Posture refers to the relationship between body parts and how we adopt a specific position. In a single position, multiple postures can exist. This postural tonic exchange gives rise to the earliest forms of communication with others, which we call Tonic Dialogue.
What is Tonic Dialogue?
Tonic dialogue manifests in everyday interactions, where meanings are acquired that are directly related to our connections. According to psychoanalyst Ajuriaguerra, this dialogue represents the bodily exchange of information between a mother and her newborn. It is expressed through states of muscular tension and relaxation, reflecting sensations of pleasure and displeasure, leading to actions of acceptance or rejection in the other. Thus, they become the first forms of communication.
Tonic dialogue is a way of feeling in the skin, giving rise to our emotional experience. In the context of care and upbringing, we can observe postural exchanges between mother and baby. The reciprocity of these tonic-kinetic exchanges is crucial and depends on mutual adaptation between the developing child and their mother, especially in the early moments of life.
Types of Exchanges
There are different types of exchanges:
- Contact Exchanges: These are the first interactions between mother and child from birth.
- Expressive Exchanges: These are the origin of communication, initially manifesting through cries and wails, later evolving into vocalizations.
- Communicative Postures: These are postural modifications that do not have a conscious communicative intent, but are interpreted by the other as significant. As these postures are recognized, they become integrated into the communication codes.
It is essential to know how our posture is constructed from our connections with others. They look at us, support us, express themselves, and communicate, generating sensations of joy or distance within us. What we return from that wave of interaction influences the bodily bond established, where the lived sensations are fundamental to our emotional development.