On Reversibility

The ability to stop, start, or change direction at any moment.

Reversibility is the embodied manifestation of spontaneity, the opposite of compulsion.

Reversibility is a state of being, a quality of relationship to self and environment, not merely a quality of movement. It is an expression of freedom and choice, presence and poise.

Given the opportunity, a young child naturally seeks to develop reversibility of movement. When she is able to stop, start, or change direction at any moment, she feels safe and competent. She will explore the territory in between, the stairs, the transitions from lying to sitting or sitting to standing, curiously and thoroughly, mapping the space, the shapes, and the configurations that lead to success. When she can move through these with reversibility, she has mastered this stage, and is ready for the next horizon.