“Slow is smooth and smooth is fast”.
That’s what a student of mine shared with me in class a while back. His uncle was an army captain and this is an army expression. I was shocked, Army I said! Really? Are you sure? “Absolutely” said he, “my uncle would say it to me as a child.”
I’m assuming that in the army when you need to do some strategic operation you have to pay attention, you can’t hurry or there will be mistakes. You have to focus and move slowly. In this situation your life and the lives of others are at risk, possibly life or death. When you move slowly it all works smoothly and you accomplish the goal with speed.
How is this related to Feldenkrais? In Awareness Through Movement one of the most important messages is slowing down and paying attention. When you go slowly you become more aware of what’s going on in your body as you move.
Going fast you miss the subtle distinctions such as where is it comfortable and where does it feel like you’re pushing against a wall of resistance and hurting yourself. When you miss out on noticing you miss out on finding that doorway into smooth easy light movement.
You don’t need to sign up for the army. You can sign up for my semi-private Awareness Through Movement class that starts in mid April. Here you’ll be with three like-minded folks and me as I help you tune into your body so you can discover how to feel wonderful, move smooth and easy. And fast when needs be. Can’t make it in person? Not a problem. You can join us virtually.
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