http://worldcat.org/entity/work/id/403660

Human Movement Potential: Its Ideokinetic Facilitation

This book focuses on the interdependence of postural alignment and the performance of movement. It provides an educational method (ideokinesis), which stresses the inherent capacity of the nervous system to determine the most efficient neuromuscular coordination for each movement. This method of teaching body balance and efficient movement has been developed during many years of research and teaching, and differs from the procedures generally employed by emphasizing the neural aspects of the neuro-musculo-skeletal phenomenon that is movement. Ideokinesis uses imagined movement, the idea of movement occurring within one's body in a specific place and direction, but not being voluntarily performed. The term "ideokinesis" was selected as the most precise descriptor of the philosophy of this teaching method. Kinesis is motion, here defined as physical movement induced by stimulation of muscles and characterized by qualitative and quantitative positional changes of the skeletal parts. Ideo, the idea, is defined as a concept developed through empirical mental processes. Imagined movement is defined as an ideokinetic facilitator. The knowledge necessary to utilize ideokinesis as a teaching philosophy for movement is presented here in five parts: (1) the mechanical and anatomical components of human movement; (2) the neuromuscular production of movement; (3) patterns of skeletal alignment; (4) facilitators for the improvement of posture and movement; and (5) techniques to reduce strain and improve neuromuscular coordination. Movement activities are fully described including the position of the body, the purpose of the movement, the procedure for performance, suggested imagery, comments, and pertinent anatomical facts entering into the design of the movement. (Mm).

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