Category Archives: Workshop

What Happens When Your Habits Stop Serving You?

We’re all in uncharted territory. Our daily habits are useless. What do we do? Maybe the first step is to become calm.

Front cover of Atomic Habits bookI’m reading Atomic Habits right now.

It’s an odd book to be reading at this particular time, from one point of view. The coronavirus has forced most of us out of our daily routines. Habits have dropped by the wayside. We’re working from home—if we’re lucky enough to have jobs. Or maybe supplies considered essential to doing our jobs safely aren’t available, and we have to jury-rig alternatives.

On the other hand, it’s actually the perfect time to be reading this book. Because we have the opportunity, maybe now or in the coming weeks or months, after this pandemic, to consider our old habits, decide which we value and which we want to change, and cultivate new habits. There’s absolutely no way we can go about business as usual.

The chapter I read this week is “The Secret to Self-Control.” James Clear, the book’s author, describes research done with American soldiers who became addicted to heroin during the Vietnam War. When they went back home, only 12 percent became re-addicted after three years. The re-addiction rate for heroin addicts living in the USA is 90 percent when they get home after rehab.

Researchers found that “addictions could spontaneously dissolve if there was a radical change in the environment” (p. 92).

We have a remarkable opportunity right now to observe our habits in their absence, both personally and globally. We are experiencing a radical change in our environment. Willy nilly. The ground has dropped out from under us.

A face mask in a clear box.I realize reflection isn’t possible for many of us right now. I just listened to a story on This American Life about a family of three in a New York apartment, 500 feet in size. Both parents sick with COVID-19. The mother locked in the bedroom to protect their two year-old. The father doing his best to care for his child during what they’re calling “Inside Time.” They don’t have the luxury to reflect right now. Nor do our first responders. Nor do the migrant workers in India who have nowhere to shelter and no way to practice social distancing.

But it’s clear to me that most of us will realize when we’re past this crisis, that we can’t go back to business as usual. We have a chance to craft a new Normal. We can choose new habits on a personal, country-wide, and international level. If we want.

Or we can try to go back to whatever Normal was before this pandemic. And wait for the rug to be pulled out from under us again. Because this isn’t the first pandemic we’ve faced; it won’t be the last.

To put it in the most mundane terms, how many times do you need to stub your toe on a chair before you decide to move the chair to a different place? How many times do you need to dislocate your shoulder before you decide maybe there’s a way you could move without dislocating your shoulder?

How do you create the conditions in which habit changing is possible?

A quality we’ll need to cultivate, both now, if we can, and later, is the quality of calm. That place in yourself you can trust without question. Buddhists call it bodhichitta or buddha nature. It’s the gap between your in-breath and your out-breath. It’s the space of potential, before you act or react. You touch it during contemplative prayer or meditation, or in a Feldenkrais® lesson. Essentially, it’s compassion.

Does this sound like a quality you’d like to cultivate?

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A girl walks quietly on a crowded streetGoing Deeper

If you’re interested cultivating calm, come to Finding Calm, the free online intensive Russ Mitchell and I are offering April 24-26. Come  Friday, Saturday or Sunday, or to all three sessions.

Let’s cultivate calm together.

What’s a Workshop?

Somebody asked me, will there be Awareness Through Movement® in Uncover Your Innate Strength? (That’s the series of six workshops coming in 2019.)

I realized, oh! Not everyone knows what I mean when I say “workshop.”

So here’s what to expect!

Lessons

Yes, we’ll do ATM lessons. We might do two. We might do parts of several. But we’ll certainly be getting down on the floor. Having three hours to play with means we can stop and start. Pause for discussion or demos. We can also do extended lessons which are too long to offer in an hour class.

Partner work

Sometimes I’ll invite you to work with one or two other people to investigate something together, maybe in moving, maybe in discussion.

Discussion

Walking workshop participants grouped around a human skeleton

After our walking workshop.

We’ll do some talking about what we’re discovering. Each of us will make unique discoveries during each workshop, and over the series. We’ll probably find common threads. Naming and describing what we discover will help us decide whether our discoveries are useful—do we want to keep traveling in that direction?—or whether we’ve found something to change or improve.

As Moshe Feldenkrais wrote: “When you know what you’re doing, you can do what you want.” Part of knowing involves naming, really bringing your attention to what’s going on.

Homework

If you like, you can take one or two of the ideas from each workshop and continue to play with them on your own, during the month. Over the six months, your toolbox will grow.

You may surprise yourself. I once taught a rolling lesson. During the lesson I said, “You’ll never do these movements in this way in real life. The point of this lesson is flexibility.” Then I found myself getting into my car after class, tapping into part of the lesson to pivot, fold, and twist, all at the same time. Spontaneously and effortlessly!

Fun

It’s just plain fun to do a workshop. But don’t take my word for it! Here’s what Linda had to say after her first workshop: “Thank you so much for a most stimulating, enlivening, enlightening and totally fun afternoon.

More questions? Send me an email!

Introduction to Qigong Aug. 17

Please come to this introduction to Zhineng Qigong (Chi-Lel Qigong), taught by Rick Silver. Learn movements and techniques taught in China’s medicine-less hospitals that promote health and increase energy and awareness.

Rick Silver, Qigong teacher

Instructor Rick Silver

When: Sunday, Aug. 17, 2-3:30 pm

Where: OmBalance, 6801 Snider Plaza, #240, University Park (near SMU)

Movements range from easy to moderately challenging, depending on your fitness. They do not require athleticism and can be done standing or sitting.

These exercises massage and strengthen you internally while conditioning structure. They are helpful to do while recovering from illness.

Possible Benefits of Regular Practice

  • Improved blood pressure, both high & low
  • Improved energy, blood & lymph circulation

If there’s interest, Rick will offer a six-class series at OmBalance.

Intro class is $10. Register in advance on Brown Paper Tickets, or bring check or cash: credit cards not accepted.

ABOUT RICK SILVER

In 1995 Rick was diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Western medicine and multiple alternative modalities did not relieve his symptoms. He began practicing Zhineng (Chi-Lel) Qigong in 2001, while living in Santa Fe. Since then he has been symptom free and in excellent health. In 2004 Rick and his family moved to New Zealand, where he continued his practice. He studied with Sandy Jiang (Blue Sky Zhineng Qigong Studio) and became certified to teach. Rick is in his 70s, has a 17-year-old daughter, and lives in Dallas. He is medication free.

For information call Rick at 505-819-8964 or email rickinsantafe@gmail.com.

*Consult your health care professional before starting any wellness program. The instruction is not a substitute for professional medical advice.

Dallas Feldenkrais Events in May & June

I’ll be heading to Chicago at the end of the month for a week of advanced training. Lots going on before that here in Dallas, both north and south of 635.Southside sign

Happy Feldenkrais Week! It begins in the USA today, May 3. To kick off Dallas Feldenkrais festivities, here’s one of my favorite videos, Baby Liv Crawling.

Sitting Pretty workshop at MoveStudio Feb. 2

Whether you have a yoga or meditation practice, or would just like more comfort in sitting, you’ll benefit from this workshop. When your pelvis moves naturally, movements of your upper and lower body coordinate to produce powerful, precise, graceful movements – and ease in moving or sitting.

Awareness Through Movement lesson®.

Awareness Through Movement lesson®.

Please be comfortable lying on your back, stomach or side, and floor sitting. Wear several layers of loose-fitting clothing.

Limit: 15.

Where: MoveStudio, 17062 Preston Rd., Suite 108, Dallas, TX 75248

When: Sat, Feb. 2, 2:30-4:30 pm

$35 in advance; $45 at the door if there’s room. Register on the MoveStudio website.