Terminology

The terms used in Biodynamics have been developed over the years to precisely as possible describe the profound, holistic fluid events we engage with.

Sutherland was an osteopath. His attempts to describe what he sensed when encountering primary respiration were influenced by this background. His original, largely biomechanical terminology described the inherent motions (motility) of tissue structures in terms of flexion-extension and internal-external rotation, as in vertebral or other biomechanical motions.

The motility of tissues is actually holistic, cellular and fluid in nature. The motions sensed are occurring everywhere, all at once, as a unified fluid-cellular-tissue dynamic.

Sutherland’s language and approach shifted to a largely biodynamic orientation in his latter career. (see glossary)

In the approach developed at Karuna, biomechanical language has been dropped, as these terms do not describe the holistic, cellular fluid-nature of motility and can be confusing. We discuss tissue motility in terms of the inhalation and exhalation phases of primary respiration.