Awareness in Transcendent Running

What is Transcendent Running and why do we talk about awareness?  What is awareness anyway, and how can it improve my running? Awareness is simply being cognizant of something. But wait, that is just using a synonym to define something. We might say that awareness is our ability to observe ourselves, to become an observer, a gatherer of information. Is awareness a general quality that we develop or is it used to develop specific skills in the Transcendent Running program?

The answer to both questions is yes. Awareness is a general quality that we can develop. Learning to observe ourselves is a skill that could be used to further our aims or find improvement in any area of life that is important to us. A favorite quote is "if you know what you are doing, you can do what you want” (M. Feldenkrais).   How do we know the details of what we are doing besides observing them? In other words paying attention to what we need to know, relying on the greatest computer and the greatest feedback system in the world, the mind/body brain. So we are aware of what we are doing and that is self awareness.

We also have another link in the learning cycle, the environment. What we know, think, and sense are all linked to it. That means many things.  One of them is that our relationship to gravity is a great teacher. We learn all movement in the field of gravity.

 

Transcendent Running can take you on an exploration of the value of generalizing the process of awareness, so that your explorations can include all areas of training, and form. Transcendent Running guides you through the process of expanding your running awareness and increasing concrete skills. It will introduce you to and guide you through lessons that will be based on the Transcendent Running learning cycle which looks like this.


Lessons will be helpful in improving breathing, posture/acture, pelvic rotation and coordination of the running movement through the spine and good alignment and transmission of forces from ground upwards through the whole kinetic chain of motion.