Baseworks Unified Voice Guide

This guide defines the shared Baseworks writing voice. It applies to all written communication — website copy, emails, participant communications, session summaries, and forum responses — regardless of who writes it. It is the baseline. Personal voice guides for Patrick and Ksenia build on top of this.

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Scope

This guide applies to all client-facing and collaborator-facing materials: website copy, program pages, emails, participant communications, session summaries, and forum responses.

Method Admin content is explicitly outside this scope. The method-admin section of the vault contains internal working documents — definitions, scientific grounding, pedagogical notes, and terminology in progress. These are not written for an external audience and are not expected to conform to the voice guidelines. They are works in progress and should be treated as such.

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AI Generation Warning — Read Before Writing

AI-generated text defaults to a specific failure mode: polarizing, contrastive, deficit-framing language. This is the most common voice violation in Baseworks copy and it happens even when the voice guide is loaded. The pattern looks like this:

• “Rather than X, Baseworks does Y” — defines through contrast instead of stating what something is
• “Not a fitness program. Not a mindfulness practice.” — stone-throwing at other modalities
• “Unlike most approaches…” — competitive positioning disguised as description
• “Want to understand how their body actually moves” — implies the audience has a deficit
• Generated metaphors (“clicks into place,” “threads to pull on”) — decorative language that obscures meaning

Before generating any copy, apply these three filters to every sentence:

1. Does it describe what something IS? If the sentence defines Baseworks by what it is not, or by contrast with something else, rewrite it. The positive statement stands on its own.
2. Is it free of generated metaphors? If the sentence contains a figure of speech that is not on the Allowed Metaphors list, remove it and state the thing directly.
3. Does it lead with the positive? If the sentence names a problem, deficit, or gap before stating the value, reverse the order — or drop the negative clause entirely.

These are not edge cases. This is the default output pattern of AI-generated text about Baseworks, and it must be caught at generation time, not in review.

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Core Principles

1. Write for the reader, not the writer

The reader is intelligent. They do not have specialized knowledge of the method. Write as if explaining clearly to a thoughtful person encountering Baseworks for the first time — without talking down to them and without assuming prior knowledge.

A useful internal test: would a curious, educated person understand this without asking a follow-up question?

2. Describe what something is — not what it isn’t

Lead with what Baseworks is, what a program does, what a participant will experience. References to other modalities (fitness, mindfulness, yoga, wellness) are sometimes appropriate for context, but they should be used considerately — to orient the reader — not competitively or dismissively.

Avoid: “Not a fitness program. Not a mindfulness practice.” Prefer: “Baseworks is a movement education program. The focus is on developing a clear, practical understanding of how the body moves.”

3. Simple language — not simplified ideas

Short sentences. Plain words. Avoid jargon, academic language, and rhetorical flourishes. The goal is clarity, not impressiveness. Complex ideas can be explained plainly; plain language does not mean shallow thinking.

4. No generated metaphors or rhetorical devices

Do not invent analogies, idioms, turns of phrase, or metaphors when writing copy — even subtle ones. They shift attention from the content to the language itself, and they rarely survive translation or cross-cultural reading.

Specific metaphors that Patrick and Ksenia have approved for use are listed under Allowed Metaphors in the Words and Phrases section below. These are intentional vocabulary choices, not exceptions to the rule — the rule is against generating new metaphors, not against all figurative language.

Avoid: “doesn’t have an off switch,” “not a sales pitch,” “threads to pull on” Prefer: State the thing directly.

5. No sales language

Baseworks does not use wellness marketing language. The writing should reflect the educational and methodological depth of the work.

Always avoid:

• “Unlock your potential”
• “Invest in yourself”
• “Transform your body/mind”
• “Mind-body connection”
• “Wellness journey”
• “Level up”
• Generic excitement (“Amazing!”, “Incredible results!“)

6. No exclamation marks in professional contexts

In emails, program pages, or any formal communication, exclamation marks undermine the tone. They are acceptable only in informal, warm personal exchanges where the context clearly calls for it.

6a. Em dashes: do not use

Em dashes (—) are not used in Baseworks copy. Heavy em dash use reads as AI-generated, and even occasional use proved to creep back in as a default tool. The rule is now absolute: zero em dashes in body copy.

Replace every em dash with one of: a comma, a period and a new sentence, a colon, parentheses, or a restructured sentence. Hyphens in compound words (“heads-up”, “V-Sit”) and en dashes in number ranges (“9:10–10:50”) are fine and unaffected. If a draft contains an em dash, it is not finished.

Policy change on 2026-04-19: previously “use sparingly”, now “do not use at all”. The sparing-use rule kept failing in practice.

Use contractions for natural flow. “Doesn’t,” “isn’t,” “won’t,” “they’d” over “does not,” “is not,” “will not,” “they had.” Contractions make copy read as written by a person, not generated by a machine. This applies to all public-facing copy.

7. Conviction without arrogance

Write with confidence. Do not hedge unnecessarily or apologize for the method’s requirements. At the same time, the writing should never position Baseworks as superior to other practices — simply as distinct, with its own clear purpose.

Avoid: “Unlike most fitness programs…” / “What other programs can’t offer…” Prefer: State what Baseworks does, simply and directly.

8. Qualifiers are tools, not weakeners

Used intentionally, qualifiers make the writing more honest and precise — not less confident. “Often,” “in most cases,” “typically,” “many practitioners find” are accurate because results and experiences genuinely vary.

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Two-Version Principle for Website and Program Copy

All significant copy should exist in two registers:

Accessible version — for landing pages, program overviews, general audiences. Short sentences, plain vocabulary, immediate comprehension. Someone should be able to read it once and understand.

Formal version — for research proposals, conference contexts, institutional outreach, academic partnerships. More precise, structured, allows for longer sentences and technical vocabulary — but still readable.

When drafting copy for any new context, produce both. They can often be derived from each other without a full rewrite.

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Handling Recurring Topics

Cross-domain transfer

The awareness and self-regulation skills developed through Baseworks practice often become relevant beyond movement. Practitioners notice this in how they learn, concentrate, and sustain effort in other areas of their lives. This is a common outcome of structured practice — not a stated goal of the programs.

How to frame it:

• Present as observation, not promise
• Use qualifying language: “often,” “many practitioners notice,” “a common outcome”
• Do not promise specific outcomes in specific areas (productivity, relationships, performance)
• Do not frame it as a self-development benefit — it emerges from the nature of the practice

Accessible version:

Practitioners often notice that the awareness and self-regulation skills developed through this practice become useful in other areas of their lives — in how they learn, concentrate, and sustain effort. This is a common outcome of structured practice.

Formal version:

The attentional and self-regulatory capacities developed through systematic Baseworks study are not domain-specific. Practitioners regularly report their application across varied contexts — in professional performance, sustained cognitive work, and interpersonal engagement. These outcomes emerge as a function of the methodology rather than as its stated objective.

Differentiating Baseworks from other modalities

When context requires distinguishing Baseworks from fitness, yoga, mindfulness, or wellness practices, do so by describing Baseworks — not by dismissing the others.

Avoid: “Unlike yoga or fitness…” Prefer: “Baseworks programs are educational in structure. The focus is on developing a clear understanding of how the body moves — through structured study, guided practice, and attention to what is happening in the body.”

If a direct comparison is unavoidable, acknowledge the other practice respectfully before clarifying the distinction. Example: “For people who come from yoga or Pilates backgrounds, the analytical and precision-based nature of Baseworks is often the most notable difference."

"Physical Intelligence” as a term

This term is in use but should appear as contextual detail, not as a headline or foregrounded concept. It should not appear in hero copy, section headings, or as a primary description of the method. It may appear in body copy, program descriptions, or formal contexts where it adds precision.

Intake and access — routing, not gatekeeping

When programs have prerequisites or intake processes, frame them as routing the person to the right starting point — not as evaluating whether they qualify.

Avoid: “Am I eligible?” / “Confirm your eligibility” / “We’ll assess whether you’re ready” Prefer: “Find your starting point” / “We’ll point you toward the right program”

When presenting outcomes or recommendations (e.g., intake form results), describe the match between the person and the program — not the person’s readiness or qualification level.

Avoid: “You’re ready for…” / “You’re equipped to…” / “Your background qualifies you for…” Prefer: “Practice Sessions align with your experience.” / “The Study Group is the right starting point.”

The distinction matters: “you’re ready” presumes to evaluate the person after a few questions. “This program aligns with your experience” describes the fit.

Replacing “fitness” in copy

The word “fitness” anchors the reader in a specific paradigm: exercise for physical results (strength, endurance, body composition). When someone reads “fitness level” or “fitness objectives,” they frame Baseworks within that paradigm — and everything about awareness, understanding, and cross-domain transfer reads as an add-on to fitness rather than as something operating in a different space.

Baseworks is adjacent to fitness, wellness, and health — but distinct from all three. Copy should allow people from fitness backgrounds to recognize relevance without centering fitness as the frame. The replacements below keep the reference broad enough to include fitness-oriented people while positioning the work accurately.

Replacement table:

Instead of	Use	Context
fitness level	physical background	Descriptive, not hierarchical; includes non-fitness disciplines
fitness objectives / goals	physical goals, practice goals	Neutral frame; doesn’t center fitness paradigm
fitness practices	physical disciplines	Broad, serious, includes all backgrounds
gym training	strength training	Describes the activity without invoking the “gym/fitness” paradigm
conventional fitness	established physical disciplines, physical education	Doesn’t position Baseworks against “fitness” specifically
fitness alone	physical activity alone, physical conditioning alone, athletic level	Names the actual thing without invoking the paradigm
fitness program (when disclaiming)	—	Drop entirely; describe what Baseworks IS instead

Notes:

• “Primary training” works well in the professional/educator context (e.g., “what their primary training didn’t address”) but doesn’t replace “fitness” everywhere — it implies the person has serious preparation in something specific.
• “Physical education” — reserve for describing the broader field or what other approaches focus on (e.g., “Most approaches to physical education”). Do not use as a label for what Baseworks does.
• “Movement education” — preferred term when describing what Baseworks does. Signals a learning framework with intellectual substance, aligns with “Smart Movement Study Program,” and avoids the school PE class association that “physical education” carries for English speakers.
• “Movement experience” — avoid as a category term for describing practitioners’ backgrounds. It pulls toward specific movement culture scenes (Ido Portal, Fighting Monkey, etc.) and narrows the audience. Prefer “physical background” or “extensive physical background.”
• When describing other modalities (not Baseworks), “training” is acceptable — the voice guide restriction on “train/training” applies to describing what Baseworks practitioners do, not to describing external disciplines.

Examples:

Needs revision	Preferred
”What level of physical fitness is required?"	"What physical background is expected?"
"You don’t need a particular fitness level."	"You don’t need a particular physical background."
"not outcomes comparable to conventional fitness"	"The focus is awareness, understanding, and movement study.” (describe what it IS)
“skills you won’t find in conventional fitness, yoga, or movement training"	"skills — useful across all physical activity, and developed here through structured attention and practice”

This section is a draft for Ksenia’s review (proposed 2026-03-08).

Referencing specific modalities — no single discipline as proxy for fit

When describing someone’s background or assessing fit, do not single out one discipline (yoga, dance, martial arts, etc.) as the primary indicator. A person’s suitability for Baseworks comes from the full picture — physical background, professional knowledge, intellectual curiosity, self-regulation — not from any one modality.

Yoga is a common background among people who find Baseworks, but foregrounding it:

• Implies Baseworks is yoga-adjacent or builds on yoga specifically
• Sets expectations that the experience will relate to yoga practice
• Undervalues other dimensions of a person’s background that may be equally or more relevant (dance, therapy, sports, professional bodywork)
• Creates a false shorthand where “yoga background = good fit”

The same applies to any single discipline. Mention specific modalities when contextually relevant — when the person themselves names it, or when a specific aspect of their background connects to a specific aspect of the program. But do not default to one modality as the reference point.

Avoid: “Based on your yoga background, I expect that’s not an issue.” Prefer: “Based on your background, I expect that’s not an issue.”

Avoid: “Her yoga practice makes her a strong fit.” Prefer: “Her diverse physical and professional background — dance, yoga, craniosacral therapy — makes her a strong fit.”

When to name a specific modality:

• The person asked about it specifically (“Will my yoga experience be relevant?”)
• A specific aspect of their background connects to a specific program element (“Your craniosacral work means you already understand distributed tissue response”)
• You’re listing their background comprehensively, not singling one out

This principle is consistent with the “fitness” replacement guidance — both are about not anchoring the reader in a specific paradigm that narrows how they understand Baseworks.

This section is a draft for Ksenia’s review (proposed 2026-03-16).

Practice Platform — access is not open enrollment

The Practice Platform is for established practitioners. Access is granted through program completion — it is not a product available for general purchase or sign-up. Copy should make this clear without making it feel exclusive or unwelcoming.

Avoid: Any CTA that implies anyone can “access” or “join” the platform directly. Prefer: “The Practice Platform is available to established Baseworks practitioners. Access is provided as part of the program ecosystem — through Study Group and Study Lab completion.”

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By Context

Website and program pages

• Lead with what the program or format actually is — format, structure, who it’s for
• Keep hero copy short and specific; no grand positioning statements in hero headlines
• Hero copy should validate and invite, not point out deficits. If a page has a problem/hook section (e.g., “The Gap”), let that section do the problem-naming work. The hero should frame the audience positively — build on their existing foundation — so the problem section arrives as a deepening, not a repetition. Example: “want to refine how they perceive and control their own movement” (additive) rather than “want to understand how their body actually moves” (implies they don’t understand).
• Program descriptions should be accurate and practical — what happens, how long, what’s included
• Avoid urgency language (“limited spots”, “don’t miss out”) unless factually accurate and necessary

Email and participant communications

• Match the language of the person writing in (EN or FR)
• For cohort-wide communications: provide both English and French
• Use a tone appropriate to the relationship: light for first contact, clear and direct for follow-up, warm but firm for policy enforcement
• No apologetic openers (“Sorry to bother you”, “Just a quick note”)
• Address the point directly, then provide context if needed
• Email signatures: Sign with the name of whoever is sending the email — either Patrick or Asia, not both. Patrick and Asia take turns communicating with participants; the sign-off reflects who is actually writing.
• Standard opener for first contact responses: “Thank you for your inquiry” or “Thank you very much for your inquiry” — not “Thank you for reaching out” (too casual for formal correspondence)
• Follow-up responses must reflect the existing conversation. Do not reuse the first-contact opener in a follow-up. If someone has already been in touch, the response should read as a natural continuation — “Hi James,” not “Hello James, thank you for your inquiry.” Treat each exchange as part of an ongoing thread, not a fresh interaction.
• Fit assessment framing: When telling someone they’re a good fit, frame it as relevance and complementarity — not performance. The program is about the match between someone’s objectives and what Baseworks offers, not about “doing well.” Use “you’d find the program very relevant” or “Baseworks complements what you’re already practicing” — not “you’d do well in this program.”
• Assignment pacing guidance: When encouraging participants to complete assignments, frame it as giving themselves enough time across the week — not as a directive to “get through” them. Avoid language that sounds prescriptive or in-the-face. Prefer “we recommend giving yourself time to work through each assignment across the week rather than rushing through them close to the weekend.” Do not tell participants to “give yourself enough time” (too direct) or “cram” (too informal).

Session summaries

• Written in Patrick’s voice (or following session summary guidelines)
• Specific, methodologically precise, grounded in what actually happened
• No generic wellness framing
• Full guidelines: Session Summary Guidelines

Forum and community responses

• Warm and substantive — not brief or dismissive
• When redirecting to the forum, validate the contribution first
• Public responses should have value for future readers, not just the person asking
• Private responses for personal circumstances, policy disputes, medical information

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Words and Phrases

Capitalization: Method, Practice, Approach

Term	Capitalize when…	Lowercase when…
Baseworks Method	Always. “Method” is part of the proper name.	Never lowercase “Method” after “Baseworks.”
Baseworks Practice	Referring to the structured practice system (Foundation, Elements, Strategy, Integrate)	Used descriptively: “their Baseworks practice session,” “daily practice” Or: when used to refer to “the practice of Baseworks” (as in “the practice of the Baseworks Method”). “Most of my Baseworks practice is unstructured: I wait at a bus stop, paying attention to the weight distribution in my heels.” This might appear in various testimonials but due to the ambiguity of spelling the copy should ideally use phrasing such as “when we practice Baseworks” or “in the practice of Baseworks” to avoid the homonymic phrases.
Baseworks Approach	Referring to the principled framework specifically as a named concept	Used descriptively: “the Baseworks approach to movement education”
Baseworks Key Principles	Referring to the six named principles as a collective proper noun	”one of the Baseworks principles” (generic reference, lowercase)
Intensity Modification, Distributed Activation, etc.	Always capitalize individual principle names	—
Smart Revisit, PrimerPrint	Always capitalize named platform features	—

The test: if you’re naming the specific thing (proper noun), capitalize. If the word is functioning descriptively (you could substitute a generic word and it still makes sense), lowercase.

Use

• “Practitioners” (not “students” in public-facing copy, unless referring to a specific program structure)
• “The Method” or “the Baseworks Method” (not “the system” in casual copy)
• “Shifts” (preferred Baseworks terminology for changes in state or movement)
• “Forms” (the Baseworks term for its movement vocabulary — not “positions,” “poses,” or “exercises”)
• “Practice” / “practicing” for verb forms — American English spelling throughout (not “practise/practising”). The distinction from “train” / “training” still applies: use “practice” when describing what practitioners do, not “train” (which implies athletics and narrows the audience)
• “In-person” (not “live” or “IRL”)
• “Guided practice” (not “class” or “workout”)
• “Structured study” (for program formats)
• “Often,” “many practitioners,” “a common outcome” (for transfer/results language)

Avoid

• “Unlock,” “transform,” “elevate,” “optimize”
• “Mind-body” as a compound (use “physical and mental” if necessary)
• “Journey,” “path,” “process” in a wellness context
• “Community” overuse — use only when referring to an actual community structure
• “Energy” in a non-physical sense
• “Awareness” as a standalone destination (“develop awareness”) — be specific about what kind
• “Holistic”
• “Space” meaning a program or format (e.g., “a space to grow”) — use the actual word
• “Positions,” “poses,” “exercises” as labels for named movements — use “forms” for Baseworks movement vocabulary. Note: “position” is fine when used generically to describe a physical arrangement of the body (e.g., “holding specific body positions for extended periods”) — the issue is using “positions” as a category term replacing forms, poses, or exercises
• “Train” / “training” when describing what practitioners do — use “practise” / “practice”
• “Fitness” (fitness level, fitness objectives, fitness practices, conventional fitness) — see “Replacing ‘fitness’ in copy” under Handling Recurring Topics for the full replacement table
• “Walk away with” — metaphor; use “develop,” “build,” or “gain” instead
• “Thank you for reaching out” — too casual for formal correspondence and contact form responses. Use “Thank you for your inquiry” or “Thank you very much for your inquiry”

Preferred Section Headings and Framing

When naming sections on program pages, prefer language that describes the relationship or the content — not role labels or sensational framing.

Instead of	Prefer	Reason
Instructors / Meet Your Instructors	Who You’ll Work With	Describes the relationship, not a role label — Patrick and Ksenia are facilitators, guides, and co-developers, not just instructors
Takeaways	Outcomes	Cleaner, more precise
In Their Own Words	What Changes	Direct, less sensational
Studio (for session venue)	Space	”A space dedicated to movement education” — describe purpose, not label the venue type

These are not rigid rules — they reflect a preference for framing that stays close to what the thing actually is, rather than reaching for a label.

Added 2026-03-10, from Study Group landing page copy session with Patrick.

Allowed Metaphors

Metaphors listed here have been explicitly approved by Patrick and/or Ksenia for use in Baseworks copy. They are intentional vocabulary choices — not ad-hoc figures of speech. When these terms appear in context, use them as written.

• “Reverse engineered” — used to describe Asia’s analytical approach to the Baseworks method (e.g., “Asia reverse engineered the Baseworks method from a scientific perspective”). Approved by Patrick, 2026-03-08.
• “Running on autopilot” — used to describe automatic movement patterns operating below conscious attention (e.g., “the Primer focuses attention on what would otherwise continue running on autopilot”). Approved for occasional use — do not overuse. Approved by Patrick, 2026-03-25.

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Good vs. Needs Revision

Needs Revision	Preferred
”Not a fitness program. Not a mindfulness practice."	"Baseworks is a movement education program."
"A practice space — not a class."	"Practice Sessions are guided practice for experienced movers. The emphasis is on depth, not on introducing new material."
"The skills don’t have an off switch."	"Practitioners often notice these skills becoming useful outside of movement practice."
"It’s not a sales pitch.”	Remove the defensive framing entirely. State what is true directly.
”Structured for long-term learning, not one-off experiences."	"Designed for sustained study and practical development over time."
"Unlock your potential through movement."	"Develop practical movement skill through structured study."
"An educational framework for developing Physical Intelligence."	"A movement education program focused on body awareness, movement skill, and self-regulation."
"Go deep with the method."	"Study the method seriously, over time."
"Am I Eligible?” (CTA button)	“Find Your Starting Point"
"You’re ready for your first Baseworks session."	"Start with an introductory session."
"You’re equipped to experience Baseworks directly."	"Practice Sessions align with your experience."
"How central is technical precision to how you train?"	"How important is technique in your practice?"
"Meet Your Instructors"	"Who You’ll Work With"
"Takeaways” (section label)	“Outcomes"
"In Their Own Words” (testimonial heading)	“What Changes"
"a dedicated movement space"	"a space dedicated to movement education"
"what you’re feeling in a particular position"	"what you’re noticing in a particular form"
"Small cohort with individual correction"	"Small cohort with individualized feedback” or “Direct, individualized feedback in a small cohort"
"Structured, evidence-based methodology"	"Systematic methodology, informed by neuroscience"
"the connection between physical practice and mental skills"	"how physical practice carries over into learning, concentration, and daily life” or “how physical practice affects learning, focus, and self-regulation"
"Beyond conventional fitness and mindfulness"	"Distinct from conventional physical disciplines and mindfulness practices” or “Skills that most physical disciplines and mindfulness practices don’t specifically develop"
"skills that transfer into everything you do physically"	"skills that carry over into movement, learning, and sustained focus” or “awareness and precision that carry over — into physical activity, into how you learn and focus, into daily life"
"develops analytical depth and precision” (educator context)	“practical approaches they can carry directly into their teaching"
"movement precision” / “movement skills” (as primary hook)	“body awareness and refined movement skill” or “body awareness and a refined quality of movement” — “refined” implies existing ability being improved; “movement skills” alone is too generic
”intentional movement” (in ad copy / hooks)	Reserve “intentional” for formal/deeper copy (blog posts, program descriptions, landing page body). Too soft for ad hooks — works well in considered, long-form contexts where the reader is already engaged.
”want to understand how their body actually moves” (hero)	“want to refine how they perceive and control their own movement” — hero copy should be additive (building on existing competence), not deficit-framing (implying the audience doesn’t understand). Let the problem/hook section name the gap; the hero validates who they are.
”Based on your yoga background, I expect that’s not an issue."	"Based on your background, I expect that’s not an issue.” — Do not single out one modality as the reference point when the person has a diverse background. Yoga, dance, bodywork, etc. are all data points — not proxies for fit.
”Moderation is a core principle, not an afterthought."	"Moderation is built into the method.” — Negative framing (“not an afterthought”) is defensive and long-winded. Describe what it IS.
”organized around X rather than optimizing for Y"	"organized around X” — drop the “rather than” clause. The positive statement is strong enough on its own. “Rather than” introduces negative framing by defining through contrast.
”where understanding clicks into place"	"where understanding becomes physically tangible” — “clicks into place” is a generated metaphor. Describe what actually happens.
”running on autopilot” (overused)	Approved for occasional use (see Allowed Metaphors) but do not use more than once per piece. If used elsewhere in the same document, replace with “remain below conscious attention” or “continue operating automatically."
"The idea is not about repetition but rather to re-encounter"	"The idea is re-encounter.” — Lead with the positive. If the distinction needs stating, split into two sentences: “The idea is re-encounter. When you re-experience the same task from a new perspective, it changes what you can perceive in it."
"transform what you can perceive"	"changes what you can perceive” — “transform” is on the Avoid list. Acceptable occasionally in formal/deep copy where it doesn’t read as wellness language, but default to “changes,” “shifts,” or “recalibrates."
"Thank you for reaching out."	"Thank you for your inquiry.” — “Reaching out” is too casual for formal correspondence, contact form responses, and email replies. Standard opener for first contact responses only — do not reuse in follow-ups.
”We think you’d do well in this program."	"We think you’d find the program very relevant to what you’re already doing.” — Fit is about relevance and complementarity, not performance. The program matches personal objectives, not measures how someone performs.
”Thank you for your inquiry.” (in a follow-up reply)	“Hi James,” — Follow-up responses should read as a natural continuation of the conversation. Do not reset to a first-contact opener when someone has already been in touch.

Established Teaching Vocabulary

This section is a draft pending Patrick’s confirmation.

These are terms used by Patrick in Primer lessons and in-person teaching that have a fixed meaning within the Baseworks pedagogical vocabulary. They are distinct from Allowed Metaphors (which are approved figures of speech for copy) — they are literal instructional descriptions that participants encounter in the Primer and should recognize in session summaries and participant communications.

Do NOT treat these as ad-hoc metaphors subject to the voice guide prohibition. Use them as written.

Term	Source	Meaning
”empty shell” (or “container”)	Lesson 02.01 (The Meaning of Form)	A form considered as a neutral structure — the visible shape — that serves as a container for the Baseworks movement patterns. The form itself has no inherent value; the movement patterns applied within it are what create Distributed Activation.
”marionette arms”	Ignition practice instruction	Arms raised as if lifted by a puppeteer from the wrists — passive, limp at the wrist, with no shoulder effort. Used to teach the entry into the Ignition wrist torsion without engaging the shoulder.

Pending Patrick’s confirmation. Added 2026-04-05 based on Session 1 Spring 2026 review (Asia).

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Version History

Version	Date	Change	Confirmed by
1.0	2026-02-28	Initial creation — drawn from communications guide, session summary guidelines, and copy feedback from Patrick (2026-02-28 session)	Patrick
1.1 draft	2026-03-05	Added: “forms” (not positions/poses/exercises), “practise” (not train), routing vs. gatekeeping section, readiness evaluation guidance, 6 new examples in Good vs. Needs Revision table. From Practice Sessions page voice review (rounds 2–3). Pending Ksenia confirmation.	Patrick
1.2 draft	2026-03-08	Added “Allowed Metaphors” subsection under Words and Phrases. Refined principle 4 to clarify the rule is against AI-generated metaphors, not against all figurative language — approved metaphors are intentional vocabulary. First entry: “reverse engineered.” From Study Group landing page voice review (Round 2).	Patrick
1.3 draft	2026-03-08	Added “Replacing ‘fitness’ in copy” under Handling Recurring Topics — full replacement table and examples for removing “fitness” from Baseworks copy. Added “fitness” cross-reference to the Avoid list. Both pending Ksenia review.	Patrick
1.4 draft	2026-03-10	Added “Preferred Section Headings and Framing” table under Words and Phrases — terminology preferences for program page sections (Instructors→Who You’ll Work With, Takeaways→Outcomes, In Their Own Words→What Changes, studio→space). Added “walk away with” to Avoid list. Four new entries in Good vs. Needs Revision. From Study Group landing page copy session.	Patrick
1.5 draft	2026-03-11	Added 6 entries to Good vs. Needs Revision from Meta campaign copy session: individualized feedback (not correction), systematic methodology (not evidence-based), transfer domains (not “mental skills”), positioning against physical disciplines (not “beyond fitness”), multi-domain transfer (not physical-only), educator framing (tools for teaching, not analytical depth).	Patrick
1.6 draft	2026-03-12	Added hero framing principle to “Website and program pages” context: hero copy should validate and invite (additive framing), not repeat the deficit that the problem/hook section names. New Good vs. Needs Revision entry for hero supporting line.	Patrick
1.7 draft	2026-03-16	Added “Referencing specific modalities — no single discipline as proxy for fit” under Handling Recurring Topics. No single modality (yoga, dance, etc.) should be foregrounded as the indicator of fit — use the full picture. Two new Good vs. Needs Revision entries (modality singling, negative framing with “not an afterthought”). Pending Ksenia confirmation.	Patrick
1.8	2026-03-24	Added principle 6a: em dashes (use sparingly, prefer commas/periods/restructured sentences; keep only when doing real structural work) and contractions (use doesn’t/isn’t/won’t/they’d for natural flow). From Winter Study Group blog post session. Ksenia confirmed 2026-03-25.	Both
1.9	2026-03-24	Added capitalization rule under Words and Phrases: Baseworks Method (always capital M), Baseworks Practice (capital P when naming the structured system with four modules), Baseworks Approach (capital A when naming the principled framework). Lowercase when used descriptively. Ksenia confirmed 2026-03-25 and expanded the “Baseworks Practice” lowercase cell: “Baseworks practice” (lowercase) is permissible when it refers to “the practice of Baseworks” (e.g. “my Baseworks practice is unstructured”) but the preferred phrasing is “when we practice Baseworks” or “in the practice of Baseworks.” Patrick confirmed 2026-03-25.	Both
2.0 draft	2026-03-25	Added Smart Revisit and PrimerPrint to capitalization table (always capitalize named platform features). Added “running on autopilot” to Allowed Metaphors (occasional use only, max once per piece). Added 6 entries to Good vs. Needs Revision from Winter 2026 blog post feedback review: “rather than” negative framing, “clicks into place” metaphor, autopilot overuse guidance, positive-lead reframing (“the idea is re-encounter”), “transform” usage note. Pending Ksenia confirmation.	Patrick
2.1 draft	2026-03-25	Spelling: changed “practise/practising” to American English “practice/practicing” throughout. This is now the standard for all Baseworks copy. The “practice” vs “train” distinction remains (use “practice” for what Baseworks practitioners do, not “train”). Pending Ksenia confirmation.	Patrick
2.2 draft	2026-03-25	Added “AI Generation Warning” section between Scope and Core Principles — names the default AI failure mode (contrastive framing, deficit language, generated metaphors) and provides three mandatory filters for every sentence. Created companion document WRITING-PROCESS.md (shared process layer for all content-creation skills). Pending Ksenia confirmation.	Patrick
2.3 draft	2026-03-30	Added “Thank you for reaching out” to Avoid list — too casual for formal correspondence. Standard opener is “Thank you for your inquiry.” Added communication dynamics rules to Email section: follow-up responses must reflect ongoing conversation (no first-contact opener reuse), fit assessment framing uses relevance/complementarity not performance (“you’d find this relevant” not “you’d do well”). Three new Good vs. Needs Revision entries. From contact inquiry response review. Pending Ksenia confirmation.	Patrick
2.4 draft	2026-03-31	Added email signature convention: sign with whoever is sending (Patrick or Asia), not both names. Patrick and Asia alternate on participant communications. Pending Ksenia confirmation.	Patrick
2.5 draft	2026-04-05	Added “Established Teaching Vocabulary” subsection — distinguishes intentional Primer teaching terms from ad-hoc metaphors subject to the voice guide prohibition. First entries: “empty shell” / “container” (Lesson 02.01) and “marionette arms” (Ignition instruction). Pending Patrick’s confirmation.	Asia
2.6	2026-04-19	Principle 6a tightened from “use sparingly” to “do not use at all”. Em dashes (—) are now banned in body copy. Sparing-use rule kept failing in practice. Hyphens and en dashes in number ranges are unaffected.	Patrick