Movement Research NOTES (Vol. 1)
The Psoas Muscle: a remarkable ‘centre-piece’ of the mind-body puzzle. Responsible for contracting and expanding the body, and generating momentum, elasticity and power when required; translates into EVERYTHING - from floorwork, to sleep, to expressive movements and especially running up and down hills! (Source: The Axis Syllabus)
A Secret To Longevity, Peace & General Well-being: PRIORITISE SLEEP! 8 hours daily is an absolute minimum and, especially if you’re very physically active, then 10 hours is absolutely not too much :) (NOTE: elite endurance athletes frequently sleep 10-12hrs a day) (Source: Peak Performance, by Magness & Stulberg)
A Curious Question: What if the mobile phone was not a connection device but a ‘disconnection’ device? And what might deliberate hours completely away from your phone do for your health, focus and creativity? Try a long walk without it, for instance... perhaps it already feels like a limb is missing...
Shoes Express Our Various Parts / Selves: Each shoe (much more than each item of clothing, in my opinion) has different qualities that allow us to manifest our different parts. A strong, comfy cushioned shoe - safety/protection/rest; A thin, barefoot toe-shoe - freedom/play/sensitivity etc. A shoe literally determines how, where and why you will interact with the Earth! So give yourself options and practice consciously mixing it up (2-4 pair max should be enough however)
Visual Objectivities As A Movement Tool: Just like observing the shape and place of the psoas muscle (above) helps us to physically experience and train it, observing the various organs, bones, connective tissues etc of the body in picture form can equally improve our sensitivity and awareness of our selves. We are literally (mostly) only a body remember - and it has various universal capacities and limits (Source: PE Curriculum, UK)
Active Relaxation Truths: Did you know that it’s possible (and actually easier) to get your heart rate lower during active (awake) relaxation than when you’re asleep...? Tools such as candles, music, blankets, curtains, a cuddle-buddy etc (and recovery as a practice in general) are therefore as important as your yoga mat, weights or stop watch etc... (Source: marcellopalozzo.com)
Integrity & Implied Movement: the body has the answers, found in the very nature of its structure, tissues and (easiest) capabilities. A wave is ‘implied’ by the make-up of the spine; a bounce/run/shake is ‘implied’ by the elastic achilles tendon; various free, expressive movements are ‘implied’ by the freedom allowed in the shoulders and hips.
LESS IS MORE: why did Steve Jobs wear the same outfit everyday? And why does simplifying various aspects of our lives allow us to thrive in other areas? The answer... life is an all you can eat buffet; you REALLY CAN choose to consume however much of however many things you wish to. BUT we only get a small plate with which to collect these various dishes. Hence, we can’t have everything, and certainly not all at once. Less is more therefore also means: choose carefully.
A Curious Question: What are you brave or curious enough to ALREADY set in stone for the coming year? And how can you be fully accountable for that decision? By already paying? By giving your word? By telling your friends and family? By at least writing down your intention? Discipline is freedom after all... and as the saying goes: if you don’t have a plan you become part of somebody else’s.
Tribe Inquiry: we are the product of the 5 people we spend most of our time with (a famous line, backed up by tonnes of remarkable research). Who are your 5? Are these 5 still a conscious decision? Or do we just like to be sentimental? Perhaps your tribe is larger (or smaller) than 5... how might we create and communicate our way towards a more wholesome tribe experience?
Convexity & Sustainable Practice: convexity (the steep curve of output vs recovery) shows that time and intensity is NOT directly proportional to recovery time! EG. it doesn’t take twice as long to fully recover from a marathon compared to a half marathon (it’s quite a bit longer than that!). Once we cross our threshold of ‘normal’ then things get drastically more complex, difficult and dangerous for body and mind.
The Imagination & BS: There are as many negatives as there are positives to being a creative person, and designing (what we think are) our own projects, ideas, methods etc. Almost everything is repackaged with a cherry on top (and a suspect price tag). How do we remain aware of our potential BS when expressing and (re)creating ourselves? One rule: ALWAYS do more than you say and ALWAYS prioritise good quality input over your output. In my opinion, this can certainly help (despite my ongoing BS) :)
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