Welcome to the Developmental Movement Project

Welcome to the Dev-Mo Project

The Study and Exploration of Developmental Movement

What is developmental movement, and why is it important to psychophysical education and education in general?

Our upright human design is the most complex movement system in the animal kingdom, making us capable of such an amazing and diverse range of activities as playing piano, climbing a rock face, and driving a car. These activities, and the complex brain that controls these functions, are all related to the upright posture, which is a kind of breakthrough design that has made us the dominant—and most dangerous—creature on the planet.

But our upright design did not come out of nowhere. It evolved sequentially from earlier and more primitive forms of posture and movement—a fact that is reflected in our individual growth as we develop from simple, fish-like creatures in the womb, crawl on our bellies like reptiles after we are born, begin to crawl on all fours and to sit up, and eventually clamber onto higher surfaces until we can stand and walk upright.

In this series, we will look at some of these developmental sequences and see what they can tell us about how to move effortlessly and function more efficiently. Each stage of development—whether lying full-supported on our backs, crawling on all fours, or clambering onto higher surfaces—represents a critical advance in function and opens a window onto our design and function. By exploring each one, we can effect improvements in the working of the muscular system, gain insight into how to move more efficiently, and progress from more basic to more advanced forms of balance and support, without the help of a teacher or therapeutic aids.

Here are some of the basic stages and movements we will explore:

1. The Semi-Supine Position, and moving the head and limbs in semi-supine

2. The prone position, moving the head and limbs in prone , rolling and crawling

3. Muslim Prayer and Primary Crawling Positions

4. Crawling on all fours

5. Clambering, and Sit-Stand Using Table for Support