you'll join us for this series. If you're curious, I encourage you to try the first lesson - for free- on Thursday, October 30.

Find out more & register for Class One at: feldenkraisaccess.com/upright-wisdom