The sensation of movement.

This week I have been thinking about the sensation of movement.

Any physio will tell you that the key to controlling our body's movement is dependent on being aware of the feeling of where our bodies are and what they are doing. The interaction of our senses and our movement response to them is very complicated and amazing. The really interesting thing is that we completely take our senses for granted, that is until something goes wrong. 

In the pool last week I was talking to the teaching staff about sensation and how out of control we can feel when suspended in water with no solid surface to touch or hold on to. All our usual reference points have gone. Gravity is significantly reduced so the weight through all our joints is far less. Buoyancy is a new force which is adding another layer to our sensory experience. So if the way you sense the world is different, as it is for children with autism, then what does being in water feel like? Some of the children, who have complete control over their bodies on land, cling on to the side or their helpers as if their life depended on it. I'm not surprised it must feel very frightening for some. In an unexpected turn of events we found that a pair of glasses seemed to make a big difference to one little child!

I wonder if elite athletes, dancers and acrobats have particularly sophisticated sense of movement allowing them to control their movements and train and hone their bodies more than the rest of us? How do you do synchronized swimming?!

This week is half term so a bit of paperwork. Friday I'm off to Portsmouth to assist a colleague and then I'm attending a course I first took in 1996 - time to renew!

To do

• complete CV
• enjoy half term!

Thank you x.