It’s not that we want to. No. If you asked me, of course I’ll tell you I just want to be myself. But the “shoulds” are so ingrained and so automatic that much of the time we are running someone else’s movie script in our lives without the benefit of our own awareness.

We’re addicted to should. I should smile, should be professional, should speak up, should slow down, should lose weight, should be more understanding, should have already left the house by now, should stand up for myself, should have tried harder, should – damn it – SHOULD know how to do this already! For many of us, it’s a way of life that we practice without thinking.

For example, think about the last time you went to work, took a class, or did your favorite movement practice…  Name one way you weren’t really letting yourself be.

Was it easy?

This week I invite you to practice allowing what is.

No. I IMPLORE you to do it. Give yourself this wonderful gift. Begin today and make the commitment for the next seven days to absolutely surrender to the person, place and thing you are in any given moment.

In your movement practice, it might look like trusting and honouring your own physical body. Does your knee hurt? Don’t do the deep knee bends, even if the teacher says, “Now go deeper!” Just be where you are. Do you feel overweight, over tired or hung over? Ok. Start there. Rather than try to change it, surrender. What would it be to dance (swim, bike, run, stretch) in this body, just as it is? And just for good measure, open your eyes and look in the mirror.

In life, you might start by noticing all the times you apologize. “I am sorry…” for being me, just as I am, in this moment. Take those three words out of your vocabulary for the next seven days. Or, if you catch yourself using them, you might say to yourself something like, “no, I am not sorry. It’s just who I am right now. Perhaps tomorrow I will decide to do things differently and be happy about that. But today, this is me.”

One of the biggest reasons it’s difficult to change our physical body is that we spend very little time in genuine relationship with it. The same goes for our bad habits and counterproductive behaviors. Allowing what is doesn’t mean giving up or not caring about some change that may need to take place. Allowing what is is actually the FIRST STEP that we never allow ourselves to take.

In Authentic Relationship,

LeeAnn

Imagine for example that you’ve met a lover for the very first time. You live in two different towns, work in two different offices, and lead two very different lives. Yet the chemistry is undeniable. What happens next? It is as though the two of you are standing on opposite sides of a large room, looking across at one another. The other person person makes an advance: “I will take a few steps forward and I invite you to do the same.” The very next thing that happens can go any number of ways. For example, you too might take a couple of steps forward. Or, you don’t take any steps and you wait to see if the lover will advance again. Perhaps you don’t move because you are busy, or because you are shy. Perhaps you don’t move because you don’t yet know how to take that kind of step. Whatever the reason, you haven’t met them in their first advance.

The lover then has a risky choice to make. Do they advance again? Or do they hold their ground. The danger of advancing is the risk of potential rejection. Maybe you don’t love them after all. The danger of not advancing is a missed opportunity. Maybe you love them, but require them to come closer before you are able to step forth yourself.

This dance continues for several days, weeks or months as trust is built. Then, at some point, perhaps the lover goes too fast or too far, and suddenly you are confronted by the wall of your own limits. These limits may represent your belief system, your core values, or your important life goals. Although it’s tempting to avoid the risk of losing connection by continuing to step forward silently, something inside is screaming, “Halt!” The very next step has the potential to be remembered as a moment of self-betrayal.

How many times have you ignored the inner cry and stepped forth anyhow?

Hindsight is 20/20, yet in the moment we often falter. In retrospect, we realize a few minutes later (or hours, or days) that we should have been bold enough to take a stand for our own needs. The result at best is discomfort, at worst anger or frustration with the lover for “pushing me too far.”  A lifetime of these missed opportunities to stand up for ourselves can lead to chronic frustration, resentment, depression and in some cases beginning to forget who we are.

What is it to take a stand? In the 1979 film Norma Rae, a minimum wage worker in a cotton mill joins the efforts to unionize her shop. In one scene she writes the world UNION on a piece of cardboard and stands on a table. The posture of her physical body at that moment exudes confidence and determination. The image serves as a striking example of both the power and challenge of taking a stand.

This week in your movement practice, I invite you to focus more awareness on the steps and stances that you take. Whether you walk, jog, dance, practice yoga or martial arts, there are likely built-in moments of movement and moments of stillness. If you pay attention, you can use them to cultivate the qualities you hope to bring into your life.

For example, when you step, notice if you initiate the step with confidence. Do you move with grace, or do you hurry? Do you cover enough ground? Too much? Are you able to step with your eyes open and engaged with the world around you? Or do you look down at your feet? Do you truly take one step at a time, or are you a person who moves on to the next one before the first step has fully completed.

When you stand, notice your balance, your posture and your poise. Do your feet solidly hug the ground? Do your ankles feel strong and stable? Is your weight centered over the base of your body? Are you rigid and inflexible, or simply solid and grounded? What would it take to create more stability and strength in your stance?

In life, draw the parallel with a body-based metaphor. If you are the person who takes super small steps in your Latin dance class, it’s worth asking yourself the question: are there places in my life where I tend to hold back, and where I’d do well to take a “bigger step.”  If in your BodyFlow or yoga class, you notice it’s always challenging for you to stand strongly in a one-legged posture without wavering, you might ask yourself: are there topics in which I tend to second guess myself, and are calling upon me to “take a stronger stand” in my life?

When I need to remind myself of this important skill, I often think of the example of Norma Rae because it gives a whole-body visceral impression. Though I pride myself in being a person who knows how to take a stand when it comes to things I am passionate about in my career, I know that it’s much more challenging for me in the realm of the heart. This Valentines Day week I am aiming to deepen my appreciation for the importance of steps and stances in the context of intimate relationship. As I practice, I am learning that what’s often required is a true balance between the two, the achievement of which still strikes me as nothing short of a miracle…

The wonderful miracle called love.

For the sake of simplicity, lets call this reservoir The Creative Source *. “The Source” because it’s a starting point. “Creative” because taping into it leads to the unfolding of something new. Despite our varying degrees of comfort or practice with The Creative Source, it’s nonetheless universally accessible to everyone.

One way to access it is through music. Have you ever listened to a song that was incredibly moving? Perhaps it even moved you to tears of sadness or joy. Music has an undeniable way of bringing us into closer contact with The Source of our emotions. Because of that, sound can be an incredible healing tool, as well as an inspiring creative partner that supports us to tap our previously unreached creative potential.

Of course, some folks have never had this kind of experience. And many more have had it only a couple of times, few and far between. The reason is that, for better or for worse, the vast majority of us have constructed walls to prevent us from going there easily. We have felt pain in the past and we don’t want to risk feeling it again. We have been criticized for our creative efforts so it feels safer to be normal than to venture out-of-the-box.  We are built to contain emotion, to avoid the mysterious, and ultimately to run from the Pandora’s box of unexpected surprises that our Source has to offer.

This week I invite you to create a tiny opening in your own walls and let yourself be touched. Whatever your particular version of this story is, you might ask yourself: is the potential payoff worth the risk?

It is 2012. People and societies are evolving at near break-neck speed, and there is much important work to be done. Accessing The Creative Source can offer you needed healing from old limiting wounds… and can open the door to a flow of creative energy that will ignite the powerful potential connection between your goals and the momentum of the universe.

If you’re up for the adventure, choose a few songs that represent a genre, mood or emotion (rasa) that you DON’T USUALLY LET YOURSELF EXPERIENCE.  You may choose to move or just lie still and listen.

If you choose to move, allow the mood of the music to influence you. Find the connection between your true feelings and the sounds that envelope you. Allow your body to express what seems to arise naturally. You may dance, take the shape of your emotions or play out the story that comes to mind. Whatever you do, don’t force it. Let the sounds play you, as if the music is the potter and you are the clay…

If you choose to be still, allow your body to be in a comfortable and relaxed position, but do not sleep. Stay alert, pay attention to the notes and the silence in the music. Allow the tunes to tell stories in your mind. Notice sensations in your body. Without censoring, allow any emotions or new ideas that are provoked to rise to the surface. When the music ends, take some notes about your experience, and what it meant to you…

For some, this exercise will be easy and will quickly bring you to new insights you’ve been missing in your work or relationships. For others it may be more challenging, asking you to confront a feeling or situation you’ve been avoiding before the door to your Creative Source is fully revealed.

On a personal note, I can offer that I’ve been doing this work for several years now. Each time I take the risk, it has always been both possible and worth it.

Tapping in,

LeeAnn

* The term Creative Source was coined by the founders of Nia Technique to refer to the 4th stage of Freedance: accessing real emotions and expressing them through movement. I am using the construct more broadly here, though I believe that ultimately we point to the same thing.

Do you like to improvise?

Most people I know would put themselves into one of two broad categories: those that love structure, planning and order, and those that enjoy spontaneity. Folks in both categories may enjoy a variety of movement activities like dance or martial arts. But the way they practice, and the specific kind of dance they gravitate toward, is likely to vary.

In Nia Technique lingo we refer to structure as “form” (pre-choreographed movement that has a beginning and end, clear steps and a clear purpose), while we refer to spontaneous, unplanned movement as “freedom.” Regardless of our personal comfort zones, THE BODY ITSELF can benefit greatly from both. In each Nia Technique class we include a balance of form and freedom as a way to stretch our comfort zones and promote maximum levels of physical and emotional health.

In my own life, I am grateful for the stretch. The art of improvisation is becoming more and more important as a skill in my toolbox of on-the-job capacities.

This week I facilitated a training session with the staff of Up With People, in Denver Colorado. These inspiring volunteers are tasked with the training, management and support of a cast of 120 young men and women who will spend the next year on the road traveling from country to country, performing a musical theater type show and volunteering in communities and schools.  Because of the nature of their busy and often unpredictable schedules, they have coined a phrase I love: “dance with the circumstance.” It refers to those moments when the only option is IMPROVISATION.

I got a taste of this unexpectedly when my flight, scheduled to arrive at 11:30 in time for a 1:30 training session, was delayed for two different (and highly unlikely) reasons. Instead of showing up for my training session, I arrived later in the afternoon, in the middle of an elaborate all-cast event. I had met no one before that day, and had little understanding of the process I had just walked into. From that moment on, I had many opportunities to trust that things would be fine – and to practice my improvisation skills.

As a facilitator, I took an intention before my trip to create enough structure so that the goals of my sessions were met. AND I practiced “dancing with the circumstance” within the structure, so as to be most present with the needs of the group at any given moment. It wasn’t easy, but the outcome of this approach inspired a greater confidence in my own capacity by the end of the week.

What are the important uses of improvisation in your own line of work? What use does pre-preparation serve in improving the quality of an improvised action?  If these questions speak to you, choose one activity this week to improvise. Work to balance form and freedom (for example give yourself enough preparation time on the front end, and enough flexibility to change course in the moment). What new things are possible when you take this approach?

For your body, this week I invite you to try at least one fitness practice that offers the opportunity for free-form or improvisational movement. If you love dance, a Five Rhythms or Nia class might do the trick. Or if you love to run, you might simply set out from your home with no particular destination in mind. Set a timer and run any direction, turning at any intersection based on your gut instinct in the moment (if you’re worried about getting lost, bring along a smartphone or GPS in case you need to plan the return route ½ way through the trip!)

AND I invite you to ALSO try one fitness practice that provides a very clear structure and form. Many yoga and traditional dance classes, especially instructors that focus on the physical form of the body, will meet the criteria here.

Notice if one or the other is more comfortable for your own body. Notice what resistance or fear rises to the surface when you practice the opposite.

I would love to hear your personal comments. Let me know how it goes for you!

In the moment,

LeeAnn



The principle of centering the body in the belly is one of the foundations of Strozzi Somatics, and a topic I can never come back to often enough.

What are some of the benefits of bringing our attention into the belly?

Purely physically, we can create a lot of healing by generating more natural movement through the center part of our bodies. For example, allowing the pelvis to move freely can serve as incredible medicine for the lower back.  All too often we sit still at work for hours on end, creating stiffness and tension in the body that fails to release when we later walk with frozen hip joints from one meeting to the next. The rhythmic swing of the hips is a natural way to restore the flexibility and mobility of your spine.

Not to mention, it does wonders for your sex appeal (think of a sexy Salsa hip sway)!

Energetically, when you “move from your belly” you may notice that a whole new set of sensations are present in your body, and a whole new range of possibilities are present in your action. For example, moving from your belly allows you to move very quickly, while still experiencing the sensation of moving slowly. Day to day, when the tension ramps up, do you ever find yourself leaning forward, straining to stay ahead of the busy hours as they unfold? Dropping your energy and attention to your belly can bring you back into connection with the ground and prevent you from getting ahead of yourself.

Furthermore, in life, moving from the belly is a way of connecting with intuition and making authentic choices.

A couple of years ago I was experiencing an ongoing sharp pain in my belly, below my navel on the right hand side. At that point in my life, I was wading through the drama of a challenging intimate relationship and decided to attend a workshop to help me find a new way forward. At a key moment in the session, I raised the question about my physical belly-ache to the workshop facilitator (who is now an important mentor in my life). Without missing a beat, he avoided dissecting physical symptoms and went straight for the metaphor: “Where in your life are you not listening to your gut?”

The question floored me. For a moment my brain shut down and all that was left was the voice in my belly. I heard myself answer: “It’s time to leave this relationship, I’ve known it for a long time.”  There was no denying it. The wiser of my two brains was the one in my belly. Nonetheless, I was even further surprised that the pain, which had worried me enough to look into appendix surgery only a month before, completely resolved itself shortly after I made the decision to leave.

This week I invite you to focus on moving from your belly.

Physically, practice dropping your weight and your attention to just below your navel as you walk. Notice when you’re pitching forward in a hurry to get to your next destination. Notice too when your energy and your shoulders have risen up around your ears, instigated by the stress of day-to-day life. Drop back down into yourself and imagine your hips are gliding forward on a smooth track, while your upper body is simply, effortlessly going along for the ride.

Metaphorically, are you able to bypass your thinking mind and let your actions be guided directly by your inner belly-voice. What would you stop? What would you start? What would you continue?

From both of my brains,

LeeAnn

It’s such a simple thing that we often take it for granted. To look into a lover’s eyes and feel a rush of warmth. To sense your atoms buzzing after a long soak in a hot tub. To feel the adrenaline pumping though your body as you near the finish line. To feel the base pulsing through your body as you dance to your favorite song. Without naming it, we know these peak experiences are connected to a sense of aliveness. Their hallmark is the glow – something just a little bit more remarkable than the sensation of ordinary life.

When we taste them we want more, yet they can seem elusive. How did I get there? Wow! What was that? While most of us can name them, few of us feel we have complete control over their presence, and even fewer of us have mastered the art of accessing them at will. In fact, for some of us, those sensations may be one of those things we’ve simply written of as “not for me anymore.” Other people get to feel that. Me, I’ve got work to do, bills to pay, a family to feed…

Last month I had the opportunity to travel to Haiti to visit my sister who lives and works there. What touched me most was that, even in the face of the extreme poverty and devastation since the earthquake in 2010, there is SO MUCH aliveness there! Far more than I get to experience in the daily grind of life in the USA. Nothing is suppressed. Anger smolders just below the surface of conversations about the political climate and the lack of real support the nations’ people feel from the global community. Yet along with it comes joy in bucketfuls when groups of two or more people get together to make music. Rhythms, beats, music, voice. These things serve as a universal medicine that is available in abundance and shared freely among friends.

It teaches me that in fact, aliveness is available to everybody. It can be accessed in the here and now. It’s the opposite of feeling numb, and it’s a choice that is available to all of us, all the time. True, there is a risk. As Dr. Brene Brown suggests in her research on ordinary courage, “you can’t selectively numb,” keeping joy but avoiding anger, sorrow or pain.  In order to feel alive, you have to take the good with the bad.

This week I invite you to take an intention to FEEL MORE ALIVE. In your life that might mean ceasing to stuff your emotions (with a beer and a banana nut muffin, a la Brene Brown!) Perhaps you will risk getting a little closer to your lover in bed tonight.  Taking an intention is useful, because you can use it in the moments when you don’t know exactly what to do. When it comes to aliveness, you may not know how to get there… but you will know it when you find it, I guarantee.

In your movement practice, you might simply direct more awareness toward the myriad of things that go on in your body at any given moment. When you run, sense your heart beating, your muscles straining, your lungs doing their job. If you love to dance, turn the music up and try just letting your body go! Don’t censor anything. Just see what shows up. The Five Rhythms free-form dance sessions are a great place to practice allowing your aliveness to come through.  If the weather is good, you might try a challenging cycling ride… there’s nothing like climbing to the top of a San Francisco hill then feeling the wind fly by your cheeks as you race to the bottom of the other side!

Feeling it all,

LeeAnn

Welcome to the next chapter of time, and the next year of your life.

January has always been one of my favorite times of the year. The holidays are over and we’re back to the daily grind – true. But there is something exciting about the chance to make a new start that January can’t help but offer.

Each year in January, according to Western calendars, one book is closed and another is opened. In some countries, the momentum of January is preceded by a lengthy break from work: weeks of downtime, reconnection with family and friends, and with luck, many hours of joyous celebration. Couple that with the cold weather that some locations enjoy (tolerate?), inviting people to stay indoors, catch up on some reading, cuddle, watch a good movie, and sip hot coco… The potential for rejuvenation is greater at this moment than almost any other time of the year.

In other locations, however, people seem to rush by this opportunity and barrel headlong into the New Year without missing a beat.  Having recently returned to the USA after two years in the UK, I find myself pulled and tugged by the undertow of corporate time management: a few more days to get things done, catch up, hurry up. Time off?! What? Are you kidding?

Ok, I’m being a little dramatic. It’s probably not that bad – at least not everywhere. But I do notice a real difference in the general pace, mood and intention around the December holidays here in California as compared to Brighton, UK. I notice because these last few years I learned just how valuable it can be to really GROUND my body, mind, and spirit before taking my first few steps into the New Year. I like to think of living into January as building the foundation for the twelve months to come.

Have you ever said to yourself, “20XX was a terrible year. This next year is going to be better”?

Cliché or not, we make New Years resolutions out of an intention to start off on the right foot. The stance we take in January can set the tone for what’s to come. Likewise, in our physical bodies, starting off “on the right foot” can make all the difference in the grace and precision of our movement, the physical health of our bones and joints, and the efficiency with which navigate through our environment. That’s why as we step into the New Year, I’d like to invite you to focus on the BASE OF YOUR BODY: feet, ankles, knees, legs and hip joints.

Pause for a moment right now as you read. Can you feel your legs?

About a year ago, I didn’t have any connection with my legs. Well, don’t get me wrong, I knew they were there. If you had asked me at the time, I would have told you I could feel them. Of course I could! How could it be possible that any physically fit, non-injured, athletic person was disconnected from her legs? And yet, I know now that something was missing because today, a year later, I really CAN feel them. And it’s different.

The base of the body is like the foundation of a house. When properly constructed, it appears (and is!) solid, strong and reliable. What goes on top is without a doubt more interesting, and serves a wider variety of functions, but without the base, nothing else would be possible. How to build a strong foundation? Learning to feel your legs is a great place to start.

Stand up and sense your own foundation. Look in the mirror, or close your eyes and visualize yourself as you stand. What do you notice? Do your legs look strong and relaxed? Shaky and thin? Are your ankles flexible or tight? Fragile or solid? Do your knees line up with the direction of your toes? Are your hip joints tight? Loose? Do your muscles hug your bones comfortable, clench, or sag? Is it effortless or challenging for your base to carry the rest of your body?

Take a walk. What do you notice? Does the movement feel natural? Comfortable? If you notice any areas of un-ease, simply take note. The most important part of this practice is NON-JUDGMENT. Taking a realistic look at what IS will help guide your future actions in the direction of self-healing. Bodies are not “ruined forever.” Our biggest mistake is to give up on ourselves when we notice some part of our body is out-of-whack. The truth is, what we intend (e.g. healing) and what we do (e.g. physical practices) make a difference.

This week, I invite you to take a clear intention to “Build a Strong Foundation” in January. Include both your physical body, and your life-work-relationships in the intention.  Then, as you move through life this week, take note of what is already solid and what could use a bit of tweaking in order to start this year off on the right foot.

Happy New Year!

LeeAnn

Have you ever held back a comment for fear of taking up too much airtime in a conversation? Or held back a request for help for fear that others would feel pressure to accommodate your needs? If so, you are not alone. In fact, as far as I can tell, this is a pervasive phenomenon in our society: we just don’t want to become a burden. And we don’t want to be burdened. These fears run under the surface of many interactions and stifle our capacity to experience the abundance we so desperately long for.

As a society, we are stingy with time, with money, with feelings and emotions, with trust and with love. We have been hurt before, and don’t want to be hurt again. We are afraid there won’t be enough to go around, so we keep it to ourselves. We think there isn’t really space for us, or that others can’t handle us, so we don’t give all of ourselves in any given moment. We don’t offer our gift to the world because we’re not perfect – yet – and we might not do it right. We save up because one day, when disaster strikes, we will really really need it…

I am fortunate to have a friend who is incredibly generous in his communication. He says what he feels, and speaks loudly. He offers care and compassion without hesitation. He talks with his hands, gesturing frequently and fiercely. His emotion shows on his face. When he disagrees – or agrees – he doesn’t hold back. When he sings, his rich deep voice resonates throughout the room in a way that catches your attention immediately and holds it for the duration.

Spending time with this friend is refreshing and sometimes jarring at the same time. We are simply not used to seeing another human being flow so freely. In his company, my boundaries (the ones I am so sure I need in order to keep myself safe) begin to melt. My own history tells me that I should worry about shining too brightly, because it’s not safe. My own body does a very good job of containing joy. After years of over-giving and getting hurt, I learned the importance of saying “no.” And yet, in all of that, I realize that something subtle but meaningful has gone missing my life.

And frankly, I’d like to have it back.

In your movement practice this week, I invite you to explore what it might mean to “be more generous” with your giving.  Perhaps you will expend a little more energy than usual, trusting that the inner supply is abundant enough to last as long as you need it. You might breath more fully, show more joy, or take up more space.  Or perhaps you will simply focus on giving yourself the feel-good gift of movement, allowing yourself to enjoy the experience a little more deeply than usual.

However you choose to express it, notice how generosity feels in your body. Is it easy or difficult for you? What emotions or sensations does it bring up?

In life, use this week to take stock of your “stingy” side. In what relationships and situations do you hold really strong boundaries? Who are they keeping out? Is there room to be more generous here? Are there ways you could be more generous with your money… your time… your care… without running the risk of losing yourself? Could you be more generous with your voice, without running the risk of stepping on the toes of colleagues and friends?  This week practice saying just “yes.”

Giving more love,

Lee

How can it be that our greatest source of protection can also cause us harm? And don’t other animals suffer the same consequences?  Of course, we share this mechanism with most other organisms on the planet. Their muscles get tense, their heart rates rise, and blood flows away from their brains toward their limbs as they prepare to attack or run away. Yet in most other species, the response is mediated by natural habits that bring the body back into a state of relaxation and calm. (Hence the expression, “shake it off.”) We human beings, however, are apparently less adept at coming back to neutral.

Here is another angle on the same theme: Using a powerful metaphor, nationally renowned sound healer Dr. John Beaulieu makes the case that the human body is like musical instrument. With use, the body can become out-of-tune. His and other scientific studies suggest that the frequency of resonance in the body can be disturbed by outside stressors, and can be brought back to resonance at the optimal frequency through the use of sound waves.

Dr. Beaulieu calls the state of optimal human tuning “neutral.” In other disciplines, like Aikido, we might call the same state “operating from center.”  In any healing intervention, the first goal he takes with his client is to bring the body to this neutral state. Likewise, in the martial arts, practitioners aim to bring the body into state of calm relaxation before performing any feat of strength or agility. Experienced athletes “get into the zone” before a match or competition. The practice of yoga is designed to bring the body into the most balanced, relaxed and aligned state before beginning meditation. Are you beginning to detect a theme?

What all of these disciplines have in common is the mantra: “First Find Center.”

In the past ten years I have seen time and time again that this simple practice can make all the difference in the world. A personal development junkie, I have spend hundreds of hours and dollars learning wonderful techniques to enhance my own body, mind and spirit, and to sharing them with my clients. Yet the practice of First Find Center (first introduced to me by my great grandmother, who used to say, “if you’re angry, count to ten before you say anything”) forms the foundation upon which all other personal work is made possible.

Here are a few things I’ve found in my own exploration of Finding Center:

1. I (must) do it every day. Multiple times a day.
2. The goal isn’t to never lose my center… the goal is to admit that I will lose center – often! – and to come back as quickly as I can.
3. When I’m out of tune, if I try to do anything else other than Find Center, I end up at best ineffective… at worst making a huge mess.
4. Cheating doesn’t work. It is not possible to pretend I’m centered and act effectively “just to get through it.”
5. Typically Finding Center involves a combination of making physical (body-based) adjustments AND changing my thoughts about the situation. The body-based adjustments can be done immediately. The thoughts may require time, support, perception-checking and/or vulnerable direct conversation.

This week in your movement practice, I invite you to explore the physical, mental and emotional qualities of Finding Center.  While there is no cookie-cutter solution, many disciplines offer useful techniques. It’s well worth it to identify your own unique version of losing center, and to develop a re-centering practice that works for you.

In your physical movement practice, you might practice literally putting your attention on your center of gravity as you move. Feel your feet on the ground. Relax your muscles. Image you have all the time in the world to complete the next action. Allow yourself to take up some space. Sense your body as tall and upright. Contract and release. Notice what shifts. Can you move faster? Slower? Can you still Find Center?

In life, it might look like slowing down or pausing a conversation that isn’t going well. Take a time-out or a deep breath when you feel frustrated. You might try imagining your favorite icon of relaxed, centered presence (perhaps you have in mind a teacher, leader, or famous figure that emanates this quality). Allow your body to take on the shape, energy and attitude of that person. Bring their essence into important or difficult conversations. Notice when your breath gets shallow and your body contracts. Relax again.

Relaxed, Alert, Waiting,

LeeAnn

On one hand, that sounds like a crazy hypothesis, right? But let me say a bit more…

This week I’ve been practicing taking up space. For example, I’ve been filling up the space in my new flat, which is much larger than any space I’ve lived in these past few years. It hasn’t happened automatically. Rather there’s been a genuine adjustment period. It feels like growing. In the first week, I piled all of my stuff in boxes in one corner of the empty living room, and spent most of my time in the bedroom and one area of the kitchen. I found myself walking back and forth, back and forth, trying to figure out how to live in two rooms (versus just one, as I’d been doing the month prior).  I was deciding where to do what, moving furniture around, oh and wondering where the heck did I leave my keys this time??

Slowly but surely, I’ve been settling in and beginning to use the rest of the space. I’m probably at about 65% at this point, as a large section of the will-be living room area still patiently awaits a sofa, coffee table and accent chair. The incredible thing is that I can almost physically sense a tangible shift inside my body when I am at home. Though I’m sure if you measured and weighed me there would be no detectable increase in size, I get the feeling my body is actually taking up more space.

What I notice about taking up space is that, just like the goldfish, I tend to shrink physically, emotionally and energetically, when the surrounding environment feels small, crowded, restrictive or just plain uninviting. My muscles contract (sometimes slightly, sometimes a lot!) and I tend to make smaller movements in general. What’s more, I unconsciously draw the energy inside my body closer to my core, so that my energetic “self” is actually taking up LESS space than the size of my physical body would suggest.

In contrast, when I have plenty of room (again physically, emotionally and energetically), I tend to uncurl and relax out into the available space.  Perhaps that’s why may of us feel so incredible walking in the great outdoors. Like a good stretch in the morning, the sense of space and spaciousness in nature allows enough room for us to relax, fully inhabit our bodies and metaphorically spread our “wings.”

Metaphorically, I have noticed the same thing with myself and my clients when it comes to our careers. With enough empty space in the daily schedule for strategic thinking… with enough leeway from the boss to be creative, make decisions and take risks…  with enough vacation and downtime… with literally a bigger office and a window to the outside world… careers take off as we grow into our sense of purpose and fulfillment.

What would it be for you to allow yourself to take up more space this week?

In your movement practice, I invite you to first NOTICE the sensations of expansion and contraction. Can you willingly draw your physical body and your energy in. How do you do it? What muscles contract? Can you then choose to relax out into your entire body? What if you allow your energy to spill over and extend beyond your own physical walls into the space around you?  Do all of this while moving (jogging, swimming, dancing etc). Notice the difference in your comfort level, your ease of movement, your sensations of physical pain and pleasure, your emotional response. Many of use are not used to taking up space. Some of us are, and feel crazy and frustrated when constrained.

In life, I invite you to think about one change you could make that would increase your sense of spaciousness with regards to your work or favorite hobby. What could you shift THIS WEEK that would give you a little more room to spread your wings?

Living large,

LeeAnn