Getting the Message
By guest author and Mindful Movement Master Teacher Douglas Groesser
When Renée Tillotson and I were developing the Academy curriculum, she insisted that we include a Mindful Movement Standard of “Listen for the Ahh... that feels good!”
“Lots of coaches and instructors try to warn their people away from moves that hurt them. What they don’t do, and NEED to do, is help their movers find what feels GOOD in their bodies during movement sessions!” she exclaimed. “What FEELS good IS good for the body.”
Oh! Interesting point. I thought of the many trainers and instructors I had moved with in the past. I realized that very few of them ever cued me to look for and expect a wonderful sensation of “Ahh…” during their workouts or classes.
“OK,” I thought to myself. “Nobody ever invited me to notice moves at the gym or studio that actually feel comfortable. I wonder whether it really works. Can I find comfort in moves that I fear, moves that have actually put my body in pain?”
As I moved through my days, I kept asking my body, “Where is the ‘Ahh’ in this movement? Where can I find comfort and ease?” As my body responded, I made adjustments to the way I stand, the way I sleep, the way I work on my laptop. Slowly, my “Ahhs…” began to show up!
One of my biggest Eureka moments happened during the simple action of getting into the driver's seat of my jungle green Mini. The car looks good, but it’s certainly MINI! Subconsciously, I dreaded squeezing myself sideways into the driver’s seat, lowering and twisting my back to fit myself in. I often felt the ominous click just above my tailbone – always a sign that trouble is brewing in my lower back.
One day I asked myself, “How can I make entering my vehicle a comfortable experience for my body?” After a few days of experimentation, I found it. I turned my body sideways to the seat, bent my knees, stuck out my tush, and slowly eased back into the seat. I sensed a nice warmth spreading through my lower back. Now that my back and head were fully tucked into the car, I easily turned to face forward. The move actually felt GOOD!
Now I look forward to getting into the driver’s seat! No kidding. In a move I used to hate, I finally found my “Ahh.. that feels good!” sensation.