CMA Shape & Shape Flow Analysis Flashcards

In LMA, the four Shape qualities associated with planes are:

Answer: Rising/Sinking, Spreading/Enclosing, Advancing/Retreating, Growing/Condensing

The four pairs of planar Shape qualities are Rising/Sinking (vertical), Spreading/Enclosing (horizontal), and Advancing/Retreating (sagittal), plus Growing/Condensing overall.

Which Shape quality describes movement that narrows the body by pulling the arms inward horizontally?

Answer: Enclosing

Enclosing is the horizontal shape quality of gathering or narrowing the body inward, like wrapping arms around oneself.

A CMA observes a client whose movement lacks volumetric shaping and relies entirely on spoke-like directionals. A likely implication is:

Answer: Limited ability to form adaptive, enveloping relationships with people or objects

Without volumetric shaping, the mover cannot adapt their body three-dimensionally around others or objects, limiting nuanced environmental interaction.

The term 'hollowing' in Shape Flow refers to:

Answer: Drawing the front surface of the body inward, away from the environment

Hollowing is the backward/inward movement of the front body surface, creating a concave front — the opposite of bulging.

In Shape theory, 'retreating' refers to movement that:

Answer: Moves the body backward in the sagittal plane, away from the environment

Retreating is a sagittal Shape quality in which the body or body part moves backward, withdrawing from the forward-facing environment.

Which statement best describes the relationship between Shape and Effort in LMA?

Answer: Shape relates to the body's form changes while Effort relates to the dynamic qualities of movement

Shape describes how the body's form changes in space, while Effort describes the inner dynamic qualities — they are distinct but interrelated LMA categories.