Letting go of tension and resistance to change is easy to illustrate but the work must be done on all planes of being. Mental, body and heart. Addressing all of these will enable you to keep moving and find a way to get the job done no matter what is happening.
Start with the emotional body by sitting down on your behind and letting a partner push your face with his hand toward the ground. Exhale and avoid resisting but add to the movement after you blend with it to avoid injury when the need arises. The face is very delicate so the partner needs to keep himself in check when he stands up and starts to push the face and head with his feet or shoes but this is an excellent drill once the student is ready for it!
Continue to squatting down and letting yourself be shoved and pushed without letting any resistance rise and in this consider each touch to a blade being shoved into you so avoid fighting and find a way to keep breathing and moving. Once this is done for a while repeat the drill as the squatter is holding his breath with increasing shove count and this will help him or her to release more emotion out and act instead of react. again pay attention to each other and remember to help each other learn rather than break them.
If the squatter is resisting to the point where the standing partner can lean his foot or hand on the partner and lean have them tense up on contact to become aware of it so later on they can shorter and then discard the unneeded tension and just move toward the solution.
Here you will find a good drill for the squatter in continuous movement letting the breath lead you back to the squatting alignment and whenever your partner finds you fall rather then move he will encourage you with a swift but gentle contact to the rear…
Repeat the drill standing and then walking toward each other and once you feel you can let go of the resistance to contact start to move yourself through the partner again without letting tension pass from him to you. This is a more involved drill were you both move through and allow others to move through the space you are currently taking and it will allow you to move in crowds and work with several people at the same time once you allow it to seep humility into your heart mind and body.
Month: March 2011
Systema Israel Military oriented drills: body wholeness, proper movement, free vision
Inner voice: From the coming book Bound to unbound
It is always a factor yet it is rarely addressed or even within your awareness. Listening to the inner monologue can be very helpful as all you sides from sub-conscious to fears to wants come into play meshing within it but it can also give way to a lot of negativity in pride and fear and wanting other people to act how you wish them to act.
Three drills to clean out this lack of awareness:
1 Start in a static position such as the lower end of the squat with a aligned back and neck or the static push up and whichever thought “passes” through your head you say out loud and listen to it and release it to the air so it has no effect on you. This will be very funny and liberating at first (not a first date drill mind you) and with practice you will be able to release the hold these passing thoughts and feelings have on you not to mention humility to boost you life and connection with others.
2 Start walking or swaying in place and while exhaling slowly and as you start feeling distress and wanting to inhale or stop tell yourself “I am feeling X” X = angry, pain and so on. There is great power in realizing different emotions and feelings and once you can say I am frustrated or bored or angry again the hold on you is less and less.
3 Close your eyes and perform regular tasks at home or somewhere safe enough and continue to do so as you breathe and work on relaxation in your body. Work on your face and massage it gently and as you work and experience surprises such as pouring a cup of tea without sight It is more interesting that you may think and allow yourself to feel the emotion display on your face. Once you are away you will be less affected from your own body position imposed or not and less affected from the aggression of others.
Do the work.
The Martial Art of Walking 