The JPD Method of Bodyworks

The following Preface and Table of Contents are excerpts from The JPD Method of Bodyworks: Practitioner's Primer
© 2003 Sarah Gagnon



Preface

Many years ago, I began teaching dance and eventually became a full-time, professional dancer. Over the years, I became aware of the deep movement restrictions that had evolved in my body and began noticing that my dance students all had their own patterns of restriction that sometimes even produced pain. I began seeking ways to help us all release these restrictions and restore fluidity and freedom to the body’s movement patterns. It was this seeking that led me to read the writings of Rudolph Laban and Irmgard Bartenieff; the concepts they introduced in their works changed my perspective on movement forever.

Though I was afflicted with a condition now known as Fibromyalgia Syndrome (FMS), I did not became aware of this fact until after my dance career ended. Actually, in hindsight, I now realize that it was the FMS that ended my career. This syndrome involves considerable pain and soft tissue injury thus presenting a constant challenge as I tried to live and work as a dancer. Both Laban and Bartenieff introduced the notion that the mind’s influence over the body is all-encompassing and their works gave me tools in the form of exercise to help me restore a healthy relationship between my mind and body. I spent the next ten years researching this mind-body connection in the forum of my dance choreographies. As I applied the exercises I learned from books as well as from Certified Movement Analysts, I noticed deep, wonderful releases in muscle tension that left me capable of expressing much freer and more comfortable movement. Since I found so much relief, I began introducing the notion that the mind can release excess tension to my dance students via these exercises. To my surprise, this work was effective, helping all those who experienced severe pain and movement restriction to alleviate their symptoms. I noted that, regardless of the individual’s background and attitude towards their bodies and/or its abilities to move, every single person was capable of making the mind-body connection and consequently release excess muscular tension.
When I concluded that my body was too unwell to continue in my dance career, I took the Pilates certification course with Moira Stott in Toronto. After nine months of study, many hours of apprenticeship teaching and nearly five hours of practical and written exams, I achieved my Certification as a Pilates Instructor. After only a few weeks into the Stott certification program, I realized that the release work I had been practicing was highly compatible with the alignment work of the Pilates method. I was able to fully eliminate pain and restore range of motion to joints that had been severely injured during my dance career and had been diagnosed as ‘chronic’. Furthermore, the FMS had caused my spine to become extremely rigid, which led to severe losses in flexibility, daily migraines, chronic digestive problems and a deep fatigue that could not be overcome. I explored various forms of alternative health therapies to heal my body, changing my diet considerably taking supplements and receiving a variety of treatment modalities including massage, shiatsu, Feldenkrais, acupuncture, Alexander Technique, reflexology and so on. Intuitively, I understood that I needed to exercise in order to restore grace and ease to my body, and my search led me to the study of yoga and Pilates; I was on the road to wellness. Within a few months of practicing Pilates in combination with the Bartenieff-based release work, all these symptoms disappeared. Moreover, my dance students had allowed me to transform their class so that I could research this Pilates and release work combination during our sessions together. I was astounded by the ease with which people were able to release long-term pain and restore movement simply through intention and visualization combined with gentle movement. I continued to work with this approach to exercise, researching and developing new exercises and variations to meet the needs of participants, and now, I am firmly rooted in the belief that all exercise must incorporate mind-body connections to facilitate the release of hypertonic muscle fibers and the recruitment of long-time inactive muscles. Furthermore, it is my belief that this is a necessary precursor to restoring complete neuromuscular balance and joint/spinal alignment. My years of movement research during my time as a professional dancer and the years of teaching exercise to all types of people has led me to develop the JPD Method of Bodyworks.


Table of Contents

Introduction.....................................................................1
JPD Method of Bodyworks: the Background........................................4
The Pilates Method.............................................................5
Rudolph Laban..................................................................7
Irmgard Bartenieff............................................................10
JPD Method of Bodyworks: the Synthesis..........................................15
The Philosophy................................................................16
A Priori Assumptions..........................................................18
Description...................................................................20
The Mind-Body Connection......................................................24
The Training Session..........................................................27
The JPD Assessment..............................................................30
Joint Alignment Chart.........................................................30
Pain Assessment Chart.........................................................31
Spinal Range of Motion........................................................31
The JPD Method Program........................................................32
Special Populations.............................................................33
Back Pain.....................................................................34
Post-Rehabilitation Training..................................................36
Scoliosis.....................................................................37
Pregnancy.....................................................................38
Diabetes......................................................................39
Osteoporosis..................................................................39
Arthritis.....................................................................40
Fibromyalgia..................................................................40
Hip Replacement...............................................................43
Cardiac Conditions............................................................43
Conclusion......................................................................45
Appendix A: The JPD Method of Bodyworks Instructor
Training Course.....................................................48
Appendix B: JPD Exercise Syllabus...............................................49
ATM Matwork...................................................................49
Essential Mat.................................................................51
Complete Mat..................................................................53
The Ball......................................................................54
Essential Reformer............................................................56
Intermediate Reformer.........................................................59
Advanced Reformer.............................................................61
The Rack......................................................................63
The Barrels...................................................................66
The Chair.....................................................................67
Appendix C: JPD Assessment Charts...............................................69
Appendix D: JPD Fundamentals 1 Course Scripts...................................72
Appendix E: JPD Fundamentals 2 Course Scripts...................................87
Bibliography...................................................................103

Sarah's Approach to the Pilates Method

JPD Method of Bodyworks: the Synthesis
excerpt from JPD Method of Bodyworks: Practitioner's Primer
© 2003 Sarah Gagnon


The JPD Method of Bodyworks is an exercise system that interweaves key concepts from Rudolph Laban and Irmgard Bartenieff into all exercise, especially Pilates.

The following Laban concepts are always considered during exercise:
1. The participant’s inner mental attitude towards movement factors including weight, time, space and flow determines how movement is performed, and

2. movement can take place in one, two or three dimensions, and for all possible combinations, there exists an ideal, harmonious use of the space within the kinesphere, whether it shifts, or remains in one place.

Integrated Bartenieff concepts include:
1. use of mental energy, through intention, to change how the body performs by raising an awareness of the foundations of movement including breath, initiation, sequencing, connectivity, weight transfer and mobilization/stabilization, and

2. the deep relationship between mind-body-emotion, as each emotion is accompanied by specific physical expressions and a particular mental attitude.

The JPD Method of Bodyworks uses these Laban and Bartenieff concepts to evolve and deepen the mind-body connection. Through the consistent practice of this method, the participants becomes conscious of the muscle fibers that retain excess tension as well as those fibers which do not engage during movement. Bartenieff and Laban’s work have been instrumental in developing “movement intuition”, visualization and movement intention. As the mind develops this awareness, the Pilates exercises become considerably more effective in restoring balance and flexibility to the muscular system, as well as ideal spine and joint alignment. These three bodywork modalities integrate in a rather specific manner to form the JPD Method of Bodyworks.

The Philosophy

The JPD Method of Bodyworks is fundamentally rooted in the concept that an exercise methodology must be reflective and respectful of the mind-body-spirit connection, and should directly contribute to the growth and evolution of this energetic triad. It is my personal belief that, on a subtle level, all human experience assists in aligning and balancing the mind, body and spirit and humans strive for this balance and alignment either consciously or subconsciously.

The human body is in actuality, a multidimensional energy system, all of which come into play during movement. In many cultures, this belief has led to the evolution of a myriad of energetic treatment methods; acupuncture, massage, reiki, chiropractic are but a few examples. Each aspect of the human being carries and exchanges energy with every other aspect throughout each moment of the day. In the simplest model, these aspects include the physical, the emotional, the mental and the spiritual components of the human being. The physical body converts food to produce energy in the form of heat and electricity, the emotions carry a powerful charge as anyone who has experienced a sudden rush of fear, anger or sadness knows, the mental component also produces considerable energy, especially when one is engaged in worry, and the spiritual aspects of our lives present a mystery yet any person who has practiced Yoga, Tai Chi and other similar forms of bodyworks, can attest to the powerful energetic charge these modalities produce. In my humble opinion, the constant interplay amongst these bioenergy systems in every second of our lives must impact the neuromuscular connections and resulting movement. The subtle nature of the energetic exchange process and the resulting impacts on movement are difficult to understand and even more challenging to measure.

The fundamental belief, which forms the foundation of the JPD Method of Bodyworks, is that all these bioenergy systems must come into balance and alignment to achieve complete health and wellness in this physical plane. Furthermore, this wellness can only be achieved with a multidimensional approach; there are no shortcuts. Diet, attitude or what I term mental position, body maintenance and all other factors which can be controlled, must reflect the desire to be well. A simple example is that of the individual who spends two hours per week in cardiovascular exercise to ‘lose weight’ yet consumes a diet rich in fried foods and starches daily; clearly, the latter activity will negate the positive benefits of the former. Likewise, one cannot expect to have a strong, pain-free body that moves fluidly with ease and grace without spending any time exercising or engaging in physical activities intended to bring about such results. Clearly an exercise program is an important component of a personal lifetime health and wellness program. The JPD Method predominantly intends to establish alignment and balance in all the bioenergy systems that make up the human being by focusing on restoring balance and alignment in the physical body.