Do you want to feel more grounded and alert?
This movement sequence, called the Dimensional Scale is often used in dance/movement therapy. It will help you ground your body, focus your mind, and encourage healthy brain/body connectivity.
From the moment I learned the Dimensional Scale in graduate school I felt spaciousness and grounding. It is a fairly simple but impactful sequence of movements. It remains a tool I use to this day. My clients immediately feel the benefits when they learn and practice it.
What is the Dimensional Scale?
Also known as the Defense Scale, this sequence was created by a man named Rudolph Laban. Laban studied movement in the 20th century, and is considered a father of modern dance. His work was built upon by students and others interested in how we understand and notate movement. Find out more here.
Why use this movement tool for mental health?
As mammals we move in three directions: up and down (vertical), side to side (horizontal), and forward and back (saggital). We tend to be more comfortable in one direction or another, so moving through all three exposes our brains and bodies to a direction we may not be fully resourcing. In each direction, you can also move with an effort quality. Again we have affinities to effort qualities and it expands our body, mind and soul to embody a range of options. For example, anxiety can show up as quick, short movements close to the body. Using this sequence to move both close to the body and also widening the body can redirect, or remind the body that there are other ways of moving, and looking at the situation your experiencing anxiety about. Using this sequence can feel like pushing a refresh button in your body and brain.
Try it yourself!
Check out this video of me demonstrating the Dimensional Scale so you can follow along. I tend to move my body pretty freely in each direction, which differs from more pure examples of this sequence you can find on the internet. Letting the body be more free can encourage exploration of the effort qualities, which I find helpful for my clients when we do this in therapy. The directions and qualities are: Rising with Lightness, Sinking with Strength, Crossing with Directness, Widening with Indirectness, Retreating Quickly, Advancing Slowly.
Want to know more about how this and other somatic-based tools can help you in your mental health journey? Drop me an email or fill out my contact form so we can connect! I am currently accepting new clients who live across Massachusetts, including Boston and the surrounding area such as Allston, Belmont, Brookline, Chestnut Hill, Concord, Jamaica Plain, Lexington, Medford, Melrose, Milton, Newton, Needham, Norwood, Milton, Somerville, Waltham,Watertown, Wellesley, West Roxbury, Westwood and more.