The Dimon Institute

SENSORIMOTOR AWARENESS is a comprehensive course of study on how to heighten kinesthetic awareness and control of the body in action. 

When the musculoskeletal system works according to its natural design, muscles do not strain but are naturally healthy and tone, joints function with maximum ease, breathing is full and unimpeded, and movement is effortless and light. By understanding specific bodily systems, it becomes possible to identify what we are doing to interfere with these systems and to become more highly aware in the process. The result is a practical understanding of our potential for gaining greater awareness and control in action as the basis for a new approach to living mindfully and healthfully. Sensorimotor awareness (SMA) offers detailed and in-depth experiential procedures and a path toward ongoing learning and self-knowledge.

Dr. Dimon will adapt the curriculum in response to issues and questions that emerge as we explore the following as a community of learners:

• The establishment of natural muscle length as an organizing principle of human posture.
• The observation of harmful muscular tightening and bodily shortening in performing regular daily actions.
• Identifying the healthy organization of bodily parts.
• The study of kinesthetic thinking as a skill.
• The practice of preventing harmful, unconscious muscular tightening.
•  The study of physically supportive positions of "mechanical advantage."
• The anatomy and function of different bodily systems – for example, the shoulder girdle – and their relation to the postural mechanism.
• The practice of maintaining continuous, uninterrupted awareness of body parts while in physically supportive positions in order to restore coordination.
• Learning the mental and attentional skills necessary to create a daily practice.
• The study of breathing and the voice.
• A step-by-step roadmap for learning.

COURSE OVERVIEW: This is an 8-week series consisting of 16 live zoom sessions. Each live session will be recorded, and the recordings will be posted on the course platform to allow students to view them later. We have many students from around the world, and we welcome those who are outside of the New York time zone to view the recordings and send questions.

This course will be highly practical. Students will spend a lot of time practicing how to use physically supportive positions to their advantage. The goal of the course is to empower participants to become their own teacher, learning how to restore their own coordination, observe their own harmful manner of using their bodies, and enhance their own awareness and control. Theoretical content is presented to enhance understanding of the experiential, and vice versa.

There will be a live weekly review of class material and procedures every Thursday, led by James French, teaching assistant at The Dimon Institute. These will be recorded as well.

This is Part 1 of a three-part series. Although we encourage students to join us for all three parts to maintain continuity and community, and to get a bigger picture of this field of study, we recognize that not everyone's schedule allows. Students are welcome to enroll in any part they choose. If you enroll in Part 1 and then later on choose to enroll in a subsequent part, we will offer a discounted price.