What do you mean, accept it? I don't want it!
OK, first of all I want to establish that there are some movements that we don’t “do”, but they just happen. They sort of get done to us.
Your heartbeat is one.
We don’t have to remember to do every heartbeat, luckily (I’m so forgetful).
Another is jumping when there is a loud noise. We can’t help it.
Also, have you ever been walking along when you have suddenly ducked to avoid an overhanging branch, before you’re even aware that you’ve seen the branch?
It seems to be beyond our conscious control.
It just gets done.
There are other ways of moving that we are not conscious of - the ways we move because that is the way people move in our family, or our culture.
These things are learnt at a very early age, and by adulthood we are usually not aware of them, and can’t change them.
How about this? Notice your breathing. See how it changes when you notice it. At least, we think it changes - we don’t know how it was before because we weren’t noticing it! I’m pretty sure it does change though, because we are good at noticing differences. And it continues to change as we observe. It might feel better, or it might feel worse, but it does change.
Now try this. Stand. Bend over towards your toes. It doesn’t matter if you can’t reach your toes. Now breathe. Notice what happens in your body. As you breathe in, your upper body is lifted away from your lower body. As you breathe out you are taken down, deeper into the position. This is important in yoga, letting the breath take you into the postures rather than straining. The breath can literally move us.
Feldenkrais Method makes us feel all the movements that the rest of our body does outside the part that we are aware of. Becoming aware of these has the wonderful effect of feeling how our body is all connected. Find some Feldenkrais exercises here.
Notice how you are. Slouching? Stiff neck? Lopsided? Don’t adjust before you do the exercise! (Too late?) How are you now? Thats now, not after-you’ve-got-ready-for-the-exercise. Try and accept it. Exactly as it is.
Don’t adjust to a pre-assumed ideal, or the image you want to give to others, or how much you know about posture or bodywork or yoga or Alexander Technique.
Just be it. If there is any pain, just acknowledge it, feel it. Don’t try and make it go away.
If you don’t get it, don’t know what I’m talking about, can’t feel anything or have an urge to leave the room, don’t act on them either, just feel it.
Focus on one thing that catches your attention - a part of the body, a pain, a stiffness. Just accept it how it is.
Don’t adjust. When you feel you have accepted it as it is, do you notice anything happening? Something that has the flavour of one of the movements that do us, above. Make a note for yourself. The thing that happens - different for different people - is the body doing what it needs to do. Trust it. Follow it. It is not you adjusting to be more comfortable, it is your body adjusting itself, without preconceptions. It might be something in the body part you were concentrating on, it might be a movement elsewhere. It might be something in your breathing. It might be a relaxation. It might easily be an increase in tension somewhere (I often find this myself). Trust it. Follow it.
OK, first of all I want to establish that there are some movements that we don’t “do”, but they just happen. They sort of get done to us.
Your heartbeat is one.
We don’t have to remember to do every heartbeat, luckily (I’m so forgetful).
Another is jumping when there is a loud noise. We can’t help it.
Also, have you ever been walking along when you have suddenly ducked to avoid an overhanging branch, before you’re even aware that you’ve seen the branch?
It seems to be beyond our conscious control.
It just gets done.
There are other ways of moving that we are not conscious of - the ways we move because that is the way people move in our family, or our culture.
These things are learnt at a very early age, and by adulthood we are usually not aware of them, and can’t change them.
How about this? Notice your breathing. See how it changes when you notice it. At least, we think it changes - we don’t know how it was before because we weren’t noticing it! I’m pretty sure it does change though, because we are good at noticing differences. And it continues to change as we observe. It might feel better, or it might feel worse, but it does change.
Now try this. Stand. Bend over towards your toes. It doesn’t matter if you can’t reach your toes. Now breathe. Notice what happens in your body. As you breathe in, your upper body is lifted away from your lower body. As you breathe out you are taken down, deeper into the position. This is important in yoga, letting the breath take you into the postures rather than straining. The breath can literally move us.
Feldenkrais Method makes us feel all the movements that the rest of our body does outside the part that we are aware of. Becoming aware of these has the wonderful effect of feeling how our body is all connected. Find some Feldenkrais exercises here.
Notice how you are. Slouching? Stiff neck? Lopsided? Don’t adjust before you do the exercise! (Too late?) How are you now? Thats now, not after-you’ve-got-ready-for-the-exercise. Try and accept it. Exactly as it is.
Don’t adjust to a pre-assumed ideal, or the image you want to give to others, or how much you know about posture or bodywork or yoga or Alexander Technique.
Just be it. If there is any pain, just acknowledge it, feel it. Don’t try and make it go away.
If you don’t get it, don’t know what I’m talking about, can’t feel anything or have an urge to leave the room, don’t act on them either, just feel it.
Focus on one thing that catches your attention - a part of the body, a pain, a stiffness. Just accept it how it is.
Don’t adjust. When you feel you have accepted it as it is, do you notice anything happening? Something that has the flavour of one of the movements that do us, above. Make a note for yourself. The thing that happens - different for different people - is the body doing what it needs to do. Trust it. Follow it. It is not you adjusting to be more comfortable, it is your body adjusting itself, without preconceptions. It might be something in the body part you were concentrating on, it might be a movement elsewhere. It might be something in your breathing. It might be a relaxation. It might easily be an increase in tension somewhere (I often find this myself). Trust it. Follow it.
