Wellness: You’ve heard about AI, but how about BI?

This month, I found myself at a two-day Continuum workshop exploring movement in a whole new way. As a JourneyDance facilitator, yoga enthusiast, and avid walker I’m very familiar with moving my body, but I didn’t realize how boxed in and familiar my range of movement had become. Continuum is a movement modality that utilizes the vibrations of your breath and sound to explore and awaken your non-patterned biological intelligence.

Most of us have heard about artificial intelligence (AI) but how many of us have heard about BI or biological intelligence? Biological intelligence is what teaches your body what it needs to do. All the processes we don’t give much thought to are governedby BI such as digesting your food, fighting infection, coordinating all your lung cells to breath. The Continuum experience felt a little weird but ultimately it was a freeing experience to surrender known muscle-led movement to the primordial intelligence of my internal knowing/being. I was struck by how Continuum opened space in my body, and enhanced connection to my inherent body wisdom something I have ignored for long periods in my life.

Many of us know that moving our body is important for wellness, yet the majority of our movement tends to be repetitive and patterned. When we engage in creative movement, doing something we’ve never done before, we fire new neural pathways in the brain. The activation of new neural networks is paramount for brain health, especially as we age. Cross body movement, such as touching your left shoulder with your right hand, or lifting and touching your right knee with your left elbow, is an excellent way to engage both sides of your body/brain and keep your grey matter healthy.

In a world dominated by screens we’ve become disconnected from our bodies. When this happens the body’s sensations and signals tend to be ignored which can lead to disease in the body. Embodiment is the practice of recognizing the body not just as a container for the mind, but as a living, evolving, intelligent ally through which we explore the world. Embodiment practices like yoga and dance help us reconnect to our bodies because we place our focus on the body, how it changes while moving, and how that change impacts us within and without. It’s an intimate dance of interdependence that deepens our connection with self and improves wellbeing.

One of my favourite ways to get embodied is to walk outside barefoot. It deliberately focuses my attention on the sensations in my feet which in turn impacts my whole body. Glancing up at the morning sun and taking deep breaths really helps me anchor into my body. Having a full body inner conversation is a great way to start your day. Give it a try and let me know how it goes.