While teaching for many years, one thing that’s consistent is how unique each person is in their relationship to their body. What is also similar is people don’t believe they can really change and improve the way they feel. Believing is a big part of trying things. You won’t even try something, if you believe your outcome is going to be unsuccessful, no matter what it is, you are hoping to achieve. If you feel defeated going in, well why would you even try?
Most people don’t feel they have much control over how their physical bodies feel. I am here to tell you when it comes to most of the common, sometimes even painful physical experiences, related to tight muscles, anxiety and stress, injuries, your body knows how to transform itself.
Your body is worth taking that leap of faith. We have in many ways given up our control to others. The personal trainer, chiropractor, doctor, massage therapist provides much information. In many ways all these people are very helpful. But even with their expertise, those benefits are based on you believing your body can really change and be better. I think most of us have experienced months of going to a therapist, or a chiropractor and the results don’t last. As one of my students pointed out, he felt amazing until he got to his car and his pain was back.
I’ve said in classes for years, more than anything, my job is to help you believe. I look around at the room, at faces that are somewhat discouraged, tired. Perhaps they’ve had a chronic injury or a backache from sitting all day. The last thing they want to do is learn something new, they just want to be transported to a new place, something that feels great. But they really don’t believe that’s possible.
That’s where I come in. I don’t change people’s body when I teach the Method. Your body is your best teacher. I help you believe it knows the way. I lead you to increase feeling when using the balls, your breathing, and the Whole-Body Moves. All of these change the body. Through your senses your body begins to respond again. It knows how to breathe. It knows how to move.
I remind the class of the story of Peter Pan. I’ve seen that movie many times over the years and remember that scene with Tinker Bell flying around Peter ‘s room. Forgive me if some of the details are incorrect. But I remember after seeing it many times that a keyword was believe. “If you want to fly Peter you must believe”, there was a bit of resistance until finally he took off. He began to fly. I’ve seen that look on peoples faces so many times after the classes. They are pleasantly surprised but have that look of disbelief. How did this happen?
We do tend to resist, just like Peter did at first. Perhaps in our youth we’re a little bit more willing to take the leap of faith. But when it comes to the body, I feel a lot of us lose our power. It is taken away from us because we think of our bodies as machines. We need a service person to fix this inanimate object we drag around with us. We don’t believe, just like Peter Pan did not at first. We need a little coaxing and then the experiences lead us to a new place we haven’t experienced. That will never end.
Teaching the Method
When I teach, I lead people to these unfamiliar places, I don’t create them. Those initial moments when a person begins to pass the baton. They move from holding tightly on to what they “think” their body needs, to responding to the feelings they can’t deny are happening, when they stop holding so tightly. They don’t let go to nowhere; they go to a different physical experience. It is without the strain, and it’s a place you can go to often.
People begin to realize their body has options, it is somewhat magical, or miraculous. Just for a while you might sense your body moving freely, your energy increasing and stiff tight muscles that make you feel trapped are moving differently. These are not accidents. This is what your body knows.
For those of you who are doing the method, want to do the method, or even if you want to begin teaching others, become familiar with the directions. It is a different language. Believe you can fly, and feel that joy of moving without fear, to new places.