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

Created 2026-04-20
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Group: Montreal Study Group: 2026 Spring Cohort Author: Patrick | Posted: 2026-04-20

**Spring 2026 Smart Movement Study Program | April 18, 2026

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.

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.

Resources

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

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

Replies

Section titled “Replies”

Reply by Marta — 2026-04-20

Section titled “Reply by Marta — 2026-04-20”

Hello, and happy Monday. Thank you for elaborating about “private sessions”. I will try to clarify my question.

When I did my initial research about Baseworks, I noted that individualized guidance was included in the “Deep” option pricing plan on the practice platform.

Is this option currently available to all students?

Thank you! :)

Reply by Patrick — 2026-04-21

Section titled “Reply by Patrick — 2026-04-21”

@marta

Apologies if the answer during Session 3 was a bit short on context. Saying “we don’t offer private sessions” skipped over the fact that the platform’s original pricing did list individualized support, so your question makes complete sense.

The three-tier plan (Basic, Cyclical, Deep) launched in 2021, when the practice platform was a standalone subscription for people already familiar with the method. “Individualized support” in that context meant written correspondence with an instructor around the online material, not private in-person sessions.

That specific plan structure isn’t active for anyone onboarding from this point forward. Platform subscriptions are being refactored alongside the broader development we’ve been doing across our materials, and how each offering maps to the specific programs we now run (the Primer, the study groups, and what follows from them). The older descriptions you came across don’t reflect what’s currently in place.

We do run small-group and custom-designed programs, but those sit at a corporate or institutional level, where the scope and budget make that kind of bespoke work viable. For individual practitioners, most of our energy right now is going into formats like the study group and the community around it. Private sessions aren’t ruled out in principle, but at the rates we would need to charge we’d always point people back to the current structures first. They’re more accessible, and they encourage the thing that sits at the center of what we’re building: interaction across the community itself, not only between participants and instructors. That exchange is part of the broader educational and research-based direction we’re working toward.

In the study group itself, the individualized component already runs in a few directions: personalized feedback and adjustments within sessions (as we did in Session 3), the Q&A block at the end, and written exchanges like this one. If there’s a specific form or pattern you’d like more focused attention on, let us know ahead of the next session and we can try and build the time in for it.

Section titled “Related”