OUR SPECIES GREW UP IN THE WOODS.  Sure, we ranged through savannahs, rocky mountains, sparse deserts and many other terrains but our basic anatomical and cognitive architecture stretches back into the primal forests and jungles in which our sophisticated simian ancestors climbed, leaped and swung. 

This is not merely a bit of interesting historical information.  It needs to be vividly remembered whenever we think about ongoing evolution, future adaptation & the emergence of richer, wiser and more intelligent ways of living.  The tree can only grow as tall as the roots go deep.

Rafe Kelley is a strong advocate and facilitator for that depth within our emerging transformational communities.  His podcast was recently added to our accumulating list of Emerge-friendly (or at least Emerge-adjacent) podcasts.  You might enjoy his relentless explorations with people who are focused on the physiological, ecological, somatic & interactive skills that continue to underpin human development. 

This conversation with John Vervaeke might be of special interest to folks around these parts.

At Evolvemoveplay, Rafe (computer keeps autocorrecting to Rake!) generates spaces, programs and alliances that place natural embodiment skills at the center of the evolving mandala. 

General health & human self-transformation require that we regularly deploy our neuro-anatomy in complex and varied patterns.  Narrow ranges of fixed habit -- adapted to artificially simplified social environments -- not only allow a slow slide toward physical atrophy, they also make it much more likely that our advanced cognitive, spiritual and emotional intelligences will atrophy.  The whole house depends on the reliability of the foundation.   

To keep moving "forward" as a species, we have to remain in touch with, and continually stimulate, lower levels of our developmental stack.  However, this is a very complex task.  Doing it top-down/left-brain through the imposition of a set of disciplined moves and narrowly targeted exercises, is unlikely to produce optimal results.  Fortunately, we have implicit access to the necessary skills through our inherited adaptation to complex structures in the natural world.  Jump.  Duck.  Swing.  Chuck.  Reach, roll, topple, twist & launch. 

Scientific evidence continues to mount suggesting that movement training in tandem with immersive and elemental outdoor ecologies, and physical play in safe but challenging encounters with other members of our species, are essential practices for regulating and enlivening our bodyminds.  Both in terms of restoring basic health and facilitating the emergence of new subtle capacities.   

So whether it's progressively-scaled, developmental Parkour programs or just making yourself go into nature with some friends and MOVE TOGETHER, we cannot afford to undervalue this facet of ongoing human transformation.

Now go do something.
 


* BONUS *

Check out Layman Pascal's arcane reminder of bodycentric development in DOGOS.