Often when we are attempting a new movement, our first reaction is confusion. If the routine is unfamiliar, we feel uncoordinated. When this newness points us toward a challenging aspect of our body in motion, we decide we are too weak or puny and give up – or try to power through it in an attempt to prove ourselves strong and able.

The truth is that our bodymind has simply not yet organized itself around the new information.

I recently took a series of classes from a very skillful Gyrotonic Master Trainer. It was great fun, quite challenging and very humbling. There was one particular move he asked me to do that my body had never done before. The first time I attempted it, I simply could not do it. After several attempts, I stopped and scratched my head and asked, “Where does that come from in my body and why can’t I do it?” He reminded me that it really isn’t about where it comes from; it’s about organizing around what you are asking your body to do.

This is clearly not just an intellectual endeavor. It is a process of patiently allowing the body to explore what is being asked of it so that the movement can unfold in a way that is natural and organic. The mind grasps a concept at lightning speed, part of its astonishing brilliance. The body, however, learns through repetition. This can sometimes put the mind and the body at odds, as the mind becomes impatient with the measured and deliberate way in which the body learns and integrates the movement. And yet, if they work together to contemplate and reiterate the move – it is a thing of beauty! It is through this union, communion and mutuality that deep intelligence awakens and courses freely through our being, quickly able to discern the mechanics, play with the sensations and pulsate with the exuberance of new found discovery. That’s the fun of it! It is in this process of unfolding that movement becomes meaningful, joyful and pleasurable!

A few days later, I tried the same impossible move and amazingly was able to do it! My body and mind, having percolated and contemplated, had organized around the information received through my first attempt. Now I could dive more deeply into the move, discover its nuances and relax into the pure enjoyment of my body in motion.

The next time you are attempting to learn a new move, become more adept in your sport, increase the difficulty of your current workout, acquire a skill that is unfamiliar – notice if there is any impatience, judgment or force in the learning and see if you can switch that to cooperation and curiosity. Let go of over-efforting and ease into the feedback that you are receiving from your mind and your body. Let it go for a day or two and see if that doesn’t bring a greater sense of clarity, ease and pleasure to your learning and to your body in motion.

Deep blessings, Carol

As much as I talk about the wonder of being human and the miracle of the body, it is important to understand that you are NOT your body. You are much more than your body.

You ARE . . .

• the ever present awareness that cares for your body.
• that which experiences your life and is profoundly present in every moment.
• the force that animates your body.
• the intelligence that breathes your body.
• the energy that moves your body.

As a concept, this is fairly accessible. As a way of living, it is elusive. It can be a struggle to hail from the ever present sea of awareness. We tend to over-identify with the body as the sum total of who we are and forget that the core of our being is boundless, pure consciousness. The resolution to this conundrum is NOT to dis-identify with the body as that leads to devaluing this amazing human experience.

Rather, begin to investigate, to inquire, to contemplate, Who am I? It’s fine to begin to answer this with who you think you are; I’m a writer, I’m a wife, I’m a seeker, I’m a business owner . . . These may be ways you’ve identified yourself – but do they speak to who you really are or do they speak to a persona that comes and goes?  Are the answers satisfying? Do they have substance, true substance? Or are they undependable, inconstant, and ever changing? Who is the I that endures? Who is the I that is asking the question?

Gangaji, a spiritual teacher and author, writes: “Unless this question has been truly answered, not just conventionally answered, you will still be hungry to know. The moment of recognizing that no answer has ever satisfied this question is crucial. It is often referred to as the moment of spiritual ripeness, the moment of spiritual maturity. At this point, you can consciously investigate who you really are. When you turn your attention toward the question, Who am I?, perhaps you will see an entity that has your face and your body. But who is aware of that entity? Are you the object, or are you the awareness of the object?”

And why would it matter one way or the other? Why bother to investigate? If you identify with what you DO in your life as who you ARE, then life can knock you around and cause great suffering. Who you truly ARE at the core of your being is constant, stable, unwavering certainty that holds a steadfast place for you to surf the tides of change rather than be swallowed by them. Worth exploring? If so, carry on . . .

Begin to question any assumptions you have made about who you are and what you truly want. When you begin to question the certainty of who you think you are, soften the edges of knowing and let go of any hard and fast identity, what’s left? Perhaps, with any luck at all, what’s left is the truth of who you are – boundless, pure consciousness that inherently contains love, peace, joy and fulfillment . . . A great place from which to experience this amazing human life.

Have a great week,

Carol

“So who are you? You are not objects out there, you are not feelings, your are not thoughts – you are effortlessly aware of all those, so you are not those. Who or what are you?

Say it this way to yourself: I have feelings, but I am not those feelings. Who am I? I have thoughts, but I am not those thoughts. Who am I? I have desires, but I am not those desires. Who am I?

So you push back into the source of your own awareness. You push back into the Witness and you rest in the Witness.” Ken Wilber