The Neglected Resource: Our Body/Mind

“We act according to our self image” –M. Feldenkrais 

What an idea this is. What a statement and what possibilities it opens for us.

Our action, our movement embodies everything we think and are. If we change our action, our movement, we have a way of changing our self image. What we often think of doing is “changing our mind”. But here is something else. What if we try to change our mind but leave our actions unchanged? This leaves us somehow short of what we want to do. But in changing our actions we have a way of changing our habits and affecting real expansion of our options. Notice the lead runner, Sebastian Coe, in the photo above. Notice the long stride which is created by the coordination of every part of himself in the running movement. See the long spine, the whole body spiral and the confident, powerful posture.

 Now look at the second runner. Can you see what he might be feeling through his action?  He seems to be looking downward, straining somewhat in the neck muscles, collapsing the chest slightly. Does this posture seem as confident?  Is it as powerful? What is this way of acting expressing? At this very moment in time is he expressing, ease or struggle? 

All Olympic runners have spent years training. What if we only practiced quality? This would include times and distances, but also perfecting our movement, our action, our thinking. What if our training included better acting and not just more? What if quality and single mindedness were fundamental elements instead of add-ons? Win or lose you will find that Seb Coe maintained great form and great presence. Perhaps by changing our actions we could learn more to “change our minds”.   Integrated action and a unified mind is the mark of greatness. 

What if we changed our minds about training altogether?  What if training was not merely a physical activity but a body/mind activity, a learning process?  What if we turned the traditional training pyramid around?  Here are the “old fitness pyramid” and the new model.

The old pyramid:  go for it and roll the dice.

The new pyramid! Build a foundation and succeed.  The difference between the two is the emphasis on the brain as the organizer of intention and on the learning process and the cycle of improvement before success. In the traditional pyramid success is achieved through force, i.e. adhering to rigid training and using will power without awareness.  In the second pyramid success is achieved through self- knowledge, unifying the will more deeply and improving body organization.  You can see why there are plateaus and injuries in the first model, as more and more force is applied without and real improvement in action. In the second model there is no end to learning. -Till next time, Scott

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The Prevalent Myth Of a Tight Core

You need to strengthen and tighten your core. Is that not one of the most prevalent, familiar, popular and persistent teachings of modern exercise, fitness, and rehab? When we speak of the core, we are speaking of the strongest muscles in the body. 

While it is true that the core, the muscles that control movement around the center of the body is extremely important, forming a habit of keeping these muscles tight is not necessarily beneficial. In fact this idea can rob us of our potential.  

People are encouraged to keep “a tight core”. Occasionally, people are encouraged to keep certain specific muscles tight. . Sometimes the instruction is to keep the core partially engaged when you run.  But you do not need a tight core. What you need to move well is a well coordinated core.

Try this:

Place your finger tips on the front of yourself below the waist. The bones you feel there are the top of the pelvis. Now let your arms be at your side and take a walk. Your walk should feel normal to you. Now begin to consciously engage your core. Now as you walk place you fingers again at the top of the pelvis in the front of yourself. If you are keeping your core consciously engaged you may notice very little pelvic rotation. Does this feel like your normal habit? Notice also that if your feet, ankle, hip joint, and back have a fairly coordinated relationship you might be able to walk this way quite a while. Some people do this all the time.  Notice how your feet, ankles and knees feel!  I did this focus exercise this morning and was surprised to find how little pelvic rotation I had.  Functional strength in the core is not achieved through holding it tight but through using ourselves in more efficient ways. 

Now have no focus on tightening the core. Walk forward with your hands on the front of the top of your pelvis again and consciously move one side of the pelvis forward, say the right side of the pelvis forward to initiate the movement of the right leg forward. Go back and forth between these two types of walking, holding the core tight with no or minimal pelvic rotation and coordinating the core in a way that freely allows and causes, and energizes pelvic rotation. How much pelvic rotation you want, and how you coordinate with the rest of your movement depends on you and what you are doing at the time. Go back and forth until the difference between these two types of walking feels clear. Can you make the differences between the two ways of acting more and more subtle and still feel the difference? Now notice that when you have pelvic rotation you have added an extra element that could be used to soften your walk or run and with practice take stress off the feet, ankles, knees, hips. 

Look at the photos at the top of the article.  Can you see that in the side view, you are getting a good profile of the face yet an angular view across the buttocks? This is due to pelvic rotation. In the front view of Usain Bolt it is clear that one side of the pelvis has advanced in front of the other side. Clearly Bolt is allowing the pelvis to rotate and the spine to twist in a very powerful way. This is not a core that is being kept tight. This is a core that knows how to produce a strong spiralic action through the core.

Experiment and enjoy-

Scott

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