What is Core Movement Integration?
Core Movement Integration (CMI) is an alternative therapy developed by Dr. Josef DellaGrotte, a Boston area neuromuscular therapist and Feldenkrais trainer/practitioner. Understanding the three words of its name is the first step in understanding what CMI is and what learning it can do for you.
CORE
Your body’s core, its physical and energy center, is located in your lower abdomen. In Core Movement Integration (CMI) you learn how movement and energy flow through this point to balance your body enabling you to remain upright with little effort. This dynamic core stabilization is the first principle of CMI.
MOVEMENT
In CMI you learn 6 Pathways of sequential movement, each spanning the body from feet to head. The Pathways map out “routes” of movement that allow your joints and muscles to move easily and freely while encouraging your body to lengthen. You can use these Pathways for all activities: daily tasks, sitting, walking, aerobic and strengthening exercises and sports. The 6 Movement Pathways form the second principle of CMI.
INTEGRATION
To be efficient, movement must flow from one part of the body to its neighboring part without encountering blocks along the way. When the brain and body can connect movement in this way, stress and effort are reduced. This integrated way of functioning is the third principle of CMI.
Clients have described CMI in these words:
“Awareness and opening up the spine and making the connections between how parts of the body move together.”
“Core Integration is a study of our inner framework and how it functions. The classes elevate our awareness of the way we can control or enhance the way we move in a more comfortable and better balanced way.”