Principles of Developmental Movement

Principles of Developmental Movement is a comprehensive, fully-illustrated guide to bodily awareness and control based on the study of infant development.

The stages by which a child learns to achieve upright posture and the full range of motor skills is a remarkable journey of learning and discovery. Each stage of development represents a critical advance in function from the most primitive to the most advanced forms of balance and locomotion. As adults, studying these developmental movements--whether lying prone, crawling on all fours, or clambering onto a table-opens a window onto our design and function. 

In Principles of Developmental Movement, Dimon examines key developmental sequences and reveals what these can tell us about how to move effortlessly and function more efficiently. 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 infantile to more advanced forms of balance and support-becoming, in the process, more conscious and aware in everything we do.

• Description and observation of infantile movement.
• Identification of key stages in infant development.
• Innovative account of vertebrate evolution and design.
• New approach to the study of anatomical systems, including spirals of the trunk and limbs.
• Illustrated guide to key sensory systems (touch, proprioception, autonomic nervous system).
• Techniques for exploring infantile postures and their relation to sensory and autonomic function.
• Guided exercises for bringing about improved muscular function through kinesthetic awareness and thinking.
• Detailed appendices on vision and hearing.
• Comprehensive method for improving mobility and function through the lifespan.
• Practical methods for restoring natural postural support through the use of primitive postures. 
• Techniques for identifying and preventing harmful movement patterns that interfere with the body's natural functional design.