Motion: The Untamed Catalyst for Truth. Understanding yourself through movement
- soulgesture
- Jun 22
- 3 min read
We like to believe that clarity comes from deep thought, from sitting still in quiet contemplation. But what if we’ve been looking in the wrong place? What if our greatest revelations don’t emerge from stillness, but from movement—from the force of the body in motion, from the raw, unfiltered chaos of physical expression?
The Lie of Control
We live in a world obsessed with control—control over emotions, control over thoughts, control over bodies. We sit at desks, we stand in straight lines, we walk measured steps, all in the name of order. But the truth is, control dulls realisation. It locks insight behind tension, behind rigid posture, behind a resistance to move freely. Let go of control, and suddenly, truth rushes in. A body thrown into motion—whether through dance, running, or even chaotic, unstructured movement—reveals the unspoken, exposes the raw edges of thought, and forces a confrontation with self.
Movement, the Unapologetic Teacher
Nothing strips away illusions like movement. A dance doesn’t lie. A sprint doesn’t hold back. A body in motion is incapable of deception. It reveals fear, exposes hesitation, unveils confidence. The dancer can understand themselves through movement. Studies in neuroscience confirm that movement activates regions of the brain tied to emotional processing and memory recall—the hippocampus, the prefrontal cortex. This isn’t just theory; it’s biology. It’s proof that realisation is physical, not just intellectual.
The Challenge: Unleashing Truth Through Motion
Want revelation? Move. Strip away hesitation. Throw yourself into the rhythm of motion, into the sweat and the breathlessness of real physical engagement. Walk until thoughts dissolve. Dance until your body betrays what your mind refuses to admit. Run until the truth—your truth—catches up with you.
Understanding yourself through movement is a biological phenomenon that we do not utilise. The body tells us what we need to know about ourselves, we just need to find a way to listen to it.
Stillness is safe. Stillness is controlled. But movement? Movement is the inconvenient force that drags realisation kicking and screaming to the surface. Are you ready for it?
The neuroscience of movement
Neuroscience has uncovered fascinating connections between movement and brain function. The hippocampus-prefrontal cortex (HPC-PFC) pathway plays a crucial role in executive function and emotional processing. Research suggests that disruptions in this pathway can contribute to neuropsychiatric conditions like depression, anxiety, and Alzheimer's disease.
Additionally, theta oscillations—a type of brainwave—support interactions between the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus, particularly in working memory tasks. This means that movement, which engages these brain regions, can enhance cognitive processing and memory recall.
Further studies show that different parts of the hippocampus contribute uniquely to spatial working memory and decision-making. The dorsal hippocampus is essential for encoding information, while the ventral hippocampus influences goal-directed behavior. This suggests that movement-based activities, such as dance or navigation exercises, could actively shape cognitive function by engaging these neural circuits.
The science is clear: movement isn’t just about physical fitness—it’s a direct line to cognitive clarity and emotional insight.
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