Session 3 Summary (4/18/26): Torsion, V-Sit, and Square Cross Inflection

Location Proto Studio, Montreal

Tags session-summarybaseworksstudy-groupspring-2026

Session 3 Summary: Torsion, V-Sit, and Square Cross Inflection

Spring 2026 Smart Movement Study Program | April 18, 2026

Assignment Reference

This session corresponded with the completion of Assignment 3 (Segment 3: Lessons 3.9-3.14) from the Baseworks Primer, covering the foci Inflect and Intent, and the relationship between Baseworks focus and conventional exercise goals. See: 2026 (Spring) Study Group Montreal

Session Overview

Session 3 moved at a noticeably faster pace than the first two sessions. With the foundational vocabulary in place, we shortened the review blocks on forms already introduced and opened more space for new material and for the Q&A at the end. After a standing Ignition, we reviewed Squat, Star Form, and Star Tilt, then spent the bulk of the session on Front (High) Lunge Extension with the new Torsion added, a new floor-based V-Sit, the Simple Cross Inflection review, a new Square Cross Inflection, and a brief return to Peak Hold before closing with Assimilation. In session three we also offered personalized feedback and adjustments that we didn’t do in session 1 and session 2.

Three conceptual threads ran through the session: the role of Fixing-Separating-Isolating in both the Lunge Extension and the Cross Inflections, the principle that muscular activation is a byproduct of joint stacking and pattern application rather than a directly-engaged target, and intensity modification with micro-movements as a practical tool for working around discomfort or habituated tension.

Key Concepts We Explored

Joint stacking is a prerequisite of Torsion. We introduced the Front Lunge Torsion by first reviewing the Extension, then adding the axle torsion on top. The principle we emphasized: the progression from the Front Lunge foundation - Extension or Torsion - both start from a position where the spine is aligned with the back leg (Gridlines & Symmetry) - the ribcage and pelvis stacked. From that position, Torsion is initiated from the center of the chest, and the arms, head, and shoulders move as a byproduct of that turn as one chunk. The arms stay as a single line, the way they do in Star Form. This is the same instruction we gave in Star Tilt two sessions ago, now applied at a different angle of gravity.

The V-Sit and the shoulder-lead dynamic. The V-Sit was introduced as a Converge form that closes the loop from Session 2’s Peak Hold. The two forms share the same converging geometry but differ in the direction of gravity. In addition to the converging dynamics in the hip joint, an important part of the V-Sit dynamic is the action initiated from the shoulders, not from the abdominal wall. From the hanging-back position, the scapulae broaden forward as the hands press away (as if pressing into an imaginary wall). An additional step, if available within the constraints of intensity modification, is to lift the chest and partially or completely extend the knees (while keeping the absolute knee position as is, following the principle of Fixing-Separating-Isolating). The abdominal activation is a byproduct (résultat secondaire in French), not the primary goal: we do not intentionally focus on engaging the abdominal muscles in V-Sit. Deliberately engaging “the core” recruits the nervous system differently than allowing activation to emerge from Distributed Activation and also limits natural diaphragmatic breathing.

Fixing-Separating-Isolating in the Lunge Extension. We explored FSA explicitly during the Lunge Extension. With the legs pulling away from each other and the back heel high on the tiptoe, the lower body forms a fixed foundation. The upper torso forms a straight line with the back leg (Gridlines and Symmetry ). The rib cage and sternum then move in a circumlinear motion forward and up. The pelvis stays neutral and grounded; the isolation happens at the waist. Note that the locus of Isolation is different from the Star Tilt (where we fix the upper-body stack, move the pelvis, and Isolate at the movement in 2 hip joints).

The Square Cross Inflection and the role of the feet. The new floor-based form in Session 3 was the Square Cross Inflection. The shins cross in the center, the ankles are flexed at 90 degrees rather than extended, and the soles of the feet come parallel to each other so that the shape of the legs is roughly a square. From that starting position, the outside edges of the feet press forward against the floor, and that pressing is what opposes the spinal flexion on the way in. The ankle flexion with parallel soles is awkward at first and is the element most likely to be lost during practice. We added rib-cage micro-movements on top of this base, layered in at the end so the form could be built up step by step.

Structure as a focus. The Structure focus was surfaced in Asia’s answer to Marta about the value of hands-on assistance. Structure focus in Baseworks can be found in foundational forms like the Standing Form or Star Form and is about building the capacity to feel whether you are straight without needing to check visually, by building a visceral understanding of joint alignment through Distributed Activation + Micromovements and repetition. Visual input will always override proprioception if it’s available (this is how human biology works), and the instructor’s correction, if given too often, may result in reduced capacity to develop one’s ability to judge the spatial positioning based on proprioceptive input alone. The practice is designed to develop the internal map so that visual feedback (mirror) or instructor’s hands-on correction becomes unnecessary. The goal of practice in Baseworks is not simply to become very good at performing Baseworks forms but rather to develop the capacity to understand the body in every situation where the instructor is not present

The Forms We Practiced

1. Squat (Review)

We practiced entering and exiting Squat with the emphasis on the hinging dynamic, where the weight stays above the heels and the spine remains straight (the rib cage and the pelvis are stacked).

2. Star Form (Review)

We checked for the stacked rib cage and pelvis, shoulders drawing down, fingers spreading, and the weight fully on the heels while pulling the legs away.

3. Star Tilt (Review)

Practiced both with hands on hips and with arms extended. The emphasis in this session was a correction we returned to repeatedly: leading the tilt from the pelvis rather than from the chest. The tilt originates at the hip; the upper body moves with the pelvis as one chunk, arms included, and the arm line stays congruent with the pelvis-ribcage orientation. Several participants were adjusted on this throughout the block.

Pelvis stays vertical (part of the rib cage-pelvis stack); no forward tilt
Back heel 45 degrees back, front foot turned 90 degrees
The front leg pulls forward and the back heel pulls back; the position of the pelvis is determined by the equalized pull
the rib cage position is determined by the direction of the pelvis and the arms are lifted to the shoulder height, perpendicular to the direction of the pelvis
When the arms are tired, hands go to the hips

4. Front (High) Lunge Extension (Review + Build)

Revisited in detail, then extended into the new rib-cage lift. Key emphases:

Arms-forward weight shift on entry. The weight shifts to one leg as the arms come forward; the opposite leg steps back into the lunge with the back foot high on the tiptoe and knee extended
Find the straight line first. Back heel, hip, head all in one line before any lift begins (Gridlines and Symmetry)
The rib-cage lift is circumlinear, not a backbend. Sternum and rib cage move forward and up; the pelvis stays neutral and down; the belly cavity elongates. No pressing the pelvis forward
Legs pull away from each other throughout; this is the fixed foundation FSA depends on
Exit mirrors entry. Release the lift to straight line, lower the arms, shift weight to the front leg, step the back leg forward with the same control as the entry

Practiced multiple rounds on both sides.

5. Front (High) Lunge Torsion (New — Torsion Focus)

Built directly on the Front Lunge foundation. The stance and leg work are identical; the difference is the direction of the upper-body motion. Arms open to the sides in line with the Star Form arm carriage.

Key emphases:

The center of the chest turns; the arms follow. The arms stay as a single line. If the arms lead, the form stops being about Torsion
The head turns only as much as the chest turns. No independent neck rotation
The back leg stays pulled back and high on the tiptoe throughout the turn and the return
Straight line before the torsion. Back heel, hip, and head in line, the way they were in the Extension, before the turn begins

Practiced both sides multiple times, first with arms down, then with arms out.

6. V-Sit (New — Converge Focus)

Practical points:

From the hang-back position, the forearms are hooked around the outside of the knees; the weight sits just above the tailbone; the upper body is stable and can relax. From there, the feet lift off the floor and hands are released from the knees. The foundation of the torso and thighs remains still.
The shoulders initiate the movement. Scapulae broaden forward as the hands press forward, leading with one shoulder at a time ~~if helpful~~
The chest lifts and/or the legs extend. (as long as the intensity modification principle allows ) The knees can stay slightly bent; the balls of the feet extend forward; the degree of leg extension is not the point
The abdominal activation that appears is a byproduct of simply leaning back (automatic), assisted by the Distributed Activation from drawing the shoulders down
Rest between repetitions by hooking the forearms back around the knees and hanging; this is the built-in recovery position

7. Simple Cross Inflection (Review — Expanded)

Returned to the form from Sessions 1 and 2. This session added rib-cage micro-movements on top of the held flexion before the transition into extension and then during the extension:

From the starting hang-back with the legs crossed, outside edges of the feet press forward against the floor
The spinal flexion on the way in is opposed by the foot pressure: the feet oppose the motion forward, the upper spine rounds, the shoulders draw down. The flexing movement continues for as long as anatomically possible and feels comfortable. The “depth” will depend on the level of flexibility and personal condition.
Before moving into extension, the rib cage mobilizes a small amount over the top of the pelvis; this is the micro-movement layered on top of the held flexion
The extension then uses the opposition created by the foot pressure and the help of gravity (or hand assist for those who’s pelvis is at more than 90 degrees) to aid the spine becoming straight from the lower back and up while trying to sharpen the hip angle on the extension (INTENT focus)
The INFLECT spinal movements distinguish between the upper spine (where the flexion happens) and the lower spine (mostly remains straight)
The shoulders continue to draw down throughout

Practiced both sides.

8. Square Cross Inflection (New — Inflect Focus)

While the spinal movements are the same as in simple cross, the distinguishing features are the leg position:

Shins cross at the center, ankles flexed, soles of the feet parallel (the “square” shape)
Knees in line with the soles of the feet, not close in to the body
The ankle flexion is the most commonly lost element when attention shifts to the spinal work

Practiced both sides, with progressively more layering each round.

9. Peak Hold (Brief Review)

Added out of order after the cross inflections. The geometric relationship with V-Sit (same converging angle, inverted gravity) was the anchor. Hands wider than shoulders-width is a useful starting accommodation for the shoulders; the fingers grip foward into the floor. The rib cage and thighs press toward each other; the arm line stays continuous with the upper back; the shoulders draw down toward the hips. The feet remain high on the tiptoes.

Ignition and Assimilation

Ignition. Standing, feet slightly wider than hip-width, knees bent, weight centralized over the heels. Marionette arms on the way up; at shoulder height, the wrists torsion inward, palms rotating forward, engaging the forearms (the “squishy physio ball” cue). The only active element is the wrist torsion; the rest of the body stays as neutral as possible, with the back of the neck and the belly relaxed. A small side-to-side weight shift between the heels was added as an optional calibration, with the quadriceps activating as the weight transfers. Exit with the synchronized knee extension and arm lowering.

Assimilation. Supine first, with the back of the heels, calves, pelvis, rib cage, shoulders, elbows, hands, and head all registered as points of contact with the floor. The task is to feel the weight at each point as a real, relevant sensation first, before considering any subjective shift. We then rolled prone, with a new set of contact points (forehead or cheek, tops of the feet, rib cage, pelvis, arms), and the same attention task was repeated with gravity acting on the body in the opposite orientation. This is calibration, not relaxation. Assimilation is covered in its own Primer segment, which falls outside the five segments scheduled for this study group.

Participant Questions and Discussion

Elinor on pelvic floor activation. Elinor asked whether the pelvic floor should be engaged directly during the forms. Asia explained that the same principle that applies to abdominal activation applies here: we don’t cue any deliberate engagement. The pelvic floor is recruited as a byproduct of many movement patterns and Distributed Activation, particularly the patterns that involve traction and the pulling-apart of the legs. Asia shared her own experience of developing pelvic-floor sensitivity through the practice as a concrete example. Elinor’s follow-up, about the risk of people engaging the wrong way when the instruction is absent, connects to the broader point: the initial goal is to understand the movement patterns themselves. This builds the awareness of different muscles and the skill of controlling them at low intensity. Once Distributed Activation is established, the specific details of engagement at any given muscle group become self-regulating and somewhat open-ended. The Distributed Activation becomes the playground for the practitioner to explore what they want to do with their muscles, including the pelvic floor.

James on working around discomfort | Intensity modification with micro-movements. James described his left hip tightening during the lunges and tilts, connected to a prior lower-back injury. Asia explained the general strategy for working with a similar individual condition: in the course of performing a particular movement, identify the precise point where the sensation shifts from neutral to uncomfortable, pull back slightly from that point, and use micro-movements combined with Distributed Activation to “untie the knot” in the surrounding tissue. The combination acts like a self-administered tissue massage: pull the legs away, move the rib cage a small amount, shift the pelvis slightly, keep the shoulders drawing down. The surrounding tissue is what you work with, not the painful point itself. This is an observation from long practice rather than a clinical claim; for any injury, the first conversation is with a physician.

Marta on hands-on assistance and private sessions | NODAA. Marta raised the question of whether a private session might give her more hands-on feedback. We don’t offer private sessions, and the reason connects to how we teach. Our teaching methodology uses the acronym NODAA (Narration, Observation, Demonstration, Assist, Assess). Physical assistance is one of several Assist modalities (along with “verbal assisting”), and we use it deliberately rather than as a default, because over-reliance on hands-on feedback can short-circuit the sensory learning the practice is trying to develop. The goal is not to reinforce whatever learning archetype a participant already defaults to (kinesthetic, visual, auditory) but to expand the threshold of all of them. A fuller description is on the Key Teaching Principles page. Note that the kinesthetic/visual/auditory “preferences” may reflect not a learning style but a degree of capacity in a particular modality. If someone can easily align their torso with the back leg when given verbal instructions to “create a straight line,” the person who can easily do that does not necessarily have a preference for verbal instructions, but rather they have the capacity to translate the conceptual understanding of a straight line into the confirmation of their body based on existing proprioceptive sensing capacity. One way to approach helping a person who cannot easily do that is to physically correct them, which they may immediately “prefer,” but a long-term solution is to give them tasks that would develop the capacity to sense the straight line from proprioceptive input.

Follow-up (2026-04-20, forum): Marta followed up on the platform and asked whether the older “Deep” tier (which mentioned individualized support) was still available. The fuller framing of why we point individual practitioners toward community-facing formats rather than private sessions lives in Private Sessions & Current Direction.

Noémie on pain dissolving within a session | Sensory Calibration. Noémie described arriving from a physically demanding work week and finding that what initially felt like discomfort settled into something she could work with once she engaged the pattern work. Asia connected this to what we call “sensory calibration” within a session: the practice overflows the nervous system with signal, and over the course of a session the nervous system re-assigns value to what it’s receiving/recalibrating the amount of signal it sends down to contract muscles. What first registered as negative often equalizes. This is happening at both the brain level and at the level of muscle tension controlled by the spinal cord.

Natalie on daily practice. Natalie mentioned that she had been doing the assignment material across the week rather than condensing it, and that the difference was visible to her in today’s session. The point we made in Session 2 about spreading the work across the week applies again here; the work between study blocks is part of how the material gets assimilated.

Natalie on spatial sensation during practice. Natalie described a shift during Star Form from feeling like an object fighting gravity to feeling supported by the surrounding space, as though she were using a grid rather than pushing through two dimensions. Asia’s answer connected this to current understanding in neuroscience: movement and the coding of space are not separate in the brain. The representation of a point in space is stored as the capacity to reach for it. When the practice brings multiple motor maps online at the same time (reaching, walking, stabilizing, protecting), those maps begin to connect to one another, and the subjective experience of moving through connected space follows from that. Patrick added that this pattern work can be understood as a kind of “neural-network” training at a very basic level - feed a neural network with abundant input and patterns will emerge - which connects to a longer article on the topic on the Baseworks site. Read more in Patrick’s article: https://baseworks.com/article/when-bodies-think-like-neural-networks/

Common Adjustments and Corrections

Star Tilt: leading with the chest. The tilt should lead from the pelvis, with the upper torso staying locked to the pelvis as one chunk
Star Tilt: back arching. Pelvis stays vertical; no forward tilt of the pelvis during the hip rotation (no “un-stacking” of the rib cage and pelvis)
Lunge Torsion: arms leading the turn. The chest turns; the arms follow as a byproduct. Arms stay as a single line
Lunge Extension: pelvis pressing forward. The rib-cage lift is circumlinear and up; the pelvis stays neutral and down
Square Cross: losing the ankle flexion. Ankles stay flexed throughout the form
Arms tiring in standing forms. Hands come to the hips rather than collapsing the pattern; arms can then re-engage when ready

Next Assignment

The next assignment (for Session 4, Saturday April 25, 9:10-10:50 AM, Studio 1) is Segment 4, approximately 87 minutes. This is a longer and more detailed segment than the previous assignments, and spreading it across the week rather than condensing it into the days before is recommended.

Tags: Star Form, Star Tilt, Front (High) Lunge Extension, Front (High) Lunge Torsion, V-Sit, Simple Cross Inflection, Square Cross Inflection, Peak Hold, Reclining Transition, Fixing-Separating-Isolating, Distributed Activation, Micro-Movements, Intensity Modification, Torsion, Structure, NODAA, Assimilation, Ignition, Opposition of Forces, Gridlines and Symmetry, Converge, Ascend, Inflect

Resources

The following resources relate to concepts introduced in this session (optional study):

Key Teaching Principles — the NODAA methodology (Narration, Observation, Demonstration, Assist, Assess) and the pedagogical reasoning behind how we use hands-on assistance in sessions
When Bodies Think Like Neural Networks — on the parallels between movement learning and machine learning
The Mystery of Proprioceptive Awareness — on proprioceptive mapping and why visual input overrides it, relevant to the Structure focus surfaced in the Q&A
What Movement Training Misses: The Micro-Movement Gap — on continuous small adjustments, relevant to the intensity-modification approach for working around tension
Study Group Preparation Guide — practical guidance for study group participants

Upcoming Baseworks Presentations

We are presenting at two neuroscience events in the coming weeks. Both are open to the public.

27th Neuropsychology Day and Brenda Milner Lecture at The Neuro, McGill University — Monday, May 11, 2026. A full-day public neuroscience event; this is our second year presenting a poster. Free, with registration through Eventbrite. Our presentation is between 2:30 p.m. to 3:45 p.m.
BRNet 2026: Three Trainable Components of Body Representation in Padova, Italy — June 2026. A two-day conference on body representation and proprioception

Group Post

Subject: Session 3 Summary and Assignment 4

The detailed summary of yesterday’s session is now available on the forum. It covers Torsion as a byproduct of joint stacking, the V-Sit and its shoulder-lead dynamic, Fixing-Separating-Isolating in the Lunge Extension, the new Square Cross Inflection, the Structure focus, and the questions raised in the discussion: https://practice.baseworks.com/groups/montreal-study-group-spring-2026-cohort/forum/discussion/session-3-summary-torsion-v-sit-and-square-cross-inflection/#post-22217

Assignment 3 (Segment 3, Lessons 3.9–3.14) was the closing block of Segment 3, covering the Inflect and Intent foci and the relationship between Baseworks focus and conventional exercise goals. That material carried directly into yesterday’s session, particularly the Cross Inflections and the rib-cage work in the Lunge Extension.

Next Assignment (for Session 4, Saturday April 25, 9:10–10:50 AM, Studio 1): Complete Segment 4. Total time: approximately 87 minutes.

This segment is longer and more detailed than the previous assignments. Spreading the work across the week rather than condensing it into the days before the session is recommended, as the point made in Sessions 2 and 3 about daily practice applies here as well.

Sessions 1–3 forms will continue alongside the new material introduced in Session 4. Smart Revisit is the primary tool for keeping earlier work active; the PrimerPrint curve on your dashboard shows the current ratio of new study to revisit.

Again, please find the full list of Primer assignments for the program here: https://practice.baseworks.com/groups/montreal-study-group-spring-2026-cohort/forum/discussion/primer-assignments-2/#post-22127

Editorial Notes

Initial draft generated from transcript via /session-summary skill, 2026-04-18.

Round 1 revision (2026-04-18)

Edited by Asia

Structural changes

Added Squat (Review) as Form 1; renumbered all subsequent forms accordingly
Removed “Intensity Modification with Micro-Movements” as a standalone Key Concepts entry — content moved and integrated into James’s Q&A entry
Removed “Hands-on assistance and NODAA” as a standalone Key Concepts entry — content expanded and integrated into Marta’s Q&A entry
Re-attributed the spatial sensation (grid/gravity) observation from Noémie to Natalie (speaker attribution correction)

Content additions

Session Overview: added note that Session 3 included personalized feedback and adjustments (not offered in Sessions 1–2)
Assignment Reference callout: updated foci list (removed Equate)
Torsion section: expanded to describe the prerequisite starting position — spine aligned with back leg, ribcage and pelvis stacked — before torsion initiates
V-Sit: added “as if pressing into an imaginary wall” cue for the hands; added note on diaphragmatic breathing as a reason not to deliberately engage the core; added “additional step” framing for chest lift and knee extension, with intensity modification qualifier
FSA/Lunge Extension: added that the upper torso forms a straight line with the back leg before the rib-cage lift; clarified how the locus of Isolation differs from Star Tilt (hip joint vs. waist)
Square Cross Inflection: specified ankles flexed “at 90 degrees rather than extended”
Structure focus: significantly expanded — added that the instructor’s hands-on correction, if given too often, may reduce capacity to self-judge alignment; added closing sentence on the goal of practice (understanding the body when the instructor is absent)
Marta’s Q&A: added new paragraph on learning preferences vs. capacity (kinesthetic/visual/auditory as capability, not style); articulated long-term vs. short-term correction strategies
Neural-networks remark: corrected from “I added” to “Patrick added”; added direct link to the article

Conceptual corrections

Star Tilt: correction framing inverted — now stated as “leading from pelvis” (correct) rather than calling out “leading from chest” (the error)
Lunge Extension entry: renamed from “Shoulder-forward weight shift” to “Arms-forward weight shift”
V-Sit: changed “chest lifts and legs extend together” to “chest lifts and/or the legs extend”
Simple Cross Inflection: changed “foot pressure drives the spinal flexion” to “foot pressure opposes the spinal flexion” (the feet resist the motion, not drive it)

Content removals

Removed from Key Concepts: first-person framing in V-Sit section (“I spent some time on this distinction…”; Noémie’s byproduct/side-effect clarification moved out of this section)
Removed from Key Concepts: sentence “If the arms lead, or if the head turns further than the chest…” from Torsion (content covered in Form 4 bullet points)
Removed from Common Adjustments: V-Sit correction about leading with abs or neck
Removed from Resources: “Baseworks Distributed Activation: The M1 on Fire” and “The Neuroscience of Baseworks” links; added “When Bodies Think Like Neural Networks” link
Brenda Milner Day: added presentation time slot (2:30–3:45 p.m.)