ABOUT DYNAMIC NEURO-COGNITIVE IMAGERY (DNI)™
Dynamic Neuro-cognitive Imagery (DNI)™ is an imagery-based codified method for movement and postural control retraining. DNI uses progressive movement exercises combined with various methods of imagery to draw participants’ attention to anatomical structures and locations, body biomechanics, as well as spatial and functional relationships between body segments during movement. Thus, participants are trained to observe, contemplate, and use enhanced anatomical knowledge to enhance movement quality and optimize the movement of the body part (e.g., acknowledging the pelvis location and its counter-rotational motion during gait to facilitate normal gait patterns within the pelvis and lower extremities.) DNI practice integrates movement experience, anatomical and biomechanical knowledge, movement-related imagery inputs and sensory cues, proprioception, self-talk, and self-touch.

DNITM is a novel, academic term comprising the “Franklin Method” (the imagery method developed by Eric Franklin) and its associated knowledge together with current updates and advancements from our clinical experience and related academic research.

To-date, DNITM is the only comprehensive imagery training approach that provides participants and students with a systematic approach towards learning and using imagery for sports, dance, and daily life performance. As such, it can be applied to all movement techniques and exercise regimen, including Yoga, Pilates, Feldenkrais, etc. DNI is also the only approach that offers regulated teachers’ training courses with well-established syllables and a faculty of officially trained teachers.

Scientific studies have shown that training to DNITM resulted in improved biomechanical and qualitative aspects of dance movement performance in 18 college dance students and resulted in a significant improvement in jump height in 13 college dance students. Recently, we determined that performance of developpé (a complex dance movement), as measured by leg lift height, was significantly improved in 34 college dance students following an intensive, 3-day DNITM training. This training also improved participants’ imagery ability (measured with a standardized questionnaire) (Abraham, Gose, and Hackney, in preparation).

What is Yamuna?
Yamuna Zake created the total bodywork system generally named Yamuna after her in New York in the United States in 19791). The term of Yamuna is a registered trademark. Yamuna mainly consists of four different categories: “Yamuna Body Logic,” “Yamuna Body Rolling,” “Yamuna Foot Fitness,” and “Yamuna Face Ball.” Zake created the manual therapy called Yamuna Body Logic first. YBR was developed from Yamuna Body Logic to maintain the conditions of therapists and provide a home program for patients. YBR has the same therapeutic benefits as Yamuna Body Logic and uses a specialized exercise ball as a self-conditioning tool.

This unique program gives people distinct methods to work on themselves in order to sustain their postures, flexibilities, strengths, and alignments throughout their lives. Yamuna is a totally different concept compared with conventional “fitness” regimes and newly categorized as “Body Sustainability.” It has been widely used in many countries in North America, Europe, South America, and Oceania and in Japan.

Yamuna is based theoretically on people performing certain movements on a specialized ball called “routines” by controlling their own body weight and stimulating muscular origins, tendons, muscle bellies, and insertions. Repeating deep inhalation and exhalation stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system, relaxing muscle tensions and making the body weight sink into the ball. After sinking into the ball as the muscles elongate, the person distally stretches or, in other words, self-tractions the intended body parts to increase the joint play. During stretching out of limbs, any rotational malalignment can also be adjusted. After one side is done, it is very important to evaluate and compare the conditions of the worked side to the other side. It is not recommended to forcefully press toward the ball because this activates the stretch reflex as an opposing effect.

The extraordinary effect of YBR is its multidimensional elongation of muscle fibers. In addition to the regular longitudinal elasticity resulting from the conventional stretch method, the transversal and diagonal expansion of muscle fibers by YBR enables the body to move more dynamically. Also, YBR can easily access to abdominal muscles and internal organs even though regular stretching cannot usually target those sensitive areas. For example, YBR can expand the rib cage to increase the lung capacity.