Movement Medicine Practices

Chapter 6 Practices

Overview

These nine practices support the principles introduced in 17 Movement Medicine. They span the full spectrum of the Somatic Triad: three Movement practices (one for each dimension), two Stillness practices (body awareness and post-movement integration), two Breath practices (movement-coordinated breathing), and two Integrated practices combining all elements.

The Foundation: Before beginning any practice, assess your current state. Are you hyperaroused (anxious, agitated)? Hypoaroused (numb, collapsed)? Or regulated (calm, present)? Let this inform your practice selection. Movement that’s appropriate for regulation may overwhelm someone in hyperarousal; movement intended to activate may be too much for someone already activated.

Safety First: These practices involve physical movement. Honor your body’s current capacity. Modify as needed. If you have injuries, health conditions, or are pregnant, consult a healthcare provider. If you have trauma history, work with a trauma-informed practitioner, especially for the more activating practices.

Movement Practices

6.1 3D Grounding Strength Sequence

Purpose: Build relationship with physical reality, develop confidence in body’s capacity, anchor consciousness through strength.

Duration: 20-30 minutes

Difficulty: Beginner to Intermediate (modifications provided)

What You’ll Need:

Clear floor space (6x6 feet minimum)
Optional: yoga mat
Optional: light dumbbells (5-15 lbs) or household objects

Instructions

Phase 1: Activation and Intention (2 minutes)

Stand with feet hip-width apart. Feel the ground beneath you.

Take five deep breaths: inhale through nose for 4 counts, exhale through mouth for 6 counts.

Set an intention: “I am building capacity. I am meeting my body with respect. I am present to this practice.”

Phase 2: Foundation Movements (15-20 minutes)

Perform each movement for the prescribed repetitions, resting 30-60 seconds between exercises. Focus on form over speed.

1. Bodyweight Squats (3 sets of 10-15)

Stand with feet shoulder-width apart. Lower your hips as if sitting in a chair. Keep chest lifted, weight in heels. Lower until thighs are parallel to floor (or as low as comfortable). Drive through heels to stand.

Focus: Feel your connection to the ground throughout. Notice the strength in your legs.

Modification (easier): Hold onto chair back for balance; reduce depth. Modification (harder): Add weight; pause at bottom for 3 seconds.

Finding Your Edge (4% Stretch)

Flow research shows optimal growth occurs when challenge exceeds current skill by approximately 4%. For squats, this means choosing a depth or resistance where the last 2-3 reps feel genuinely challenging but achievable. If it’s easy throughout, increase difficulty. If you can’t maintain form, scale back. The edge is where growth happens.

2. Push-ups (3 sets of 5-15)

Start in plank position, hands slightly wider than shoulders. Lower chest toward floor, keeping body in a straight line. Push back up.

Focus: Feel the structure of your arms supporting you. Notice your capacity.

Modification (easier): Knees on floor; wall push-ups. Modification (harder): Feet elevated; slow 4-count lowering.

3. Glute Bridges (3 sets of 12-15)

Lie on back, knees bent, feet flat on floor. Drive through heels to lift hips toward ceiling. Squeeze glutes at top. Lower with control.

Focus: Feel the power in your posterior chain. Notice the hip opening.

Modification (easier): Reduce range of motion. Modification (harder): Single leg; add weight across hips.

4. Dead Bug (3 sets of 8-10 each side)

Lie on back, arms extended toward ceiling, knees bent 90 degrees. Slowly lower opposite arm and leg toward floor while keeping lower back pressed into ground. Return and switch sides.

Focus: Feel your core stabilizing. Notice the coordination required.

Modification (easier): Reduce range; move only legs or only arms. Modification (harder): Hold at extended position for 3 seconds.

5. Wall Sits (3 sets of 20-45 seconds)

Lean back against wall, slide down until thighs parallel to floor, knees at 90 degrees. Hold.

Focus: Feel the challenge. Notice you can sustain difficulty. This is building tolerance.

Modification (easier): Higher position (less than 90 degrees). Modification (harder): Single leg holds for 10 seconds each.

Calibrating Challenge

The 4% stretch principle applies to isometric holds too. Find the position where you can hold for the prescribed time with genuine effort but without form breakdown. If 45 seconds feels easy, try single-leg. If you’re shaking and collapsing at 15 seconds, go higher. The right challenge is the gateway to flow.

Phase 3: Completion and Grounding (3 minutes)

Stand and shake out your body for 30 seconds. Let everything jiggle.

Stand still. Feel your feet. Feel your legs. Feel your strength.

Place both hands on your belly. Take five slow breaths.

Notice: You have just completed something. Your body is capable. You are here.

Expected Outcomes

Increased sense of physical groundedness
Improved confidence in body’s capacity
Reduced anxiety through sympathetic discharge followed by parasympathetic recovery
Baseline strength improvements with consistent practice

Contraindications & Safety Notes

Stop if you feel sharp pain (as opposed to effort or burn)
Do not hold breath during movements
Those with joint issues should modify range of motion
If chronically fatigued or in burnout, this practice may be too depleting; start with Practice 6 instead

6.2 4D Flow and Release Sequence

Purpose: Develop interoception, release stored tension, process emotional material through conscious movement.

Duration: 25-35 minutes

Difficulty: Beginner to Intermediate

What You’ll Need:

Yoga mat or comfortable floor
Quiet space without interruption
Optional: soft music without lyrics

Instructions

Phase 1: Arriving (3 minutes)

Lie on your back. Close your eyes or soften your gaze.

Scan your body without trying to change anything. Where is there tension? Where is there ease? Where is there numbness?

Begin to deepen your breath. Feel your belly rise and fall.

Set an intention: “I am listening to my body. I am allowing what wants to move.”

The Emotional Edge

In 4D flow practices, the “4% stretch” isn’t physical intensity—it’s emotional presence. Work at the edge of what you can feel without dissociating. If emotions arise and you shut down, you’re too far. If you feel nothing, go slower and deeper. The edge is where you can feel and stay present.

Phase 2: Awakening the Spine (5 minutes)

Bring knees to chest. Rock gently side to side.

Place feet on floor, knees bent. Begin gentle pelvic tilts: on inhale, let lower back arch slightly off floor; on exhale, press lower back into floor.

Let the movement grow. Let your spine begin to wave, undulate, find what feels good.

No right or wrong. Follow sensation.

Phase 3: Flowing Movement (15-20 minutes)

Slowly come to all fours (hands and knees).

Begin cat-cow: On inhale, let belly drop, lift tailbone and heart, look slightly up. On exhale, round spine toward ceiling, tuck chin and tailbone.

Let this evolve. Your body may want to circle the hips, wave the spine, move in unexpected ways. Follow the impulse.

When ready, begin to rise. Move through any transition your body wants: child’s pose, downward dog, standing forward fold, or anything else.

Standing Flow:

Once standing, let your arms begin to move. Circle, wave, reach.

Let your whole body respond. Shift weight from foot to foot. Let hips move.

Close your eyes if comfortable. Move slower than you think you should. Feel more than you usually do.

Notice: What emotions arise? What memories? What sensations?

Don’t analyze. Just feel and move.

If an emotion becomes strong, you can:

Move with it (let it express through gesture)
Breathe with it (slow exhale)
Ground (feel feet on floor)
Pause and stay with the sensation

Phase 4: Floor Integration (5 minutes)

When movement naturally slows, return to the floor.

Lie on your back in a comfortable position.

Let breath return to natural rhythm.

Notice what has shifted. Where is there more ease? Where is there new sensation?

Simply witness without needing to understand.

Phase 5: Closing (2 minutes)

Place one hand on heart, one on belly.

Three slow breaths.

Thank your body for its wisdom.

Open your eyes when ready. Stay still for a moment before returning to activity.

Expected Outcomes

Increased body awareness and interoception
Emotional release (may experience tears, sighs, yawning)
Reduced chronic tension
Greater access to intuition and body wisdom

Contraindications & Safety Notes

Important

This practice can surface stored emotional material. This is healthy but can feel overwhelming.

If overwhelmed, ground: feet on floor, eyes open, focus on something in the room
Keep eyes slightly open if prone to dissociation
Do not force emotional release; allow what arises naturally
Stop if you feel disconnected from reality
Consider working with a somatic therapist if intense material consistently arises

6.3 5D Ecstatic Movement Journey

Purpose: Access non-ordinary states, dissolve ego boundaries, experience unity and transcendence through spontaneous movement.

Duration: 30-60 minutes

Difficulty: Intermediate to Advanced

What You’ll Need:

Private space where you won’t be interrupted or feel self-conscious
Good speakers or headphones for music
Playlist of music that moves you (see recommendations below)
Water nearby

Music Recommendations

Build a playlist that moves through phases:

Warm-up (5-10 min): Slow, rhythmic, grounding
Building (10-15 min): Increasing tempo, energy rising
Peak (10-15 min): Full intensity, ecstatic, driving rhythm
Integration (10-15 min): Slowing, emotional, beautiful
Stillness (5 min): Ambient, spacious, or silence

Genres that work well: World music with strong rhythm, electronic music with building energy, devotional music, drum-heavy tracks, film scores.

Instructions

Phase 1: Grounding and Protection (5 minutes)

Stand in your space. Feel your feet. Feel the container of the room around you.

Close your eyes. Take ten deep breaths.

Set an intention: “I am safe. My body knows what it needs. I give permission for authentic expression. Whatever arises is welcome.”

If it resonates, invoke protection: visualize yourself surrounded by light, call on guides or higher self, create a felt sense of being held.

Transcendence Edge

For 5D ecstatic practices, challenge-skills balance means finding the intensity where you can surrender while staying embodied. Too much activation too fast leads to dissociation, not transcendence. Build gradually—start with music that activates without overwhelming. The flow state emerges when you meet your edge with trust, not when you override your limits.

Phase 2: Warming the Body (5-10 minutes)

Start with slow music.

Begin to move your feet. Just shifting weight. Then let that expand.

Do not try to dance “well.” Do not perform for anyone, even yourself.

Eyes can be closed or soft. Turn attention inward.

Move from sensation, not from idea of what movement should look like.

Phase 3: Building and Surrender (15-25 minutes)

As music builds, let your body respond.

Shake if it wants to shake. Stomp if it wants to stomp. Sound if sound wants to come.

At some point, you may notice a shift: you’re no longer “doing” the movement. Something is moving you.

Surrender to it. Let the music move your body. Let impulse override inhibition.

Permission statements you might repeat internally:

“I am allowed to move like this.”
“This is medicine.”
“I am being danced.”
“I am free.”

Phase 4: Peak and Expression (10-15 minutes)

At peak intensity, full permission.

Whatever your body wants: wild, primal, ecstatic, trembling, spinning, stillness, tears, laughter.

If emotions arise, let them express through movement. This is completion. This is release.

You may lose track of time. You may feel unity with the music, the room, everything.

Stay with it as long as the music supports.

Phase 5: Integration and Descent (10-15 minutes)

As music slows, let your movement slow.

Return gradually to gentleness. Honor the transition.

Eventually, find your way to the floor. Lie down.

Let breath return to natural rhythm.

Stay here for several minutes. Do not rush back to ordinary consciousness.

Notice what you feel. What shifted. What was released. What remains.

Phase 6: Closing (3-5 minutes)

When ready, gently move fingers and toes.

Roll to one side. Rest.

Slowly come to seated.

Place hand on heart.

Acknowledge what happened: “Thank you. I honor this.”

Drink water. Stay grounded before returning to daily activity.

Expected Outcomes

Access to flow states and non-ordinary consciousness
Spontaneous emotional release and completion of stored patterns
Joy without external cause
Felt sense of something larger than self
Integration of shadow material through expression

Contraindications & Safety Notes

Important

This practice can be powerful and destabilizing. Approach with respect.

Not recommended during acute mental health crisis
If you have trauma history, establish safety practices first (Practice 1 or 6)
If prone to dissociation, keep eyes slightly open, stay connected to feet
Do not use substances with this practice
Some integration time (30+ minutes) needed before driving or demanding activities
If you feel “too high” afterward, ground: cold water on wrists, stomp feet, eat something

Stillness Practices

6.4 Body Awareness Meditation

Purpose: Develop interoception and proprioception, build capacity to feel subtle body signals, create foundation for all movement practices.

Duration: 15-25 minutes

Difficulty: Beginner

What You’ll Need:

Quiet space
Comfortable lying or seated position
Optional: blanket for warmth

Instructions

Setup:

Lie on your back or sit comfortably with spine supported. If lying, feet can be flat on floor (knees bent) or legs extended.

Close your eyes. Take three settling breaths.

The Body Scan:

This is a slow, systematic journey through your body. Spend approximately 1-2 minutes on each region. There is no right sensation to find; you are simply noticing what is present.

1. Feet and Lower Legs (2 minutes)

Bring attention to your feet. Without moving them, notice: What sensations are present? Temperature? Tingling? Numbness? Weight? Contact with floor or mat?

Move attention to ankles, shins, calves. Same inquiry: what is present without needing to change anything?

2. Upper Legs and Pelvis (2 minutes)

Thighs, hamstrings, inner thighs. Notice density, temperature, any holding.

Move to pelvis, hips, buttocks. Often areas of significant holding. Simply notice.

3. Lower Back and Abdomen (3 minutes)

Lower spine. Any curve, tension, fatigue.

Belly. Soft or tight? Breath moving here?

Organs (if you can sense them): digestive system, any sensation from within.

4. Upper Back and Chest (3 minutes)

Mid and upper spine. Shoulder blades.

Rib cage. Breath expanding here?

Heart area. One of the most significant regions. Is there warmth? Tightness? Openness? Armoring? Simply notice.

5. Shoulders, Arms, Hands (2 minutes)

Shoulders (often high tension). Notice without trying to release.

Arms: upper arms, elbows, forearms, wrists.

Hands: palms, fingers, fingertips. Some people feel tingling or energy here.

6. Neck and Throat (2 minutes)

Back of neck, sides of neck.

Throat. What’s present? Any sensation of constriction? Openness?

7. Face and Head (2 minutes)

Jaw (often extremely tense). Just notice.

Mouth, lips, tongue.

Cheeks, nose, eyes, forehead.

Scalp.

The space above the head (some traditions work with energy here).

8. Whole Body (3 minutes)

Now, let awareness expand to include the whole body at once.

Notice the whole shape of your body. The weight of it. The aliveness of it.

Notice: are there areas that were harder to feel? Areas that seemed brighter or more alive?

9. The Field (2 minutes)

If it resonates, expand awareness beyond the skin boundary.

Is there sensation around your body? A sense of atmosphere or energy?

Simply notice. No right answer.

Closing:

Return attention to breath.

Three deeper breaths.

Begin to move fingers and toes.

Open eyes gently. Stay still for a moment.

Expected Outcomes

Increased interoceptive awareness
Recognition of habitual tension patterns
Greater capacity to notice body signals before they become symptoms
Foundation for all other somatic practices

Contraindications & Safety Notes

If you experience anxiety during body scan, keep eyes slightly open
It’s normal to find areas that are “blank” or hard to feel; this is information, not failure
Some people become very relaxed and fall asleep; this is fine for rest but won’t build interoceptive skill
If strong emotions or memories arise, ground yourself or transition to Practice 2 for release

6.5 Post-Movement Integration

Purpose: Allow the nervous system to consolidate benefits after movement practice, complete processing, transition consciously from practice to daily life.

Duration: 10-15 minutes

Difficulty: Beginner

What You’ll Need:

Completion of any movement practice
Comfortable lying position
Optional: blanket for warmth
Optional: eye pillow or cover

Instructions

Important

Do this immediately after movement practice, before returning to activities.

Phase 1: Arrive (2 minutes)

Lie on your back. Let your body settle.

Let your breath return to natural rhythm without controlling it.

Feel the support of the ground beneath you.

Phase 2: Scan for Residue (3 minutes)

After movement, the body continues processing. Scan for what’s still moving:

Any areas still activated, buzzing, warm
Any emotions still present
Any impulses to move that haven’t completed
Any tension that emerged during practice

Simply notice. You don’t need to do anything about what you find.

Phase 3: Completion (5 minutes)

If there’s incomplete movement, give it permission to complete. Small movements, micro-adjustments, settling.

If there’s emotion, breathe with it. Let it be here without needing resolution.

If there’s thought, notice it and return to body sensation.

Completion Questions (ask silently):

“Is there anything else my body needs to express?”
“Is there anything else that wants to release?”
“Is it complete for now?”

When the answer feels like “yes, complete,” move to the next phase.

Phase 4: Consolidation (3 minutes)

Let everything settle.

Notice: What is different from before practice? More ease? More aliveness? More space? New awareness?

Let the nervous system consolidate. This is when rewiring happens.

Phase 5: Transition (2 minutes)

Before moving, set an intention:

“I carry this with me into my day.” “I am grateful for what my body showed me.” “I remain connected to this awareness.”

Slowly begin to move. Gently. No rush.

Roll to one side. Rest there.

Come to seated. Rest.

Stand only when ready. Ground through feet.

Return to daily life from this place.

Expected Outcomes

More complete integration of practice benefits
Reduced “crash” after intense practice
Better retention of nervous system shifts
Smoother transition to daily activities

Contraindications & Safety Notes

Skipping this practice after intense movement can leave the nervous system activated
If you must return to activity quickly, do at least 2 minutes of lying still
Some practices (especially 5D ecstatic movement) require longer integration, up to 30 minutes

Breath Practices

6.6 Movement-Coordinated Breathing (Breath-Body Sync)

Purpose: Use breath to enhance any movement practice, develop breath-movement integration, regulate nervous system during exercise.

Duration: Can be applied to any movement practice

Difficulty: Beginner

What You’ll Need:

Any movement practice (walking, strength training, yoga, etc.)

Core Principles

Breath and movement are meant to be unified. When they synchronize, several things happen:

Nervous system regulates more effectively
Movement becomes more efficient
Awareness deepens
The practice becomes meditative

General Guidelines:

Movement Type	Breath Pattern
Concentric (shortening/lifting)	Exhale
Eccentric (lengthening/lowering)	Inhale
Expanding movements	Inhale
Contracting movements	Exhale
High effort	Don’t hold breath; short breaths okay
Low effort	Full, slow breaths

Application by Practice

For Strength Training:

Exhale during the effort phase (lifting, pushing, pulling)
Inhale during the release phase (lowering, returning)
Never hold breath under load (creates excessive pressure)

Example with push-up:

Inhale as you lower toward floor
Exhale as you push up

Example with squat:

Inhale as you lower
Exhale as you stand

For Yoga:

Follow teacher’s guidance when given
General rule: inhale into length, exhale into depth
Inhale during backbends (opening chest)
Exhale during forward folds (releasing)
Inhale during twists (lengthening spine), exhale (deepening twist)

For Walking:

Establish rhythm: 4 steps inhale, 4 steps exhale (adjust to your pace)
For calming: extend exhale (4 steps in, 6 steps out)
For energizing: equalize or slightly emphasize inhale
Count becomes meditation; thinking quiets

For Cardio:

Zone 2 (conversational pace):

Nasal breathing if possible
2-3 breaths per minute faster than rest
Should be able to speak in full sentences

High Intensity:

Mouth breathing okay when needed
Establish rhythm that matches effort
Recovery: extended exhales to activate parasympathetic

For Dance/Free Movement:

Let breath follow movement naturally
Don’t force pattern
Notice when breath is held (often indicates emotional material)
Allow sounds to emerge (sighs, vocalizations, breath sounds)

The Practice

Choose one movement practice this week and consciously apply breath-movement coordination.

Before: Notice your baseline. How do you currently breathe during movement?

During: Apply principles above. Don’t be rigid; let breath and movement find their rhythm.

After: Notice any differences in how you feel, how the practice went, how recovery feels.

Expected Outcomes

Improved movement efficiency
Deeper meditative quality in physical practice
Better nervous system regulation
Reduced post-exercise fatigue

Contraindications & Safety Notes

Don’t force breath to match movement if it creates strain
If you feel lightheaded, return to natural breathing
During maximum effort, some breath-holding is natural; just resume breathing immediately after

6.7 Energizing Breath Before Movement

Purpose: Prepare the nervous system for movement practice, increase energy and alertness, create intentional transition into practice.

Duration: 5-7 minutes

Difficulty: Beginner (basic) to Intermediate (advanced)

What You’ll Need:

Standing or seated position
Clear space for arm movement
Done immediately before movement practice

Instructions

Basic Protocol (5 minutes):

Phase 1: Grounding (1 minute)

Stand with feet hip-width apart. Feel your weight on the floor.

Three natural breaths, noticing the body.

Set intention: “I am preparing my body for practice.”

Phase 2: Activating Breath (3 minutes)

Bellows Breath (Kapalbhati adaptation):

Inhale naturally
Exhale forcefully through nose, pulling navel toward spine
Let inhale happen automatically
Repeat at comfortable pace (one exhale per second, approximately)
30 breaths, rest, repeat 2-3 times

Add arm movement:

On each exhale, extend arms forward
On each inhale, pull elbows back
Creates full-body engagement with breath

Phase 3: Integration (1 minute)

Return to natural breathing.

Notice: more alert? More energy? Tingling in hands or face?

Shake out the body for 30 seconds.

You are ready for movement practice.

Advanced Protocol: Add Breath Holds (7 minutes)

After the basic protocol, add:

Energizing Holds:

Inhale fully
Hold with lungs full for 10-20 seconds
Exhale naturally
Repeat 3 times

This activates sympathetic system appropriately for movement.

Alternative: Cold Exposure Breathing:

If you do cold exposure (cold shower, cold plunge) before movement:

30 quick breaths (like bellows)
Inhale fully, hold
Enter cold
Exhale slowly in cold
Continue slow, controlled breathing while in cold

This creates powerful nervous system priming for subsequent movement.

Expected Outcomes

Increased energy and alertness
Nervous system primed for effort
Better performance in subsequent movement practice
Faster “warm-up” time

Contraindications & Safety Notes

Important

Do not do forceful breathing if pregnant
Not recommended with high blood pressure, heart conditions, or glaucoma
If lightheaded, stop and breathe naturally
Not recommended if epileptic
Advanced protocols should be introduced gradually

Integrated Practices

6.8 The 10-Minute Complete Movement Meditation

Purpose: Experience all three dimensions (3D/4D/5D) and all three Somatic Triad elements (Movement/Stillness/Breath) in a single short practice.

Duration: 10 minutes exactly

Difficulty: Beginner to Intermediate

What You’ll Need:

Timer set for intervals (or just glance at clock)
Standing space
No equipment needed

Instructions

This practice moves through phases. Each phase integrates movement, breath, and stillness in different proportions.

0:00-2:00 | 3D: Grounding Strength

Breath: Strong, audible exhales through mouth

Movement:

1:00 of squats (slow, controlled)
1:00 of push-ups or wall push-ups

Focus: Feel your strength. Feel contact with ground. You are here, in body.

2:00-4:00 | 4D: Flowing Awareness

Breath: Slow nasal breathing, let breath lead movement

Movement:

Spinal waves, hip circles, arm movements
Move from sensation, not thought
Eyes closed if comfortable

Focus: What does your body want? Listen and follow.

4:00-6:00 | 5D: Expressive Release

Breath: Natural, possibly sounds if they arise

Movement:

Free expression
Whatever wants to happen
Shake, dance, tremble, be still
No wrong movement

Focus: Let go. Let something move you.

6:00-8:00 | Stillness: Standing Integration

Breath: Slow, coherent (5 counts in, 5 counts out)

Movement: Stillness (micro-movements okay)

Position: Stand, eyes closed, arms at sides

Focus: Notice what has shifted. Feel the aliveness. Process.

8:00-10:00 | Integration: Seated Completion

Breath: Natural, settling

Position: Come to seated (on floor or chair)

Practice: Hand on heart, three breaths. Gratitude. Set intention for day.

Close: Open eyes. Gentle transition.

Expected Outcomes

Experience of all three dimensions in one short practice
Nervous system regulation
Effective warm-up or stand-alone practice
Sustainable daily practice

Contraindications & Safety Notes

Can be done daily
Modify intensity based on energy level
If injury limits movement, emphasize breath and stillness phases

6.9 Weekly Movement Integration Ritual

Purpose: Establish sustainable weekly rhythm integrating all movement types, track progress, honor the body’s ongoing needs.

Duration: 5-6 hours total per week, distributed across days

Difficulty: All levels (scales with your capacity)

The Weekly Template

Day	Practice	Type	Duration	Dimension
Monday	Strength training	3D	45 min	Ground
Tuesday	Yoga or flow	4D	45 min	Awareness
Wednesday	Zone 2 cardio (walk/bike/swim)	Foundation	45-60 min	Mitochondria
Thursday	Rest or gentle movement	Recovery	-	Integration
Friday	Strength training	3D	45 min	Ground
Saturday	Ecstatic movement or dance	5D	60 min	Transcendence
Sunday	Restorative yoga + meditation	Integration	45 min	Completion

Weekly Setup Ritual (5 minutes, Sunday evening or Monday morning)

Review last week:
- What practices did you complete?
- What did you skip? Why?
- How does your body feel?
Set intention for coming week:
- What does your body need most this week?
- Any modifications needed based on energy, schedule, life circumstances?
Schedule your practices:
- Put them in calendar
- Identify obstacles and solutions
- Commit

Monthly Assessment Protocol (15 minutes, same day each month)

Complete the five home diagnostics from 17 Movement Medicine:

Test	This Month	Last Month	Change
4-meter walk (m/s)
10-sec balance (seconds)
Grip strength L/R (kg)
5x chair stand (seconds)
VO2 max estimate

Additional qualitative tracking:

Energy level (1-10): Sleep quality (1-10): Mood stability (1-10): Physical pain/discomfort (1-10, lower is better):

Progress Markers

Week 1-2:

Establishing routine
Learning movements and breath patterns
Expect some soreness
Notice your baseline

Week 4:

Routine feeling more natural
Less soreness
May notice improved sleep or energy
First assessment showing minor improvements

Week 8:

Habit established
Measurable improvement in diagnostics
Noticing which practices you gravitate toward vs. resist
Beginning to feel different in daily life

Week 12+:

Movement is part of identity
Clear improvements across biomarkers
Intuitive sense of what body needs on any given day
Practice evolves based on inner guidance

Customization Guidelines

Finding Your 4% Edge:

Flow research (Kotler, Csikszentmihalyi) shows optimal performance and growth occur when challenge exceeds current ability by approximately 4%—just beyond comfortable, not yet overwhelming. Apply this to your weekly practice:

If a practice feels routine, add one level of challenge (heavier weight, longer duration, deeper emotional engagement)
If you’re dreading a practice, it may be too challenging; scale back slightly
The “flow channel” is the sweet spot between boredom (too easy) and anxiety (too hard)
Reassess every 2-4 weeks as your capacity grows

If you’re starting from low fitness:

Reduce durations by 50%
Focus on consistency over intensity
Add one practice element at a time
Your 4% edge is much closer to baseline—honor this

If you’re highly fit but dimensionally imbalanced:

Assess which dimension you neglect
Add practices from that dimension
Reduce over-emphasis on comfortable dimension
Your 4% edge may be in an unfamiliar dimension, not just higher intensity

If you have limited time:

Practice 8 (10-Minute Complete) can substitute for longer practices
Minimum effective dose: three sessions per week covering each dimension

If you have trauma history:

Establish safety first (grounding practices)
Approach 5D practices with caution and support
Consider working with somatic therapist

Expected Outcomes

Sustainable, balanced movement practice
Progressive improvement in all biomarkers
Increased consciousness access across dimensions
Movement becomes medicine rather than obligation

Contraindications & Safety Notes

Listen to your body regarding rest days
More is not always better
If consistently exhausted, reduce volume
Consult healthcare provider if new symptoms arise

Quick Reference: Which Practice When?

I feel…	Try this practice
Anxious, activated	Practice 1 (strength to discharge) or Practice 4 (stillness to settle)
Numb, disconnected	Practice 2 (4D flow) or Practice 6 (breath activation)
Low energy	Practice 7 (energizing breath) then Practice 1 (strength)
Emotional, processing	Practice 2 (4D flow) then Practice 5 (integration)
Ready for expansion	Practice 3 (5D ecstatic) with Practice 5 (integration)
Time limited	Practice 8 (10-minute complete)
Need grounding	Practice 1 (3D strength) with Practice 4 (body awareness)

Tracking Template

Print or copy this template for monthly tracking.

Month: ____________

Weekly Practice Log:

Week	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat	Sun	Notes
1
2
3
4

Monthly Diagnostics:

Test	Week 1	Week 4
Gait speed (m/s)
Balance time (sec)
Grip L/R (kg)
Chair stand (sec)
VO2 max estimate

Qualitative Assessment:

Energy (1-10): Sleep (1-10): Mood (1-10): Pain (1-10, lower better):

Reflections:

What worked well this month?

What needs adjustment?

What is my body asking for?

Closing Note

These practices are tools, not obligations. The body knows what it needs. The goal is not to perfect any practice but to develop relationship with your body’s intelligence.

Some days you’ll want to lift heavy. Some days you’ll want to dance. Some days you’ll need to lie on the floor and breathe. All of this is movement as medicine.

The biomarkers matter, yes. They predict your longevity, your healthspan, your functional capacity. But what matters more is the quality of your relationship with your own body. A lifetime of movement that feels like punishment produces different outcomes than a lifetime of movement that feels like communion.

Move. Feel. Allow. Integrate.

Your body is waiting to show you what it knows.

These practices are not a substitute for professional medical or psychological care. If you have injuries, chronic conditions, pregnancy, or trauma history, work with qualified practitioners. Movement is medicine, but like all medicine, it requires appropriate dosing for your unique situation.