Dissociation vs Integration of the Body : which one is it?

Hello, good question as that seems to be a confusion- I think the issue being that ‘disassociation’ (in my use that word) implies not just dis-connection, but also disassoc. is a mental state of ‘distance’ (numbness-fog).. so that does seem right.. but, the integration, as you define it (above) is less integr and more a ‘mush’-just being one unit.. so that’s not right either.. (thus a third option)..

>>> or am I just understanding ‘integration’ and ‘moving as one’ the wrong way? <<<

-a key being, when doing TaiChiChuan (and other int’l Chinese movements, or even in other movement arts indirectly) there is a direct ‘freeing’ up of binding in the connective tissue.. and enabling the parts to move be-twixt themselves..
(if the shoulder-tissue is ‘all-bound-up’ in the fascia, or even just being all tense-cramped up.. then if you move the back/torso the arm will be stuck and moved-along-with.. as the shoulder is so ‘stuck’….)

)as the shoulder frees up, the scapula can move all kinds of ways, and the joints&spaces of shoulder free its freedom (no longer a point of a square- just the top-corner of the torso, but seen to have all kinds of flexible-morphing movement available)
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So long story- say you have two-separate ‘people’ moving- like in ‘contact-dance’ (one supported by/leaning on the other).. [similar to pushing-hands, etc.. but that is in the context of two opposing, and thus ‘different entities’ -even if in that practice, one should be able to see the two-involved as a single whole, also].. so see these two people, as if one unit.. each sort of leaning-on (thus to share some of the skeletal-support…. the better the movement, the more-‘free’ each is.. and the more they are able to move independently-WhileSiill being connected…

-relevance? the leg, hip, torso, shoulder (as referenced above, and in your post-question) are all ‘connected’ and yet should be able to move as individual entities.. (not as if stuck-together, Nor as if pulling-away from each other, as I believe “disassociation” is attempting to imply… but rather each adding to the whole-in flow)
-best example that comes to mind, if you’ve seen the movement of a wave, from foot, to ankle, up shin to knee, up thigh via kwa to hip (etc)
each point of entire body is involved- (not only along the way, but all points at the start- and all parts stay involved through to the completion- vs just each part waiting as relay-race burst,… but there are stages) -in this way, there is a “whole-movement”.. and all parts are contributing…
… Integration- being the “Hand-Off” of each part to the next is seamless, smooth, not as if separate (ie in a ‘relay-race’ a hand off can not connect- so that it jolts, nearly dropped.. vs more connected- solidly received, as well as neither needing to slow or interrupt the on-going flow)… But further- just doing a move like say Brush-Knee/Twist-Step… has all parts involved.. but to actually ‘Integrate’ beyond the fixed-stylized movement (ie as it is done).. further every part is alive, during ever moment of the movement (adjusting, contributing to the flow, adding ‘grace’ to the balance and ‘alignments’ -micro-movement.. beyond just compensating when ‘off’ to recover.. but again- how to integrate the whole and contribute to that flow).

….
lastly- the “integration” relates to Separate and Combine (at first doing what you know- as a baseline, background.. then add a small-easy to focus on intentional ‘thing”…
practice until these 2 relate and start to become one (just as different ‘body-parts.. which aren’t “parts” except in our perception.. as different body-parts relate…
then can further become -one- not by clumping,, but even-more alive then before)…
but the key- fourth step- this all become one

(walking and chewing-gum at the same time! -do you have to step-in-time with your chews of the gum? .. can you talk and walk, without enunciating a syllable with each step, in time? — most can walk&talk, (and maybe even pat-head and circle on stomach without it being all linked- and yet not two unconnected/dis-associated? things done simul??? -if doing X and doing Y together.. to keep them unconnected- implies that your brain-process requires you to “think” each of them- if you don’t keep them distinct- they mush into a mash

to fully integrate- is like eating some food.. digesting it.. but fully integrated is when the food-nutrients are absorbed into your body- fully transformed (energy and building-blocks in this case- no longer food)… also the elimination-phase (have fully recovered from the learning)… and you can see/sense it in your system (for ex- bit obvious, but say slight muscle-growth, and or some body-heat generated…. -just as the movements of 2 “parts” become one- there is a more than either (ie- your original ex – “hip flexors” and “lumbar spine” also are not 2 things.. there are all kinds of parts-aspects movements in those “areas”… to fully free up the-hip-kwa-low spine-pelvic floor.. and awaken its degrees of freedom, requires going beyond what is sensed and thought explicitly (in our cultural-words)… I think part of this is integration -which follows -after- separate, and then combine, building up-bit by bit..

Hello Tai Chi Mulan- I wondered if you kept going through the Training Circle, or even if not- if in your own practice- you discovered more on this? -What have you found?

I thought of some of these early posts, so came back to reread this one, and it seem sin your initial question (perhaps) Unification/’move-as-one’ is meant as push/pull one part and drag the rest along..

while the idea is (perhaps) that the whole is unified, and all parts contribute (one part moves.. etc, and from posture to posture the int’l power.. etc.) .. like a snake, espec a Boa Constrictor, even when the “middle is moving” the head and the tail are also simultaneously..

(and all pts along the snake.. along the spine.. ie both hips, both ankles, inter-intestinal, etc. — all parts move as one “in coordination” not as a lump, but all independently, and each contributing- like handing something from your left hand to right.. the “Right Hand” Knows it is coming, and arrives to intercept.. as both the L&R hands are part of the one whole.. .

Anyway- I just hope you saw something beyond your initial question, and I wonder what you might have found out- best of luck in your practice.