What If?

What if?

Do you ask yourself, "What if?". Children do this all the time. It is the unconscious mantra of elementary aged kids.

Then, as we get older, we tend to lose our natural curiosity for the world. Routine sets in and we feel like we have seen it all. That's why many people love to travel and see new sights. It renews that sense of curiosity and makes life seem fresh and interesting again. Our education system doesn't help us much in this regard. It tends to squash children's sense of wonder, and by the time we graduate high school, many people have lost the motivation to learn just for sake of learning.

Albert Einstein once said, "I have no special talent. I am passionately curious." Clearly, Einstein was being humble here, but the message is important. If you stop being curious, you may fail to unlock some of your hidden potential. 

At a recent online "embodiment summit", Ryan Hurst spoke about maintaining curiosity in the realm of fitness. He described this curiosity as a key component of his own movement practice. He encourages his clients to take very simple movements and focus in on the sensations of particular parts of your body as you perform the exercise. 

In our fast food style of fitness, where you can find a brand new workout or wild exercise on Instagram every day, it is too easy to be mindless in our pursuit of strength or whatever your particular goal might be. In reality, it takes years of steady and diligent work to build strength and move skillfully. 

This is another reason why I believe exercising outside is so helpful. For me, it is much easier to be mindful and curious when there is not music blasting from the studio speakers or from my earbuds. Just by being barefoot on the grass, your body is instantly receiving more novel stimuli from the uneven ground and texture of the grass or natural surface. 

The next time you perform a movement, try to focus in on where you feel the exercise working the most. Do you feel pain anywhere? Tightness? Lack of control? Alternatively, choose one part of your body, such as your feet, and focus on the sensation of your weight shifting during a squat or as your jump and land. See if you can notice periods of tension and relaxation throughout the beginning and ending of a movement. 

As with any endeavor, you will stave off boredom when you pay attention and your movement practice will instantly become more interesting and fulfilling.

Stay curious, my friends.