Core is to Extremities as…

Remember logic analogies on standardized tests? Those equation-y things that read:

A : B :: C : D (or in English: A is to B as C is to D).

Remember those? The whole testing thing made me crazy. I would begin those tests with an anxious heart and knitted eyebrows and end in a hyperventilating heap. Logic analogies were simply a microcosm of the tests.

I’d start out okay…

wave : crest : : _________ : peak
a. water
b. top
c. moving
d. mountain (this one, definitely)

And then get into more tricky territory…

falling : gravitation : : collapse : __________
a. balloon
b. electricity
c. pressure (um, yeah, this one)
d. destruction

And then I’d start getting a scrambly brain…

extort : obtain ::
a. pilfer : steal (this one…or wait is it??)
b. plagiarize : borrow (maybe this…)
c. explode : ignite
d. purify : strain
e. consider : appeal

And then the wimpering would begin…

equanimity : harried ::
a. celebrity : infamous
b. erudition : urbane
c. moderation : dissolute (I think it’s this but I’m not exactly…ahhh!)
d. distinction : singular
e. intuition : logical

The whole process left me quivering. I’m grateful beyond measure that it is unlikely that I will EVER have to take a standardized test again.

But lately, logic analogies have piqued my curiosity. Logic analogies are really all about relationships between thing and relationships interest me a lot.

So here are a couple of logic analogies Frank and I came up with:

Tree trunk : leaves :: torso : hands

Right? The trunk holds the space for the leaves to reach and grow and move, just like the torso stabilizes so the arms can reach out with more freedom. For most of us, most of the time, this is the way we use the core and extremities. But what about this one:

Ends of a Slinky : middle of the slinky :: feet : core

Can you see how this is also true? The ends of a Slinky ground down so the middle can move – and we can do that in the body, too. Think of Downward Facing Dog or Wheel Pose (photos below) in yoga: in both cases, the extremities stabilize to allow for more movement in the spine and core.

So what is the relationship between the extremities and the core of the body? What is the logic that connects the core to the arms & legs? In the introduction of his routine SkyDancing, Carlos AyaRosas invites us to cultivate a sensory relationship between these different physical structures: the three body weights of pelvis, chest & head and the arms & legs. Like any long-standing relationship, it is a rich and varied one in which the players can change roles with ease. Through movement, we can play with variations on this complex relationship in our own bodies.

Logic analogies show just a few of the ways the relationship can manifest …

Extremities : Core :: Mobility : Stability
Extremities : Core :: Stability : Mobility
Extremities : Core :: Freedom : Foundation
Extremities : Core :: Foundation : Freedom
Extremities : Core :: Agility : Strength
Extremities : Core :: Strength : Agility
Extremities : Core :: Flexibility : Strength
Extremities : Core :: Strength : Flexibility

There are as many variations on this relationship as there are bodies. Unlike the cursed SAT, there are no wrong answers. I’d love to hear how you experience it in yours (add them in the comments below or at the Focus Pocus Facebook page. Your participation is a gift to everyBody) !

————

NOTE TO CVILLE NIA MOVERS: I’m back from a couple of weeks away and am teaching lots before I leave again!
Sun, Jul 12, 330 – 445pm, acac Downtown
Mon, Jul 13, 1045-12noon, acac Albemarle Square (SkyDancing with Mary Linn!)
Tue, Jul 14, 840-940am, acac Downtown (SkyDancing with Mary Linn!)
Tue, Jul 14, 530-630am, acac Albemarle Square (SkyDancing with Mary Linn!)
Wed, Jul 15, 1055-12noon, acac Albemarle Square
Thu, Jul 16, 840-940am, acac Downtown
Thu, Jul 16, 630-730pm, Albemarle Square
Sat, Jul 18, Nia 101 1230-1245pm, then class 1245-145pm, Albemarle Square
Mon, Jul 20, 1045-12noon, acac Albemarle Square
Tue, Jul 21, 840-940am, acac Downtown
Wed, Jul 22, 1055-12noon, acac Albemarle Square
Thu, Jul 23, 840-940am, acac Downtown
Sat, Jul 25, Nia 101 1230-1245pm, then class 1245-145pm, Albemarle Square