movement awareness | Inside Awareness Center for Integrative Somatic Learning

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Who would enjoy and benefit from a movement workshop with a focus on balance and fear?

Posted on May 29, 2013 | Leave a comment

Finishing up the second event in a 6 week workshop series with a focus upon movement awareness for decreasing fear and increasing balance, the participants themselves ask me, “Why haven’t we learned this before?” “Why hasn’t this been apart of our learning background?” I can only mention that it must not be in our awareness yet!

After only two classes participants are beginning to know themselves in a way that has never crossed their minds before. They have a greater awareness of their feet, legs, knees, pelvis, spine, ribs, arms, hands and head. They notice that they are very connected to their shoulders, neck, head and arms and not so much to anything else! They also have a growing recognition to how they may feel pressure in one foot and none in the other. Therefore the struggle for balance.

These classes are unlike a focus fitness class designed specifically to build muscle and or yoga for stretching. Building muscle and stretching are a benefit of the classes. The focus is upon understanding the movement and focused awareness of the movement itself. That is when change happens!

Anyone who has limited movement and breathing patterns would benefit from these classes. Anyone who is in pain or has fear of their own movement would benefit. Anyone afraid of falling and tensing up would benefit. Find out more! There are four classes left in this series that you can register for, pro-rated. Call 250-370-7300 to sign up or mark your calendars for the fall. A new class begins September 16th, 2013, more info at – link

Behavior is the art “man” has forgotten!

Posted on May 28, 2013 | Leave a comment

Have I ever told you how much I enjoy myself! I have the best position in the world! I watch workshop members integrate information and see change in them in as little as two hours.

In two seemingly separate workshops yesterday the members heard me say, “If you don’t use it you lose it!” Both workshops are designed around personal exploration with the intention to increase the use of participants brains in a novel way. One through movement to increase balance and the other relationship behavior. We know our relationships are based upon behavior , yet when you consider movement, it too is a learned behavior!

The workshop members are looking for change and to improve their life abilities in some way. Those only looking for reassurance that they have the answers already move on quickly to the next novel workshop. Those who stay, do so as they are tired of seeking answers from external sources and are wanting sincere change. They are willing to go beyond thinking about it and finding easy answers. They are willing to explore and deepen their understand through practical experience. That’s when the magic happens and brains mapping increases. I see a shift in facial expressions, body posture and tone. This is when tiredness turns into engagement, fear turns into contentment, and lack of supporting oneself turns into personal power of supporting oneself.

I also enjoy the verbal feedback that comes from participants. One of our workshops from yesterday explored deepening patterns of listening. A practice of a simple pattern of steps was introduced with an explanation of how it was similar to a pattern used in other parts of our culture to increase safety. At the end of the night one participant shared they had just spent the past weekend in a loving kindness meditation. While listening to their teacher they had moments of joyful surprise when what they heard was similar to what they had been learning and practicing through our workshops together.

The difference for me is that our workshops are based upon the practical application: to act from conscious action in the moment you are living the experience. It is not a practice of faith, tradition or spirituality. It is not the dogma. It is a series of steps to recognize and change behavior. I believe it may support the art of living one’s faith! Perhaps it is the bridge to bring that loving kindness into a moment of action.

I know for myself that I can meditate until the cows come home and still my relationships interactions outside of the mediation space remain the same. The experience is not translating into real life action. Yet I notice that when I have the courage to listen first and then speak authentically and honestly, the same quality of experience rises up within as when I have been in long mediation!

Have I ever told you how much I enjoy this? When I imagine the Japanese Zen artist drawing from a state of mediation and holding the calligraphy pen to draw the circle of life or the dot of awakened state, I draw a comparison. I know the behavioral pattern awareness and integration process I share to be the pen. My opinion is that they are the tool to increase skill levels of behavioral action in the moment of living it.

Behavior is the art “man” has forgotten!