Discovery As A Way of Life
Discovery As A Way of Life
Audio link of newsletter: http://tiny.cc/6hs5101
On the heels of returning from a week of exploring art, from Sculpture gardens to galleries and museums along the mid-Atlantic coast, I can share how inspiring it is to behold all forms of art, man-made and natural, in all their glory. The feeling of inspiration, hope, and realization that being in the state of seeing and awakening to new things, discovering and absorbing beauty in all its wonders, was and is exhilarating and invigorating, and enables one to shift their mindset away from the absurd and harrowing events in our country and world now. How to reset and discover other ways to uplift and find resilience and persevere despite all the miseries that are befalling so many in these current times.
“The difference between misery and happiness depends on what we do with our attention.” -Sharon Salzberg
The discipline to turn your attention to other things that help restore and shift your perception is so important for renewing your energy and discovering that this is the dance of life. How to shift and dance through the difficult times, how to become more resilient, and focus on what you can change. Most of the change happens within you, and from there, new pathways to discover and explore awaken.
It can be as simple as looking at what’s already around you to see it with fresh eyes. Hear the sound of birds or whatever pleasant sounds are around you, to see, hear, and more importantly, to listen to the sounds of nature that refresh your spirit. Venture to take a different pathway than you’re known to discover a new way of doing things. This can be daunting, as we all tend to fall back on our habitual ways of doing; it’s familiar, and within that familiarity, there is comfort. Ah, but there is also a trap to keep you in a place without new discoveries and experiences to grow from.
Now here’s another way to discover. For some, exploring Awareness Through Movement (ATM)® lessons can also become a way of tuning out of how to do the movements; they’re familiar, and we fall into doing them without always really slowing down to notice differences. What if you changed the orientation of the lesson? What else would change as a result of your relationship with gravity? I explore this in my ATM offerings to help others discover how to adapt most lessons to suit them better. Even one small change can change everything else and awaken another pathway of learning to improve and discover how our attention to little things creates big changes. May you find these ways to awaken more discovery, wire in those things that continue to help heal, and then think of other ways to explore. Walk a different trail or pathway as if there were a detour; you might find that following another path opens up a completely new experience to learn from and enjoy!
“A basic condition for Harmonious coordination is complete freedom from either self-compulsion or compulsion from others… The truly important learning is to be able to do the thing you already know in another way. The more ways you have to do the things you know, the freer is your choice. And the freer your choice, the more you’re a human being.”– Dr. Moshe Feldenkrais
I just returned from introducing ATM to a lovely group of ladies, all novices to Feldenkrais. There was limited time as I was asked to introduce a lesson at the beginning of their business conference at a restaurant. I shared a seated-rotation lesson, as all of these women sit for endless hours in front of a screen. What better way than to explore a seated lesson to learn how to shift your state and move with gentle intention to improve the quality of your attention, awareness, and feel more improved. It was a discovery for all of us: being present with them, with their constraints, and enabling each to have their own experience of improvement, a gift for all of us.
Find ways to discover new things, new thoughts, different pathways, especially if it’s something you for whatever reason resist. Give things a try to experience for yourself the benefits of living a life full of discovery and innovation.
I hope I’ve earned the privilege of your time and attention this week, and I look forward to creating new discoveries with you.
Warmest,
Peggi
