Archetypal Motor Gestures

Archetypal motor gestures

In this video, we watch Dominique Thiem, a professional men's tennis player, repeatedly exhibiting an archetypal gesture of affirmation (what we might call the 'semi-controlled fist pump'). Archetypal gestures, as we conceptualize them, are gestures sent up by the deep nervous system, often spontaneously, that express and magnify an interoceptive state. They are archetypal to the extent that they show up cross-culturally and across time. You can see both gestures of victory and gestures of grief expressed spontaneously by people around the world from widely different backgrounds, and throughout history. They exist both to express joy and distress. What we are looking at here is a variation of the 'fist pump'.

In one area of our research, we've sought to map the relationship between a variety of archetypal gestures and underlying nervous system states. We also explore ways that embodying a particular gesture can shift state, or support the deepening of a state we want to spend more time in. This exploration of bodyset, and the way that it strengthens our interoceptive experience viscerally, and emotionally, is an untapped resource for shifting the inputs to our nervous system to bring online more of the qualities that we are seeking to amplify.

When you are happy, and the connection system is online, alot of these gestures of joy surface spontaneously. Sometimes, when we are low-energy or struggling, making intentional use of a gesture can bring some of its ability into the body.

The particular gesture we are watching here is energizing. It is activating the sympathetic nervous system, so if you are trying to relax, soften, or slow down, don't use this particular gesture.

As you explore this gesture yourself, notice how you can modulate the flavor of the gesture's intensity through how tightly or loosely you pump the fist, and through variations in its rhythm. There is the slow and melodious fist pump, and the hard rock fist pump. Notice the difference between the fist pump with your dominant and non-dominant hand. Explore the ways that the high-intensity fist pump brings a jolt of energy whereas the controlled and semi-restrained fist pump is more settling and affirming. Notice the difference between having a tight fist and an open fist. Could it be that there's a fist pump for all occasions? From the tiniest almost imperceptible fist pump that reassures, to the raucous fist pump that flies over your own head in moments of triumph, learning to explore the fist pump is an opportunity to explore a simple motor gesture that can infuse your nervous system with new vitality.