Don’t Over Think It
This is not so much an admonition, as admitting I can relate. Distinguishing between thinking, and feeling the physical body is the basis of my Method. We all overthink many aspects of our lives, what to wear, eat for dinner, what to purchase and when. I am always impressed by those who go by their gut and make their decisions. Then to top it off they tell me they have no regrets because they did that.
Students ask through the years how I am so good at doing the method? My response is it’s because I am so bad at doing the method. I have had to learn the difference between thinking about my body, what others tell me about my body, and actually what it feels like. The reason most of us rely on overthinking, we are not given the option not to. Our bodies are giving us feedback all the time, interpreting that can be very useful.
Feeling vs thinking
When I began to lose the full use of my right leg, it was getting weaker and weaker, there was a true lack of feeling. I didn’t have any language or way in of understanding why. Of course, I was concerned, confused, and became very anxious when there wasn’t any clear cause and effect at the time. When it comes to our bodies most of us think we create the feeling of the body through exercise, or different therapies. But our bodies have feeling sitting in a chair, lying in bed, there is always a sensory experience with the body. This is not to say, thinking is wrong, that would be silly. But sometimes our thoughts are wrong. They are coming from information unrelated to that sensory experience we are all capable of having and using to our benefit. Simply said, through our senses the body can begin to use what it feels to realign us, and make us stronger. Chronic low backaches, knee problems, postural issues, stiffness most of the time are ways in which the body is giving us valuable information by the way they feel. We just don’t look at it that way. How else would the body communicate to us? Sometimes the bad feelings are leading us as well. Its how we respond that makes the difference.
How to create more feeling in the body for it to work?
It’s a much easier process than most would imagine, but extremely important. You don’t have to overthink the process when doing the method because you do feel your body. You are not looking to feel certain things. If you put a piece of chocolate in your mouth, you don’t have to work hard to taste it. You might like the taste or not. You might spit it out or let it linger. The way you respond to the experience is all very individual. The point is you do taste, without working for it. You can sensorily, feel your body without working. What we do with that information determines how we heal from backaches, tight shoulders, injuries, and anxiety, as well as improve posture, balance and the strength our body is truly capable of.
The directions are not complicated, people are complicated.
Don’t be hard on yourself if you feel you keep overthinking everything when doing the Method. We are pretty much trained that way. Just like putting that piece of chocolate in your mouth, let the feeling linger if you like it, if not try something else. You wouldn’t never eat again. People’s responses doing the method are extremely varied. If you don’t like something you are experiencing, change it, try something else.
People have amazing responses, from intense joy to feeling anxious. Does that mean the Method is wrong, your body is wrong? No, it just means that you are having a response in that moment. You can choose to do something else. Choose what resonates with you. But throughout your life, feeling your body will help you move easier, and prevent some of the ailments we all take for granted we will experience.