Embody Your Movement - Love the Body You Live In!

On today's Alive! Bodies in Motion show, I had a great conversation with Eric Franklin; dancer, movement educator, author and founder of the Franklin Method. We discussed how we can use one simple tool to feel better in our bodies. Imagery! It's portable, we don't need any equipment and it costs us nothing! And yet, by playing with it, especially in the things we do everyday like walking, sitting, standing and even breathing, we can quickly begin to feel better in our own skin!!

Eric outlined a couple of simple principles for us. An image works when it is a clear picture. Whatever you are imagining - see it, feel it, even smell it! It must be a vivid image, full of rich detail. When the image is vivid and meaningful to you, your body will respond. 

We get better at what we do most of the time - so play with things that you do regularly. We take 20,000 breaths a day - but when was the last time you practiced enjoying the breaths you take?  Feel the freedom of your gait as you walk, enjoy the ease in your shoulders as you work at your desk. You can use imagery anywhere, anytime!

Eric has some wonderful aphorisms that he uses in his training:
~ Embodying function improves function.
~ Balanced mobility creates stability.
~ Don't solve problems; experience solutions.
~ If you want to change your body, first change your mind.
~ Your flexibility is only as good as your alignment permits.

And my personal favourite...
~ The best image is the one that discovers you.

Change your thoughts to change your body!!
You can hear my interview with Eric Franklin on Alive! Bodies in Motion on VoiceAmerica's Health and Wellness Channel.

Flow Into Fitness Symposium

For You Movement Educators out there - check this out! (From my Colleagues at Ottawa U!)

LEARN TO BE A ‘FLOW IN ACTION’ EDUCATOR


Join us for a series of interactive workshops/presentations based on the philosophy of fluid movement and experiencing flow in action. Come learn how to use joyful physical activity to connect with children in, and out of the classroom.

This symposium is designed for: Daily Physical Activity, Physical Education, yoga, and fitness instructors.

Papers Presented in Round Table Discussion Format
Themes Include (but are not limited to):
¨ Flow in Daily Physical Activity (DPA)
¨ Flow in Elementary Physical Education
¨ Flow in Secondary Physical Education
¨ Other: _________________________


CALL FOR PAPERS FORM (Due Aug 1, 2010)
When: Thursday October 21, 2010 from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Where: Harbour Castle Westin Hotel, Toronto, ON
Price: $99 for professionals, $75 for students (Before Aug 31, 2010)

Reserve your spot before June 30, 2010 to SAVE $20
by emailing Stefanie Partridge at spart033@uottawa.ca

Keynote Presenters Include:
~ Emilie Conrad, founder of the Continuum Movement Method

~ Dr. Stephen Smith, Director of Teacher Education, Simon Fraser University, Physical Education Pedagogy and Curriculum Specialist

~ Dr. Rebecca Lloyd, Assistant Professor, University of Ottawa, Fitness Education Pedagogy and Curriculum Specialist.
Space is limited to 100 people. Register today at: http://flowintofitness.ning.com/page/registration-2
For more information contact Stefanie Partridge at spart033@uottawa.ca
Sponsored by the Interdisciplinary Initiatives Grant, University of Ottawa

Alive! Bodies in Motion

Moving Spirit on Voiceamerica.com Health Network!

Hosted by Susannah Steers, "Alive! Bodies in Motion" is a new internet radio show on Voice America's Health and Wellness Channel. Join Susannah and her special guests as they inspire change through lively dialogue about the many ways that physical activity is important in our lives; as a connection to ourselves and to the world around us. Beyond topics in traditional fitness, "Alive! Bodies in Motion" explores integrated, holistic approaches to physical activity, sport, play and embodied living and presents inspiring stories about people who are enriching their lives and the lives of others through movement. The show unveils a path to health and vitality that respects the mind, the body and the spirit within, better connecting us to our own lives, our families and communities!

Join us live weekly on Thursdays from 1-2pm (Pacific) starting June 3, 2010.Call in and join the discussions!

Rethinking Effort

An intense societal pressure to perform drives our North American culture: bigger, better, faster, higher, more, again and again and again. There is little room for error and no room for rest. With all kinds of electronic gadgetry, people are potentially available to others every hour of every day. Individuals are pressured to be experts in their work and finances, to be fantastic parents raising fantastic kids and to be actively involved in their local schools and communities. People schedule an impossible number of activities into every day and when a free moment appears, more things to do quickly fill the void.

The pressure to perform has squeezed its way into our understanding of physical health as well. The picture of physical health fed to the public over the last several decades speaks mostly to measurable cardiovascular fitness, muscular strength and stamina, combined with balanced caloric intake. Over the years, a healthy active lifestyle has been largely replaced by the repetitive flexing of isolated muscles in a gym or fitness class setting. For those who carve the time out of their busy schedules, most will attack their physical play time with a particular intensity - wanting to sweat, burn calories, fatigue the muscles and generally flex, flex, flex to a fit and healthful state in as little time as possible.

Traditional fitness plays an important role in the sphere of overall health. However, if the equation for physical health is reduced to nothing more than energy burned always being more than or equal to energy consumed, then the bigger picture is lost. What goes on in the rest of the body when we attempt to burn the most possible energy in the shortest amount of time - time and time again? Are we creating effort where there could be ease, tension where there could be flow? Consider this: how many people do you know who regularly get less than 8 hours sleep a night, or suffer from restless sleep or insomnia? How many people do you know who suffer from frequent joint pain and stiffness? How many people do you know who just cannot seem to stick to an exercise routine? Can our approach to physical activity have a part in any of these questions? Perhaps a more holistic view of fitness, taking the relationships between all of the body's systems into account could offer us more support for our whole lives.

Many of the activities people choose in their pursuit of fitness, and the way they attack these activities can potentially promote a sympathetic (fight or flight) response in the body. Combined with other stresses in life, it seems possible that working out this way on a regular basis could contribute to a state of sympathetic stress over time. Under stress, the body loses resiliency (more lost resiliency than can be explained away by the aging process). Musculoskeletal dysfunction and injuries, immune system depletion, hormone imbalances, digestive stress - all of these are indicators that the body is regularly working beyond its capablity as a whole, and moving into stress. There is mainstream medical evidence that suggests that chronic sympathetic overload can have serious consequences for every system in the body. What can we do about this? Good nutrition and adequate rest certainly play a part. I also believe that training in a physically mindful way can help us embody our experiences for more health benefits over the long run.

Imagine a world where it is possible to create strength, stamina and agility without the kind of willful effort many people are used to imposing on themselves. I am not talking about the fabled fluff of infomercials: "Ideal fitness in 3 minutes a day!" No. That's still just fluff. It is true that in order to grow (stronger, smarter, more flexible) we have to ask more of ourselves than we are currently able to handle easily. I am simply suggesting that it is possible to redirect our sense of effort into working in a more mindful and sensory way. To begin to find "the zone" more often in our physical experience - that integrated state where everything seems to move smoothly. It is still possible to work on the edge, in order to challenge oneself, without bracing the body and forcing oneself onward. It simply takes attention, and a sometimes little more time. With time though, it feels BETTER.

I believe that the foundation for a more holistic approach is breath and a true connection to the body's core (not just strong abdominals!). Through those connections, it is possible to release tension in the body that is not serving a purpose. Free up inefficiently expended energy to allow yourself to move more easily, able to take on a new/different load. Play with the idea of softening your strength and strengthening your softness. Dissolve tension and muscle density into flow. When you want to bear down to find strength, challenge yourself to resist compression and reach out instead! You'll find a different kind of intensity to satisfy you. Train the body in a balanced way - not too much of any one thing. Don't forget to play! Establish relationships to the world around you - physically, emotionally, intellectually and spiritually. Movement practices like yoga and Pilates can offer a gateway to working the body in this way, but it is possible to find even while training for a marathon, playing hockey or playing with the kids. Perhaps, if we can begin to adopt this approach in our own bodies, we can start to slow down and find balance in the rest of our lives as well.

My challenge to you for the New Year is this: look for ways to balance effort, intensity and drive with mindfulness and sensory awarenss in your physical pusuits. Be present in your body and observe what is going on in the moment. Make choices regarding your training based on what is really there, not what you wish was there. Feel your edges. Are you hanging on by the skin of your teeth and the sheer force of your will? Mental toughness is one thing. Integrate it with physical smarts and your body will love you for life. You may find that in relating better to your own body, the rest of your world is a little easier to deal with too!