"be still
be present
let yourself feel
don't run away
accept what is
and let it all unravel naturally"
--yung pueblo in The Way Forward
This blog is part of my "Quality of Life" series, illuminating ways that somatic learning can enhance your entire life process, physically, mentally, and emotionally. Some say spiritually, but that is your choice.
Today is my birthday, and it is a spectacularly warm, golden October day, leaves quietly weaving their way to the ground in the gentle breeze. I have been working in the yard, watering and mulching tender transplants. I also made my first few soups in recent weeks and the seasonal transition is working its powerful lessens within me as family and work life churn onward.
I wonder if other people sense the connection between their life's entrance on earth and the season in which it came. For me, observing the departure of hummingbirds and butterlies from my back yard accompany questions about what I want to create for the next growing season. Integrating the plant and flower lessons that I learned this year, I am planning for an even more enjoyable spring. That does not mean that I am not present in the here and now. It just means that I am expanding my attention in a way that is really fun for me.
Bridging the connections of seasons is similar to the way that I work with students to discover the two opposite ends of their spine. The question of what is the pelvis doing when we shorten one side of our neck might sound off topic for a person who arrives at the studio looking for hip, shoulder, or back relief, but as they come to understand, the two ends of the spine are deeply connected and related. For quality movement to occur, the entire spine must come alive! For my back yard to come alive in the spring, what can I do now to aid the process?
A new idea sprang up when my husband asked me what I want to do for my birthday a few weeks ago. Rather than a party or a trip, I said, "I want to create a flower garden around the fire pit area."
I had not thought of the idea beforehand. I guess it was somewhere in the mysterious queue of my mind where dreams and deep wishes patiently wait for the right moment to become a vision. It felt as natural as waking up and getting out of bed every morning. A sense of, "Oh, it is time to do this. Well, of course."
Where and when and how do these inspirations form? What conditions create the perfect timing for an idea that brings us pleasure and joy?
Learning that comes from within us in its right timing is so very satisfying. When we discover something for ourselves, with gentle support of others, we will remember it and know how to use it in just the right way.
Sometimes a teacher is there to suggest something useful that we can use right now. Sometimes a peer shares their own experience, helping us think beyond our own interpretation. Sometimes, an idea connects to an experience and springs forth much later than it was seeded.
When I ask students to notice where in their body they propel themselves in walking, the authentic answer for each one is both unique and similar. One student says, "My left heel" and another says, "My knees" and another says, "My left hip". My job is to honor the answer, then guide students to move in a way that they begin to notice how lifting a heel flexes the knee and hip. A connection has been made, and it suddently feels easier to walk. What a moment of aliveness, experienced by each person in their own way and timing!
Growth comes from paying attention. Growth comes from being present where we are and sensing its connection with something we desire. My hope for every student who comes here is that they experience movement in a way that brings them closer to living how they wish to live.
As Moshe Feldenkrais said, "The feeling of being alive relates to the awareness of growing to be oneself."
To read a prior blog written on Mary's birthday, see Learning What You Know in a New Way: My Fire Story
For the latest class schedule, check Mary's site here.Â
For the latest class schedule, check Mary's site here.
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