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 | | Taking Root to Fly: Articles on Functional Anatomy by Irene Dowd ISBN-10: 9780964580503 ISBN-10: 0-9645805-0-0 ISBN-13: 9780964580503 ISBN-13: 978-0-9645805-0-3 Paperback 1995-08 Irene Dowd Find Lowest Price |
Reviews | ||
Essential Contemplation: Taiji Practitioners or anyone trying to find their body Like the Tao Te Jing, profound and sagely advice can sometimes be illuminated by small poetic vignettes, that require quiet consideration to expose their depths. This little book, which is a collection of articles about functional anatomy, or in Dowd's terms the anatomy of movement, is one of those rare works. If you sincerely attempt the exercises that Dowd prescribes, you will need to return to this book periodically, because they reveal themselves in layers and stages. Functional Anatomy is Dowd's term for a set of body-alignment practices related to Alexander Technique, Feldenkrais method, or more anciently methods of meditative mindful movement and ecstatic dance. Unlike our western view that the mind commands the body, there is a complete interpenetration of mind and body. For those practitioners of activities founded on the mind-body unity, such as dance, physical sports or taiji, the experiences pointed to in this book are nothing short of profound and they are bliss to contemplate. This book has two exceptional qualities which are revealed on the front cover. The title "Taking Root to Fly" is an example of the many pithy turns of phrase that make this book deep. The paradox that a dancer or martial artist who moves as if floating, derives this lightness from sinking into the ground caught in four short words. Brilliant! Even better this book has fantastic artwork, typified by the image on the cover. This artwork is actually productive mental visualization. The deepest way to contemplate some of these articles uses the wordless image expressed in the artwork rather than analyzing the words. Anyone delving into their own mind through the vehicle of the body could benefit immensely from this book. While it is out of print I would hope that it soon reappears, Amazon, please buy the rights and release it on Kindle! | ||
A must for any dance student, or teacher! Irene Dowd's ability to describe the anatomy of movement is incredible. She uses imagery that is beneficial to the true understanding of movement in the human form. This book is a must for anyone who teaches alternative mind-body exercise or dance technique, it will give you a new way of thinking. Students of dance will also benefit from the articles, by gaining insight into their own movement. | ||