I'm a Marionette

Imagine a dancing marionette, held up by threads, the puppeteer is the master, moving the marionette this way and that. The marionette has no control as to where it goes. No control as to the movement it has. Under the guidance of a poor hand the movement can appear ungainly, silly and uncoordinated. A master marionettist draws the audience in, they see the reflection of humanity in the nature of the movements. The sideways look, the cocked head, the little movement of the hand to the drawn mouth to mimic embarassment.  
Our mind is our marionettest, the connection between the mind and body goes much deeper than a little thought here and there. Your strings attach to the myriad of emotions (e-motion) and movements we all have, every day. 
Mindfulness and meditation help us control these threads. We direct ourselves, we are our own masters, our own puppetteer. Training the mind is like training the marionette to move and be graceful, thoughtful and aware. 
Not an easy ask. Asked what the purpose of yoga was A G Mohan responded 'to sit in meditation' , still the mind, to focus(one pointed) and have complete control of all thoughts just like a laser directs its beam. We have the power to direct our thoughts. 
Yoga is simply that, directing your thoughts, mind and body together. Make your movements soft, relaxed and controlled. Imagine those strings being pulled by YOU!

 

I am slowly getting comfortable enough in this belief to say’ I’m a runner’..'

 I'm sharing this again because I really liked the overall tone and feel. The journey and process is the destination. You have already arrived, there is no future possibility, be content with the now and things can happen from there.


"I’m not a runner. That was my mindset as recently as 10 weeks ago. At school, I did the 200m, as I was judged not fast enough for the 100m and without the stamina to get around a whole lap. In the long jump, I gamely placed my marker on the run-up about halfway between everyone else and the board, because if I run any further I would just have got slower. It’s fair to say, running has not been ‘my thing’. I have done lots of things - dancing, skiing, rowing, so I’m not without some track record of exercise, but not running. 

And yet, 5 years ago and approaching my mid-40s, I decided to enter a sprint triathlon. I still don’t know why, except that no one I knew did it. And I liked swimming and had a bike, but, of course, there was the 5km run to deal with. To convince myself I wasn’t totally mad, I got on a treadmill and ran 5km. No training. It took 50 minutes and killed my legs for a week, but at least I knew I would get through it and I started on a training plan, which took me through my first couple of sprint triathlons in a manner which I was happy with.

So the next 3 years I upped the distance to standard distance triathlon, complete with their 10km run. Still not a runner, but by now had established a ‘survival pace’ which got me through them in a bit over an hour. It seems ok to not be good at running in a multi-sport event, because you are not putting yourself forward ‘as a runner’. In the back of my mind lurks the idea of stepping up again, to a 70.3 distance. This, though, involves the half-marathon at the end. And that is where my wobbles truly start. Even using a phrase with the word ‘marathon’ in it starts to sound scary.

It occurred to me that, whilst I happily got coaching to learn and improve freestyle swimming and I sought advice on the bike, somehow I thought I should just be able to run. After all, everyone else can. Facing up to the ridiculous nature of this thought, I finally signed up for a Chi Running workshop close to home. I had read up on the concepts and philosophy and felt that this was something I could work with. Nick’s workshop turned out to be the start of my new relationship with running. It wasn’t an overnight transformation and it still isn’t an easy relationship, but this is what I have learned.

Firstly, I have permission to be slow. Or to walk. Or to go at any pace, or variety of paces, that I feel like. I have permission to have fun (and that’s a big one). I stop and take photos, much to the bemusement of my friends who run, to capture the essence of the day. I have permission to set my own rules. Nick definitely challenged my mindset and his enthusiasm was hard to deny. Of course, the workshop gave me some technical advice too (I think ‘hot, hot, hot’ and ‘African sun!’ when my legs get tired to help me focus on keeping light and airy, easier said than done when it’s sub-two degrees and snowing). But most of all, I realised that to get better at running and to make it a part of me, I simply have to run and do it for myself.

Five weeks into this year and I had already done more distance than the whole of last year. I had decided to run every day in January (just a mile, more if I felt like it) which took away most of my go-to excuses for not running. And I discovered that I sometimes enjoyed the snow, rain or wind and the dark nights! Not always, but sometimes. I expressed two goals at the workshop. The first was to feel like I was running with gravity and not fighting it, to feel like I belonged in that environment. It doesn’t always happen, but I’m getting there. A 7-mile run/walk in the snowy peak district last weekend turned out surprisingly satisfying, despite (or because of?) the challenges. My second goal was to complete a half-marathon. I have entered an event in June, accepting I will line up amongst runners, and training is in progress. I already know that I will do this ‘my way’ and I may yet choose to run/walk it. And if I do, that’s ok too, because this is running for me, to develop myself, to learn and progress. I am starting to realise that a runner is just someone who runs and enjoys the practice of running. No one should accept that this is defined by reaching a certain speed, distance or any other arbitrary measure. After a long time of negative affirmation, I am slowly getting comfortable enough in this belief to say’ I’m a runner’.

Reflections of a coach, teacher and educator 1

What have I learnt so far? That is a deep question isn't it? There are things you learn that apparently skim the surface but only come back to hit you between the eyes, years down the line. There are other lessons that have an immediate impact, shake your roots and foundations of belief and ideology. There are other ideas that you do need to sit and think on. Let us say for about 25 years and counting!

Lesson 1  Context is everything

Setting up the conditions to learn are as important as the content.  What do we mean by conditions? Context is everything and the student needs to hear a deep appreciation of their own context, needs and a reflection of the direction they wish to go.  Basically, they need to feel understood. By achieving this the coach is in a far better position to offer suggestions and possible directions for the student to experiment in the session and also, have the confidence to give it a go and practice away from the session.

Lesson 2 A practice mind is different 

A practice mind has a different root. It is an 'in the moment mind', a 'one-pointed mind', a 'beginner's mind'. Or as the Zen Buddhists say 'shoshin'. This beginners mind is not a simple state of forgetting all one has practised but a statement as to how we all need to keep things fresh every time we do practice. We are always open to suggestions, experiences and feelings. Not clouded by judgement or arrogant thoughts. 

Practice with precision, do not count but practice awareness and heighten the sensation of connective experiences.

Airscape

I was reading an article by John Kabat-Zinn and I was struck by several key observations but the one I wish to discuss briefly today is the idea of 'Airscape'. 

We are all very comfortable with the notion of 'Landscape' and idea of seeing some beautiful vista projected into our eyes.  In a simple way we 'take it all in'.

Airscape is a notion of taking in and being aware of the air around you as you move, breath and , of course, run. We are, after all, moving under a sea of air and gaining a real sense of this life giving mixture permeating inside and around us is a very relaxing way to look through the world.

Danny Dreyer of chi living also points to having a centred approach to your movement, physical and mental. What he points to is allowing your fullest attention to be brought to the 'Dan Tien' centre (3" below your naval) and moving this first as you initiate any level of interaction.  Clearly linking this with breathing through your centre and an awareness of 'airscape' gives a sense of stability and inner calmness.

This thinking and approach is now part of my running mind. Using holistic images and penetrative thoughts keeps me grounded.

I do meet runners who seem form pre-occupied to the point of being distracted. I get this point completely but finding the moment in every moment requires a different thinking, try it and see what it does for you?

improve by 1%

We can all improve every aspect of our lives! It can, however, feel so daunting to be asked to improve, and anyway what does it all really mean?

'Why should I improve? I am happy who I am, content living in the mainstream and no sense of dread, unhappiness, life is good for me! I earn well, have a good life and give generously, no-body has really complained about me :) .'

 In this context what is improvement??  I think we can answer this by looking at one of the key core principles of chi running namely a practice orientated approach. In Matthew Syed's book 'BOUNCE' he uses a key phrase namely 'purposeful practice'.

The  key issue with a practice is a sense of progress and improvement no matter how small.  Descarte uses the term 'soft machine' as a description of the human system;  this is entirely true as we are an organic and, sadly, dying animal that needs to constantly look at the working of our machine and apply changes such as feeding, exercise, cognitive and emotional inputs  to ensure our system is in balance.

So if we do not focus on improving our lives then perhaps we fall into emotional, physical and cognitive entropy. That is, we simply fall apart and use less and less of our internal systems and end up existing in the basic sense.

Rest quietly

I have read two very interesting books over the recent weeks, namely 'More fire' by Toby Tanser and 'Running with the Kenyans' by Adharanand Finn both were focused on the secret of the Kenyan running success. I could go on about a lot of interesting issues that were raised in these books but one of the things that stood out for me was the amount of rest the elite Kenyan runners had during the day, in between runs, and after major events.

This is very unlike the cross training military regime that some of the British Athletes undergo in their training, where, after a run, they go straight to the pool for 70 lengths and then gym work after that!   This made me think about rest or a better term 'quiet time'.   This distinction is not just a play on terms but  a fundamental attitudinal change to 'rest'.

For a long time Biologists who were studying the division of cells during the beginning of life could not understand the time lag between each cell division. On a cell level there did not seem much going on between each division cycle. Yet they made the important discovery that at the molecular level the 'quiet time' between division was where the re-ordering of DNA occurred.  This re-ordering of the next transition between two states was as vital as the division itself. Just because you could not measure it did not mean it had no value!

So, on a micro level it appears that a quiet time is required not only for replenishing energy supplies but also to align and direct DNA.  At the Macro level I have found over the years that a quiet time is needed by the brain to allow aligning up of physical and mental experiences.  How many times have you woken up with a realisation or an insightful thought that helped you solve a difficult issue or problem ?

Chi Running, Yoga and other mindful practices make a distinction about allowing the sub conscious and conscious mind to 'yoke', align and respond.  This cannot happen in a state of mind that is receiving inputs from external sources creating stimuli that your brain needs to respond to.  Allowing your mind some quiet time gives the body a chance to make sense at a micro and macro level. We all have had the insightful moment when our mind was not, apparently, thinking about a problem or concern and yet we see the solution with clarity and resolution.

I cannot stress enough that purposeful practice and rest is very different to 'down time' or recreational time.

So next time you rest make sure it is a 'quiet time'.

'Playing slowly is key' Mozart; Music, the mind and running

'When I do not practice for one day, I notice, if I do not practice for two days the audience notices'.

It is reputed that when composers visited Mozart for lessons, his first instruction was to ask the composers to write out all the scales! (if you are a musician, you know that there are a lot of scales to learn), insulted, but daring not to challenge the maestro they began the task.  People assumed that Mozart had some secret knowledge but this was not the case, the notes were the same, scales the same but his knowledge ran deep, connections made between areas of expression and areas of composition. Could you really have  a lesson with a genius and become a better composer? What Mozart was getting at was clear; know the fine detail, know the basics, without these then the building you construct through your knowledge is poor, out of sorts and not connected.  He is also reputed to have said;

 'it easier to play fast than it is to play slow, you can make mistakes playing at speed and no-one notices but is that music?

The two quotes combined give an insight as to what mastery is and how we need to ensure that our efforts are directed to maximise our talent; the first quote is about  recognising the need for practice every day; the mind is an amazing organ but the two examples cited above indicate that without practice, focus and purpose it loses it edge; you may for example (as an ex golfer) see a great shot and know exactly how to achieve it but repeating it is not the same; the  sub conscious mind has lost the connection between the conscious physical mind of choice and awareness. Physical activities such as swimming are the same, swimmers complete many lengths a day to help their body/mind connection between themselves and the water to be fully activated.  As an ex swimmer (as well:) )you lose the feel of the water if you are even a few days away from the pool.  Likewise running is not all about the hard runs or interval training; much training occurs on the long slow/easy days where you keep the mind sharp and concentrate on form.

climb with care:) 

Control, exertion, focus, alignment and one pointedness are at the heart of many creative things. I know Professors of Mathematics, Musicians, Artists and Authors; they all exude control; Controlling of your thoughts and giving it direction. Exertion; when to give the 'right effort'; Focus, the ability to bring into play all your abilities to solve, create or achieve.  Alignment, the idea that we need balance and harmony to maximise our impact and influence and finally One pointedness, that ability to scrutinise a key issue that matters.

So Chi Running is not bio-mechanical only, you can tell from my BLOGs the land where I come from but it is good to practice life affirming qualities that define who we are and learn a little of what it would be like to be a 'Mozart'.