If you’ve been in the studio this week, you might have heard Sueann and I talking about the documentary film: Michael Jackson’s This Is It.
Yes, we were truly amazed and inspired to see the extraordinary movement facility of the King of Pop on the big screen. Michael Jackson has been moving with natural harmony his whole life.
In this latest showing, Michael dances among his ensemble. Every one of them is younger, fitter, as well as more muscular and athletic. MJ is 50, underweight, and at a minimum, suffering from exhaustion and stress. Yet even in rehearsal and without special effect, his exemplary performance skills shine above all the rest. With all the alteration of Michael’s outward physical appearance over the years, you still know that while he was dancing, he was truly comfortable in his own skin. This rare form of movement harmony is extraordinary to watch and an inspiration to those of us who appreciate both beautifully executed movement not to mention dance.
I think it goes without saying that everybody knows how to breathe. And that is why everybody who is learning Pilates and Gyrotonic can meet the challenge of breathing while at the same time moving in new ways. It’s common for clients to have thoughts like, “I am breathing wrong” or “I don’t want to do all that breathing stuff, I’m here to exercise”. We see clients get flustered and frustrated with the breathing cues just like a person struggling with a tongue twister.
As with anything, it’s best to start simple. Since we are all breathing all the time out of necessity, we could allow our movement to follow our breath, rather than the other way around. The ‘other way around’ is to learn and impose a breath pattern ‘over’ an exercise.
Movement joining breath (in that order) is more natural-feeling and has one key benefit: it necessitates tuning in to how you are already breathing: shallow or deep; do you hold and let go quickly? do you allow for the pause after an exhale or are you always chasing the next inhale? Movement-joining-breath is like watching the back and forth rhythm of a jump rope before actually jumping in and taking your turn.
Once you are able to tune into that rhythm, you can ‘shape’ your breathing in more challenging ways. Some movements in Pilates and Gyrotonic require a more sustained, expansive type of breathing, like a full body yawn or a deep sigh from the inside out. Other exercises demand a powerful, percussive breath rhythm to stimulate the cardiovascular system and to concentrate effort.
We encourage you to master the breathing component of the Pilates and Gyrotonic repertoire by understanding the function of the breath for each exercise and synchronizing your movement with your breath. Fully integrated, this breath work will carry over into other parts of your life, enhancing your technique in the sport or activity that you are passionate about, coping with stress, and/or taking on difficult physical challenges. Ask Harmony client Karen Kern, how breathwork helped her to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest peak, to an altitude of 19,341 feet!
You may have heard of beginner’s mind. Back in grad school when I was barely 20 years old, Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind by Suzuki Roshi was required reading for the dancer. With all due respect to the professor who assigned the book, I have to admit that it was lost on me at that age.
In recent years, though, I see great merit in developing the beginner’s mind mentality for all new undertakings, including learning Pilates and Gyrotonic. I’m also more sympathetic to older adults who walk into our studio facing the daunting prospect of “not knowing”.
It takes courage to work through the discomfort of self-doubt. Try to look at it this way, though, being a stranger in your own body may be just what is needed to achieve a new level of mastery. And just like any true adventure, you might be surprised by the places you’ll go and by the discoveries made along the way.
When you come in for a lesson, then, I encourage you to pause, clear your mind with a few full, deep breaths, let your guard down and approach the process with a sense of curiosity and openness…a beginner’s mind.
Beginner’s Mind requires you to suspend judgment and release fixed notions of what you can or can’t accomplish,
With a beginner’s mind, you can accept that it’s alright to feel awkward. Allow yourself to learn, correct and refine while doing. Stay present in the movement experience with a calm mind.
Know that as a beginner, it is normal to use more tension or effort than is needed. The movements will feel more natural and flowing with repetition.
Remember that at any skill level, beginner to advanced, there is always room for improvement. If something is difficult, meet the challenge by trusting that it will become easier as you get stronger and just as importantly, as your understanding of the movement develops. Vow to practice and let go of being right or perfect.
Let yourself not know so that someday you may more fully understand!
Posted by Dilla R. Mastrangelo, July 7, 2009
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