We Move in Three Dimensions! Part One: The Horizontal Dimension

As we develop from a baby to an adult, we learn to move in three different dimensions: the horizontal dimension (side to side), the vertical dimension (up and down) and the sagittal dimension (forward and back).  Interestingly enough, our ability to move in each of these dimensions develops as we grow from a baby to a toddler and has associations with different tasks of each developmental phase.  Even MORE interesting (to me anyway), is that over time as we grow up, we develop patterns and affinities for types of movement in each of these dimensions that reflect how we feel about ourselves, relationships and our environment.  Over the next three blog posts, we are going to take a closer look at each one of these dimensions and each one´s implications for how they inform and impact how we move through the world.

We start with the horizontal dimension.  What exactly is the horizontal dimension?  Moving in the horizontal means moving from side to side.  Think of stretching when you first get out of bed, or shivering when you face the winter cold first thing in the morning, or sneaking along the wall when trying to scare a friend, or trying to make yourself really small to fit behind a tree when hiding from a friend after they are freaking out because you just scared them.  These side to side types of actions utilize the horizontal dimension.  

The horizontal dimension sets the stage for tasks of the first year of life: attention, exploration and communication.  That´s right!  The horizontal is the first dimension that you learned to navigate as a baby because it was essential to your survival.  The base movements of the horizontal dimension are known as ¨widening¨ and ¨narrowing¨.  Envision yourself as a baby that has not yet learned to walk.  The only way you could survive is by reaching for things that seem interesting or useful (widening) and shifting away from things that seem dangerous or unpleasant (narrowing).

Horizontal Dimension: Widening

The first base movement we will explore is widening movement.  When inhaling, the ribcage widens, providing breath support to the torso and limbs for expansion.  From a developmental perspective, widening is associated with a young infant´s ability to take in nourishment.  A nurtured infant will widen in a smile at the sight of his/her caregiver, and will open his/her arms and body to take in the good feelings (whether it be physical or emotional nourishment) of the environment.  This openness demonstrates a trust that the infant feels safe to be seen and exposed in a full way.  With this very functional aspect of movement as a foundation, widening also underlies more advanced concepts as we continue to develop into adults.  As alluded to above, widening movement expresses that you trust the surrounding environment.  You feel comforted by being seen and receiving from the environment around you.  Because of this, if you are a person who widens, you likely enjoy being in the center of attention or the ¨spotlight.¨  For you, it is actually a comfort to take in all of the good things from the environment.  Widening is also associated with giving to the environment, which leads to patterns of generosity.  When you see someone in need, you extend a hand to help them up.  Offering a hug to someone is a good example of how widening offers the comfort of both receiving and giving.  Opening arms wide demonstrates that you trust the person will not harm you, and you receive the joy of both taking in the other person as well as offering comfort to the person whom you are hugging.

This may sound really great, but an overabundance of utilizing widening as a movement pattern can lead to some not so great things.  For example, a pattern of widening without utilizing narrowing to balance it out can lead to a need for constant external approval and validation from the external environment with little ability to self soothe or self validate.  In other words, your sense of self may be almost completely reliant on the feedback you are receiving from the environment.  Also, because this widening movement pattern tends to communicate positive feelings, you may find yourself unable to receive support when struggling due to a lack of ability to communicate distress.  Putting it another way, you may be the person always making a joke or throwing a party, but you may not know how to let someone know that your feelings are hurt.  Overabundance of utilizing a widening movement pattern can also lead to others taking advantage of your giving nature.  Lastly, it can lead to an over idealistic, naive worldview that can lead to a genuine lack of discernment regarding potentially dangerous situations.

Mindfulness Exercise:  Widening

Explore widening with different parts of your body.

• Smile broadly and feel the widening in your face.
• Breath deeply into your torso and notice the expansion of your ribs away from the spine.
• Breath deeply again and allow this breath inhalation to support raising your arms out to the side.
• Turn out your hips and feel what it is like to take a wide stance with your legs (sitting and/or standing).

As you are exploring this type of movement, ask yourself the following types of questions:

• What feels natural?
• What is comfortable, uncomfortable and neutral?
• What emotions arise?
• What thoughts arise?
• What physiological states arise (anxiety, fear, etc.)?

Horizontal Dimension: Narrowing 

As mentioned above, the other base movement in the horizontal dimension is known as ¨narrowing¨.  When exhaling, the ribcage narrows, bringing the sides of the body closer to the center.  When an infant utilizes narrowing movement, he/she may purse his/her lips or bring his/her limbs and shoulders in close to the body.  This is an infant's attempt to separate from the environment because it is overwhelming, dangerous or unpleasant in some way.  It is also a manner in which an infant expresses discomfort.  This functional movement pattern is the foundation for other more complex concepts as we continue to develop into adults.  This pattern of movement helps us communicate that we need help, aid and support.  If you utilize narrowing movement, you are likely slow to trust others and the environment.  Because you do not naturally reach out, you may be mislabeled as cold or emotionally distant when really you are just uncertain about the surrounding environment and uncertain about the motives of the people in that environment.

An overabundance of utilizing narrowing as a movement pattern can also lead to problems.  If you narrow all the time, you move through the world with not only a mistrust, but also an inability to take in the good things the environment has to offer you.  With enough time spent being deprived of nurturing things from the environment, you will form belief systems of being undeserving of positivity, support and nourishment from the environment, which has devastating impacts on overall well being.  Also, if you move through the world narrowing away from others and the environment, people may assume that you do not want help or nourishment and give up on trying to connect.  As humans, we require connectedness (literally, our brains are wired to grow by learning through outside sources) to thrive, so constant narrowing is essentially cutting off an essential resource.
 
Mindfulness Exercise: Narrowing

Repeat the exercise above, but explore narrowing movements rather than widening movements.

Finding Balance

When you have a balanced ability to shift from widening movements to narrowing movements depending on the circumstances happening in the environment, it suggests that you have a relatively balanced ability to communicate your needs, give and receive support, self soothe and discern times when you feel trusting versus times when you do not trust what is happening in the environment.  By becoming more comfortable with these movements in the horizontal (if you are not already comfortable with them), you will likely find that it has a positive impact on your ability to navigate the environment and relationships.

Mindfulness Exercise: Exploration

Bring awareness to how you utilize or avoid utilizing movement in the horizontal dimension throughout your day.  For example, maybe you work on a computer most of your day, sitting and typing.  Do you ever take a moment to lift your head and scan the room with your eyes, or reach over to the person next to you to ask them to lunch?  Is there that one co-worker that you instinctively narrow away from when they approach you with a question?  Once you have brought awareness to how you are or are not utilizing horizontal space, explore making different choices.  What would it be like to sit in your college class with a widened, solid posture rather than trying to take up as little room as possible?  How do people respond differently to you when you make different choices?  Explore!  Play!  Notice!