Not Just Theory. Not Just Feeling.

The word “balance” sounds very simple, but sometimes I feel that achieving balance is not so simple at all.

Through teaching SBM, I have come to realise how important it is to find a balance between understanding with the mind and feeling with the body.

In SBM, there is a reason behind everything we do.

Why do we perform these particular movements?

Why do we use the SBM pillow?

Why do we bite on a mouthpiece?

Why do we move to the rhythm of a metronome?

Each element has a purpose.

Of course, understanding why we do something is very important when practising SBM.

Recently, one of my clients said to me about the mouthpiece:

“If I don’t understand why I need to use it, I don’t really understand the purpose — and then I forget to use it.”

I completely understand.

Understanding the theory is important.

But at the same time, if we think too much, sometimes we stop noticing what our own body is actually telling us.

SBM is not something we understand only with our mind.

It is something we experience through our body.

People who naturally think in a very logical way may find themselves asking:

“Why?”

“How does this work?”

But sometimes there comes a moment when you actually feel something in your own body and suddenly think,

“Ah, now I understand.”

What we have been trying to understand intellectually suddenly makes sense through our own physical experience.

What I Am Learning from a Child

For the past three months, I have been observing a secondary-school student with scoliosis practising SBM, and I have found the experience very interesting.

The student may not understand all the theory behind SBM yet.

But they remember what I explain during each lesson.

Using the mouthpiece.

Moving in time with the metronome.

Using the same movements on the left and right sides to develop more balanced muscular support.

I don't try to explain everything at once.

Each lesson, I introduce just one more thing.

Even though using the mouthpiece can sometimes make the student feel uncomfortable, they continue to practise within what feels manageable.

They normally sleep only on their stomach, but they are also gradually trying to sleep on their back using the recommended sleeping pillow.

Watching this, I often think:

“They are learning to trust what they feel in their own body.”

When I observe children, I am often struck by how naturally their bodies respond.

They don't necessarily analyse everything too deeply. They try what they have been shown and gradually learn through their own physical experience.

Perhaps this is something we adults can learn from too.

Not Just Theory. Not Just Feeling.

At the same time, simply saying “just feel your body” is not enough.

Without some understanding of the basic principles, it can be difficult to understand:

Why do we use the SBM pillow?

Why do we use the mouthpiece?

Why do we repeat these particular movements?

Without understanding the purpose, it can also become more difficult to continue consistently.

This is why communication is such an important part of our SBM lessons.

We listen to what our clients tell us, observe their SBM movements and carry out a Body Check once a month to monitor changes in posture, symmetry and body balance.

We then share what we are observing and discuss what the client is feeling in their own body.

The client and the SBM instructor are learning together through this process.

Understanding.
Feeling.
And communicating.

I believe the balance between these three is very important.

Practising Together as Parent and Child

The mother of the secondary-school student also practises SBM at home together with her child.

She is doing her best to understand and support what her child is experiencing.

Watching them together, I can also feel the love between a parent and child, and I am very grateful for the care and commitment she brings to the process.

There are sensations in our body that only we ourselves can truly feel.

A mother cannot completely feel what her child feels.

And as an instructor, neither can I.

Our own physical sensations belong to us. They cannot be compared directly with someone else's experience.

That is why learning to notice your own body is so important.

To recognise the changes and responses happening within your body.

To accept them.

And gradually, to learn to trust what you feel.

I believe that this experience can eventually become something very valuable — confidence in understanding your own body.

There is no need to rush.

Take your time.

Learn little by little.

Feel what is happening in your own body.

And through SBM, gradually develop a deeper understanding of yourself.

Watching this young student practise SBM has reminded me once again that sometimes we need knowledge, sometimes we need experience — and most importantly, we need a balance between the two.

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