Month: May 2015

Fists on the wall

Our health is paramount in delivering and receiving impact. Our awareness is paramount in using our structure as it was developed to use just what is needed for the continuity of our lives.

Start by standing a full step away from the wall. Relax your ankles and lean with both fists on the wall. Maintain a straight line from the end of the fist to the elbow and slowly relax your shoulder blades and then your shoulders and elbows until you reach the wall with your body. Inhale and return to the beginning but without pushing against the wall. Work on your inner tension and avoid leaking tension outwards.

Continue by repeating the drill facing away from the wall as you bridge overhead toward the wall.

Do only 60 wall push ups a day but do them with:
1. letting the breath start each movement.
2. Starting the movement from the body and not from the point of contact with the wall.
3. Maintain a free line of site with your eyes so you avoid becoming fixed with your horizon awareness.

And smile.

For Niklas.

Five strategies for better understanding and progress

We do the work with great expectations of results. We sweat and toil and try our best but the results do not always mirror the energy invested.

Here are five strategies for better understanding and progress within your work:

1. Once a week sit and write what you have done during the week and what you note as progress from it. For example: I have spend 10 minutes each day focusing on tension release with the exhale. As a result I can better accept impact and my overall tension has subsided a bit. If you see that there is a negative impact or no impact, you will know to change or stop doing what you have done and avoid repeating history.

2. Once a month sit and write what you have stopped doing. Many times it is easy to forget a useful but hard practices such as holding static positions for breath counts or on the other hand forgetting you used to do or feel something bad such as back pain or shortness of breath. Note what caused the change from stress at work to a better movement pattern and acknowledge what you have lost or gained. Don’t forget your past lessons.

3. Every day take a minute and simply observe the thoughts running through your head. It has no boundaries but note what thoughts came from you and what came from Advertising, other people and media. Free and recognize your thoughts from the influence of others.

4. Every day take a minute and count to yourself what you have. This can range from your goods to your body health and family. It is easy to not see what is always there. Take notice of your own faculties unless you intend to loss them.

5. Before and after your dedicated practice, take note of how you feel, how your body handles and what your thinking is headed towards. Note the changes if any between the two positions and note where the focus was. Give yourself the gift of attention and you will know yourself on a deeper level.

the power of fragility

A wolf stalks his pray in the snow and his foot presses a twig. The twig snaps and the deer tails off to his family protection, leaving the wolf and his babies to starve another night.

There is a lot of talk about power and resilience. Many choose to show force and fan the fire under fear and weakness in order to sway the crowds their way, but let us take another look fragility from another perspective.

Nature does not waste. We live because we can and so does any animal and plant. The softness of the pine needles let them shed the snow off so they will not break and our bones are flexible to some degree in order to avoid cutting through us and in order to let us leave a part behind us if trapped. The thought of such an act is unpleasant but nature wants you to take care of those hungry babies. Even at the cost of your hand.

Fragility exists only as a point of view and so does strength. Our design is meant to save energy and it is up to us to make things move as they were meant to by being honest with all of our parameters. Your foot feels the ground in order to avoid cuts instead of having hooves. Your eyes are pointed forward for the hunt so use your ears for peripheral perception. Your hand is soft compared to the claw so use tools and keep moving. Waste not.

Drills:

Ask a learning partner to press a twig to your skin. Move to keep it touching you but without breaking or bending it. The fragility of the twig will help you let go of tension and respect your own skin.

Spread a few small stones on the ground and take off your shoes. Walk slowly and let your feet tell you where to step and where to pass.

Take a piece of paper in your hand and have you partner try to take it away from you. Move to avoid harm to yourself but also to avoid wrinkling the paper. Think of a child in the arms of his parent.