The flutter of a butterfly wing, jumping of a wren, darting of a skink or the rustle of leaves in the wind all produce secondary and tertiary movement so important to life. Just like a food web, these tiny to enormous movements provide various types of trophic levels of vibration, disruption and change; compare the falling of a tree- the quick vacuum of air, swishing branches, squawking flapping parrots…the deep resounding thud as it moves the ground beneath, echoes of bigger branches rebounding against each other follow closely behind.
Sun falls through the canopy touching the damp cold humus of the forest floor, highlighting the upturned roots, epiphytes still clinging to low branches. A tiny bee crawls out from a gap between the broken honeydew soaked bark, a short limbed gecko unsuited for ground movement flails about attempting to catch it. As if time was delayed, the Kaka parrot jumps in fright, drops the contents of its stomach and dislodges another epiphyte in the commotion. Huhu beetles caught and left in the nest by a morepork named ‘Ruru’ fossick in the crumble of damp woods. Their wings long gone, they lay their grubs in the shelter of the damp rotting trunk. Seeds warmed by the rays now streaming down, burst forth with gusto, keen for life above the soil, the promise of partners and love whispered to them by elders. Shiny metallic ants with their rounded white parcels snake their way past the parrot droppings, the empty handed among them stopping to harvest the sweet colour-matched fruits of the Tawa still clinging to the stringy nut casing. Orchids blink in the glare of the new light, stretch up and turn their faces to the sky.
All things need positive movement, sometimes we also need and benefit from unplanned disruptions. Read more here-
https://www.goodtherapy.org/learn-about-therapy/types/dance-movement-therapy
https://www.embodyingsoul.com/therapeutic-movement/
The value of what we can learn from the world around us is profound, and a welcome distraction, a release of sorts, from the hustle and bustle of formed metal, straight lines and concrete edges. What natural movement can you see and incorporate into your daily routine, your home-life, work-life or hobbies?
https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-76889-2_3
https://www.terramovement.com/the-benefits-of-nature/
https://www.sciencefriday.com/educational-resources/movement-modeling-ecosystem-interactions/
https://byjus.com/biology/ecosystem/
MAHI A MARA 