Flexing Weirdly + Resting Different
Movement of the week:
Abduction Side Bend
A lot of us don't bend to the side much, so we're leaving a ton of athletic freedom and comfortable, fluid movement untapped.
The reward for venturing into a whole-body movement like this, instead of just isolating the hips or obliques, isn't just physical. Sure, being able to bend in weird ways while feeling safe and strong is awesome...
But the gold is also in the figuring out process. With this movement, it might take you a few sets (or more than a few) to get it. If so, good.
The value of a tool is in how much you have to develop as a being in order to harness its full potential. The tool is for you. The whole process is... for you. By working on these movements, you're really working to know, love and master yourself.
Okay, let's talk technically but just for a quick moment.
Here you're going to be maximising sideways (frontal view/plane) movement.
BUT there is an important caveat here: moving sideways (or any way), requires a degree of rotation, because human movement is driven by rotation (spirals).
When you try this movement, you'll see that it feels a little more natural when you let your hips rotate a bit.
E.g. Instead of sitting your side hip to the ground, you'll turn slightly so the "corner" of your butt-cheek reaches toward the floor.
Enjoy!
Insight of the week:
Don't quit. Just change the dynamic, starting small.
Sometimes, doing something differently, or adding something new, is more restful than stopping or withdrawing.
Which PARTS of you need rest?
Sometimes, it’s just that ONE part of you needs rest; and for that part to rest, another part of you needs to take the wheel.
Examples:
- Is it your mind that's had enough, or just your “work brain”?
- Is it really your body, or just your… hips?
- Is it your relationship, or just your way of relating?
*once again, remember: framing (perspective ) + relationship dynamics are VERY powerful.*
What if you reshaped your relationship with the familiar things, by introducing some variety?
You may find this is MORE restful in a way, than just “stopping”… this way, you can maintain your momentum, stay creative, and know how adaptive you truly are!
Because knowing things are going well always helps me rest more deeply. And running away is never restful.
What I’ve been doing:
Overdoing it.
Out of love, like an excited child. In training (3 hour sessions)
And in work (filming and working with mentees)
And in caffeine intake…
How do I know? - harder to get to sleep - more of a restless / bored yet tired feeling - a desire for certain vices.
In other words, I’ve become a desiring machine. Which is very healthy when seasonal and integrated, and must also be tempered with rest so that I don't create a conflict of interest with my body (self-fragmentation).
To know what I am capable of (and how much MORE capable I am than even that) feels intoxicating... and it's also really energising to know that this momentum will only be increased a shift towards more rest.
Slowing down doesn't hinder me. It lets the jets cool, so I can ramp them up even more.
It's the slooow slothy down-time that allows for healing, emotional processing and consolidation of progress.
It's when I rest that the things I've done become integral parts of who I am.
It's like I've moved into a new house (me) with bigger rooms. But it needs some homeliness. Some plants... some comfy couches. So that I can be at home here, on this new level.
Coffee and training intensity are becoming less important. Naps and “do nothing time”, more important.
Building the mentorship is less important (demand is high). Refining and enjoying the experience with mentees is more important.
Finding new and engaging social interaction to break my mould of who I think I am, so the part of me that seeks consistency and repetition can take a rest.
KEY: no throwing the abby out with the bath water. No over-correction. Just little tweaks, and a lot of appreciation for how far I've come. I wish this for you also.
See yourself, truly, for all the effort you've put in. And remember, a huge chunk of life is not about effort.
Jack