The Movement Game
I’m a life scientist, as we all are. Somehow I cannot help but to fine-tune my lifestyle, weekly commitments, responsibilities, investments etc in order to grow, learn and enjoy to my utmost potential!
Recently, I’ve been noticing (and re-noticing, time and time again) the importance of Playing and Moving together with others. Sounds obvious and pretty sweet indeed - almost like, ‘what’s the big deal?’ right?
Well, it IS a big deal. Because, for someone like me, who has played sports, travelled, learned and moved in tonnes of ways already, it’s still pretty life changing to notice the difference between REAL play and REAL movement compared to the shittier version.
A common sight these days! Are we more and more removed from the simple experience of meeting reality as it is… away from our recording of, and sharing of, it? When was the last time we left home without our phones for example?
So here it is: 3 things that make for an effective and magical ‘MOVEMENT GAME’…
1) Do things you suck at…
Probably the most important one of all. We’re very good at sticking to the stuff we know we can do, we’re comfortable doing and have already some nice stories about our past successes while doing it. But our potential growth and learning is severely limited in these areas, because the bulk of knowledge and training has already been done. Of course there is ‘always something to learn’ but this is an unfortunate excuse we all make to keep doing the things we are simply too afraid to let go of.
As Ido Portal would say: ‘today is a great day to die’. Let the handstand go. Let the running die. Let the cartwheel disappear. If there are no more scary or interesting questions left then move on. Simple. Butterflies (and fear!) are there for a reason. To keep us alive and kicking…
There are infinite ways to make new connections in the body and mind - board games can be as effective as anything else. It’s when we start to specialise and forget about this abundance of choices that we become robotic, stangant and bored in our life’s journey perhaps…
2) Do things with OTHER PEOPLE…
Super important! A human being is the best mirror there is. And being seen for what one can create, achieve and learn solidifies those skills and progressions. It’s nature’s way of saying: ‘yes, you really did do it!’.
Also, we cannot help but take things from the people we surround ourselves with. That’s why they say that we become the 5 people we spend the most time with! It’s incredibly effective subconscious learning - being around people who can do things, physically, mentally, creatively, that we cannot. One needn’t even try… just surrender and it happens by itself.
3) Teach and Study in equal amounts…
This is a tricky one and potentially high risk. But being both a leader AND a student is paramount for one’s movement journey. That doesn’t mean you need certificates and a large following of high-paying students, but it does mean that you give to others your skills and experience and receive from others also in the same way.
It’s not easy to get the balance right, either. Attaching to the identity of ‘teacher’ or ‘student’ is inevitable, and difficult to shake off, especially when compliments (or money) start to come your way. It is, however, possible to somewhat ‘measure’ one’s teaching and student time. Eg: a 2 hour class is your student time, while a 2 hour workshop you give, or time spent doing what you’re most gifted at alongside others, is the teaching time.
I dare say that, for most people, more student time than teaching time is optimal. At least 5 hours of studying for every 1 hour of ‘teaching’ is an effective ratio I find. Especially if you’re young and yet to effectively decide upon and build your own practice.
The importance of being a student! Many of us (myself included) don’t always like to be corrected. And so we avoid feedback, separate ourselves from a structured process and therefore limit our own development. Yoga is always a good humbling experience for me personally!
Of course, this blog is self-therapy… my way of reminding myself of good habits I often forget. Every blog or podcast is the same for me. It helps to clarify my path and how I might better tread it. That being said, these considerations are timeless I feel, and can be read about in any self-help / teaching / spiritual development book.
Happy moving everyone. Stay simple, stay calm and stay humble. See you on the other side.
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