No Fixed Points - A Lesson On Flow

I always tease my husband about being like a well worn rock – the way things run over him like water no matter what’s going on. Most of the time, I am more like the random floating tree limb, constantly bobbing around the rock, bouncing off of it, sometimes settling, but inevitably looking for the next place to land, the next fixed point (a planned destination of course.) Lucky for us, we strike a lovely balance most of the time. We find a flow.

Except when we don’t. Then my bumping around goes something like this: “You’ve got to be doing something. What are you moving toward? Where is this leading? What’s the goal? Shouldn’t you be trying to be something? Move forward. Don’t be apathetic. Don’t waste time.” To this end it’s insidious.

You may know this feeling. Bumpy water can also be worry, doubt, fear, perfection (hah!), lack of motivation (this would be a slow muddy like bumping around). Anyway, you get the idea. If we are striving for a million fixed points, the pushing comes from inside. If we are worried or doubtful, the fixed points tend to bump up against us – the pushing seemingly coming from everywhere else.

Lately, though, with things in the world constantly and rapidly changing, fixed points out in the distance don’t really exist. Pretty much what we can set our radars by are the things right in front of us. For the rest, we just have to jump in and try not to get battered against the rocks. The less we resist the less tension there is, the more effective our efforts, the more we flow, the better the ride.

In Pilates flow is a fundamental concept. Flowing movement, control, balance, centering, rhythm are all underlying principles of what we are ultimately trying to achieve by moving with awareness. It’s efficiency, the balance of effort and ease.

In the body, it’s the same thing. When we apply too much effort, more than is necessary for the muscles to achieve the given movement goal, the excess effort is stored as tension.
Tension creates immobility and inflexibility. When the body becomes too fixed or rigid there is no room for adaptation, no ability to flow. The only other option then is to apply more and more effort to achieve simpler and simpler movements and then there is pain and ultimately injury.

A popular sentiment lately is that we humans have to be pressed up against the very edge, forced to stand on the precipice before we change. For me this is proving to be relatively true. The bigger the changes the more I am aware that flow is necessary, that adaptability is critical, ease is vital. Because if I can’t enjoy the ride what’s the point.

A Smiling Meditation

Here is one of my favorite meditations that I may have shared with you before.
It's a nice chance to cultivate and deliberately call on the feeling of joy and contentment.

Begin: Relaxed position sitting or laying down. Eyes closed and body alert and awake begin to track your inhale and exhale. Become aware of the overall quality in your body and if it's possible try to soften into areas of tension.

1. Saying silently: I am aware of breathing in (as you inhale). I am aware of breathing out (as you exhale). Repeat as many times as you want.
Eventually shorten to I am breathing in or just in. I am breathing out or out.
Continue to let your body relax into the natural pace of your breath.

2. Next say silently: I am aware of breathing in deep (as you inhale). I am aware of breathing out slow (as you exhale).
Continuing with Breathing in deep or deep. Breathing out slow or slow.

3. I am breathing in ease. I am breathing out calm.
Breathing in ease. Breathing out calm.
Ease. Calm.

4. The fun part!
For this one you want to elicit a sense of smiling from the deepest part of your physical body, create a smile with your insides. It may or may not produce a smile on your face, but I will venture to guess that you won't be able to help it.

I am aware of smiling. I am aware of releasing.
I am smiling. I am releasing.
Smile. Release.

5. The grand finale.
I am aware of this moment. I am aware of the perfect moment.
This moment. The perfect moment.

Finish by bringing your attention back to your breath and slowly, mindfully opening your eyes.

This meditation was taken from a teaching by Thich Nhat Hanh.

A place to practice...

I just wanted to write this quick note to all of you mostly because today I meant to send out my Sunday Column and no matter how much I thought about it somehow I couldn't quite get it finished.
So, let me say "cheers" to starting over and to the hope of the Sunday column gracefully turning into the Monday column.
As we get ready for September there are so many things going on at the studio and even I am having a hard time keeping up with all of it.
It makes my head swim a little bit - the excitement, the hope, the energy - it's fantastic. But even though we are all busy and trying to do more there is still something that I find keeps me steady and grounded. The practice.
Every time the whirlwind begins I just remember that there is nothing expected of me. Not really. Just my own expectations. The only thing I can do is start over every day and appreciate the practice of starting over, the practice of being mindful - of all the good things and the bad, the mistakes and the little failures, the joys and the successes, the breakthroughs and the small achievements. Because after all, these small moments are what our lives are made of.
I hope that you all find the beauty in just practicing, of practicing Pilates. It's really just a thing that we do because it feels good. I hope to remember that during these busy times - keep it simple.

Weaving Forward

Well, this is exciting!!!
Just another piece in the never-ending and ever-rewarding weaving of something into creation.
As the studio grows and evolves the thing that I am most grateful for is that each day there is a new opportunity to reach out and touch our community of movers - because aren't we all movers? Even when we are still, sitting in quiet (if we are able to allow for that in our crazy lives) our hearts pump, our blood circulates, the air we breath moves in and out of our lungs, our minds rattle along on their conscious and unconscious tracks. We never ever stop moving in this life and so what else is there to do but settle in for the ride and experience it fully...
So, it is with a sense of anticipation and a little bit of giddiness that I start the Pilates Collective Blog. Everyone else is doing it...how can we resist.

My hope for the blog, the website and the newsletter (Sunday Column) is that we are able to create a forum where we can share ideas, ask questions, enjoy each other's company (in a very weird and strangely technological way - embracing the computer age with a sense of balance)and just have fun with what this avenue has to offer.

I can't wait to get our first blogger entry! Say anything, write whatever you want, send a poem, ask an off the wall question, leak out some insights...I can't wait to see what this will become.

Enjoy the process - after all, what else can we do?

With peace and gratitude,
Chantill