As an embodied person and a catalyst for change in others, I developed a conditioning regimen years ago to optimize my own performance and to share with my students on a professional track in dance. I have also used it in my communication consulting because as I found out, the more connected we are to our body the more formidable we are in every other aspect of our lives.
It wasn't until I was in my 40's after some serious dance injuries that I became determined to be mindful at last about how I was doing things rather than just focusing on what I was doing. As a young dancer I wasn't taught about kinesiology- the science of how and why the body moves. Nor was I given information about injury prevention or relaxation/meditation techniques (key in today's tension-filled world). I had yet to discover the Alexander Technique's return to the natural functioning of my bodymind through energy rather than effort. Instead I just threw myself into every opportunity and movement experience without concern for the consequences. In hindsight, this was reckless and I became determined to help others to avoid the same fate.
The notion of the mind-body connection just sounded "new agey" until I delved deeply enough into the science of it to have the "ah ha" moment that changed my life. I knew that all of my deepest discoveries about myself and the world around me came from my body; it was what propelled me to become a dancer. But learning that every thought comes from our sensory experiences-- what we touch, smell, see, taste and hear, plus proprioception or the unconscious "sense" of where we are-- and that those thoughts trigger a response in the body, was a huge epiphany. It's like a synergistic loop of information passing from the body to the mind and back to the body. So how you care for your body and what's going on in your mind (mindfulness) when you are doing anything matters big time.
So what are you thinking after you set an intention? A simple example is working out. Let's say you want to strengthen your abdominals. Ok, that's your intention. But key to accomplishing anything is bringing your ATTENTION, informed and targeted, exactly where it needs to be to accomplish your goal (INTENTION). I observe many people throughout life working very hard, but mindlessly rather than mindfully. Many times we default to habits (mentally and physically) that were formed without any conscious choice about them and simply surrender to the blind doing without any real awareness. What you are thinking while doing anything is key to accomplishing your objective, whatever it is. If you are working your abs but focusing your attention on what you're going to have for lunch afterwards rather than targeting the four groups of abdominal muscles to work in an informed way, releasing the tension elsewhere in the body through the use of the breath, you're not maximizing your efforts. Once you set an intention, something you want to accomplish, learn about the best strategies for access and technique, and discipline yourself to bring your attention right where it needs to be.
In addition to the pitfalls of allowing the mind to wander while doing an activity taking us away from the goal at hand, it's important to make a distinction between attention and concentration. We often think in terms of concentrating in order to achieve or learn something. But if you take a moment to think about the sensations associated with concentrating, you can feel the tension in the body, the interruption of breathing and a kind of holding as you engage in total focus on one particular thing. In The Alexander Technique (Head Over Heels) “attention involves a balanced awareness of oneself and one’s surroundings with an easy emphasis on whatever is particularly relevant at the moment”(Michael Gelb- Body Learning). It has to do with using directional energy rather than muscular holding. The goal is to eliminate the tension patterns in the body and come from ease rather than effort in everything we do.
This is also a metaphor for life. Whether it is getting in shape, looking for a relationship or making a career change, figure out what might be holding you back and the best ways to go about manifesting something new in your life. Prepare yourself for the task at hand. Take an inventory of your skills (what makes you unique and capable), learn what beliefs about yourself are not serving you (fear of failure, not good enough), get the resources (research, tools) you need to succeed. Become an expert on what you are trying to accomplish. Really observe your habitual patterns with true awareness and inhibit the ones that are not benefitting you. Consciously choose something different. Make sure your body is strong and centered, full of upward energy, relaxed and comfortable in your own skin. Just the way you carry yourself will impact your psychological state and how you communicate with those around you. Honor the bodymind and go for your dreams.
#mindbodyconnection #atttentiontointention #howyoudowhatyoudo #mindfulness #manifestyourdreams #takeyourinventory #alexandertechnique #attentionvsconcentration #habitualpatterns #directionalenergy #energynoteffort #consciouschoice
Comentarios