Actions are the means that constitute our interaction with the mountain through our equipment. It is an active intervention in relation to objects (poles use, skis guiding) or about other actions to adapt to the environment.
We should not be a technical model imitator or a simple vehicle of our instincts, but someone who produces the effect of our own skiing by our ability to execute the intended actions. Our skill to act reflecting and self-regulating allows building and transforming our skiing through appropriate actions.
Actions are composed of two aspects: one is movement itself and the other, the goal of that movement, then, using the term “actions” it is understood as goal-directed actions. They can also be understood in two different ways. One is when we generate actions knowing our own intentions and objectives. The other refers to the observer (instructor, coach, others) which perceives our actions and deduces our intentions and goals.
According to Feldenkrais (1972), in a well learned and coordinated action there are distinguished aspects: lack of effort, lack of resistance, and the presence of reversibility (if the action is correct, it could be modified at any given time). As all action is the corporeal manifestation in space and time, to perform it, we need an accurate image or mental representation of our body.
When we ski, it is just enough a single harmonious action to stimulate our conscience. According to psychologist William James, consciousness should always be conscience of an action then, from this point of view, skiing would be a set of actions executed with consciousness oriented to gliding enjoyment.
Skiing is performed with active actions generated by us, and passive actions which we let them occur. To project the continuity of our activity (action) and our passivity (inaction), we must consciously place ourselves at the center of this constant alternation.
The main brain areas involved in action planning and control are, among others, the frontal, premotor, and motor cortex; the basal ganglia; and the cerebellum.
Action Selection, Inhibition, and Retention
Selecting, inhibiting, and retaining motor actions refer to deciding the appropriate action for each particular situation. When we plan our actions, we inhibit others, i.e., we suppress not selected actions. We must decide the appropriate action in dynamic environments including other people disturbing our trajectories.
According to our goals, we choose an individual behavior based on the prediction of possible action effects. So when selecting a determined action, at the same time we inhibit others, e.g., slowing down or accelerating, diminishing or increasing turn radius, linking turns or traversing in between, turning or going straight, stopping or continuing skiing.
Action selection time is the instance when an action is momentarily retained; a time of prior deliberation to its execution. At that moment we may slow down and stop all following actions (stop), interrupt an action to promote another one (stop-change) as to go straight instead of turning, or ignore just one action (selective stop) like not planting our pole.
The retained action is suspended action, as a long traverse before turning where preparing future actions takes more time than needed; then, it is a moment of action absence or a decision pending action. It is a stage in which the previous action stops to allow the following but it delays to be performed impairing skiing flow. This behavior is often observed in skiers that retain their actions because of indecision, leading to a sudden execution of the retained action becoming almost a reaction.
Framework Matrix of Skiing Actions
| Learning Concept & Text Reference | Neurological Base & Mindset | Biomechanical Goal & Execution | Cognitive Load & Action Selection | Behavioral Reaction & Skiing Flow |
| Active Intervention (Interaction with mountain via equipment) | Frontal, premotor, and motor cortex activation; self-regulating mindset | Active execution of poles use and purposeful skis guiding to adapt to the environment | Purposeful choice over technical imitation or pure reliance on instinct | Rejection of passive skis mindset; building and transforming one’s own skiing |
| Goal-Directed Actions (Two-aspect coordination) | Frontal cortex planning; accurate mental representation of the body in space and time | Combining the physical movement itself with the specific intended goal of that movement | Internal awareness of own intentions vs. external perception by coach/instructor | Alignment of physical execution with clear, conscious objectives |
| Feldenkrais Coordination (Three-pillar movement efficiency) | Motor cortex and cerebellum synchronization; precise body schema image | Complete lack of physical effort and zero muscular resistance during execution | Ongoing validation of movement correctness via real-time sensory feedback | High reversibility allowing immediate modification of the action at any given time |
| Conscious Gliding Enjoyment (William James application) | Stimulated consciousness fully oriented to the corporeal manifestation of gliding | Execution of a single, harmonious physical action to trigger mental focus | Continuous monitoring of ongoing movement rather than passive distraction | Merging of conscious awareness with a set of fluid skiing actions |
| Activity-Passivity Alternation (The continuity of skiing) | Basal ganglia and cerebellum modulation for active vs. passive state control | Conscious placement of oneself at the geometric center of movement alternation | Deliberate execution of active actions mixed with letting passive actions occur | Seamless projection of continuity between physical action and inaction |
| Dynamic Situation Adaptation (Environmental choice) | Frontal and premotor cortex predictive processing | Adjusting trajectories in dynamic environments with other people acting as disturbances | Choosing individual behaviors based on the prediction of possible action effects | Continuous self-regulation in response to shifting terrain variables |
| Action Selection & Inhibition (Radius and speed control) | Basal ganglia inhibition of competing motor pathways | Deciding to slow down or accelerate; altering turn radius dynamics | Simultaneous selection of one action and suppression of all non-selected actions | Execution of defined paths: linking turns, traversing, or going straight |
| Action Selection Time (Prior deliberation window) | Premotor cortex planning; temporal delay management | Momentary retention of an action during the phase prior to physical execution | Deliberate use of time for internal calculation of future movement trajectory | Balancing calculated entry preparation against loss of downhill momentum |
| The “Stop” Command (Total action suspension) | Complete motor cortex inhibition | Dynamic slowing down leading to a complete halt of all subsequent actions | Immediate cancellation of planned actions due to sudden environmental change | Controlled safety response to unexpected slope variables |
| The “Stop-Change” Command (Trajectory interruption) | Rapid pathway switching in basal ganglia | Interrupting an ongoing action to immediately promote an alternative movement | Deciding to change direction instead of completing a turn | Agile correction of tactical errors mid-execution |
| The “Selective Stop” Command (Isolated motor suppression) | Targeted motor pathway inhibition | Suppressing a single component of a movement complex | Choosing to ignore one specific action, such as intentionally not planting a pole | Isolation of specific mechanics to streamline total body efficiency |
| The Retained Action (Suspended movement phase) | Prolonged cognitive load; delayed motor cortical firing | Extending preparation time far longer than needed, such as a long traverse | Keeping a critical decision pending while moving across the slope | Interruption of skiing flow; stalling of previous actions before next execution |
| Indecision-Driven Reaction (Sudden execution flaw) | High cognitive load overtaking predictive motor cortex control | Transition from proactive, goal-directed action to sudden, defensive reaction | Delayed execution caused by mental hesitation on the slope | Sudden, erratic movement patterns that impair stability and fluidity |
