Barefoot again: buyer beware!

Too many people make too much of barefoot shoes.  By their very definition that is an oxymoron.

No shoe has yet been designed that totally mimics the naturally complex motion of your foot.  Going more minimal with your footwear may allow your foot to articulate more naturally but all shoes that hold your heel down had already changed this natural articulation.

Don’t be fooled by people marketing barefoot shoes. They are better than the more built up footwear commonly seen but they are still shoes.

For more natural foot movement and health try thongs and slides.  I used to not recommend thongs as I saw too many people grip their toes but I have now realised it isn’t the thong but the individual.  The same individual is gripping in their shoes but just are not as aware of it.

So to go more natural down there in your feet go barefoot or go for a thong.

Minimal footwear is the next best thing but they still restrict ankle articulation and are not ideal for your feet.

Buyer beware!

B is for body language

Body language.  It speaks more than words.

Ever had that conversation with someone where they are nodding and smiling but feel like something is off?

Is it their crossed arms or leaning back that is cueing you? Their fidgeting and inability to look you in the eye.

You may think of these people as different names but understand that the body can be utilised not just for strength but also communication.  Think of an actor skilled in body use.  They are expressive not just in word but even more so in facial and bodily expression.

Because the body doesn’t lie.  And even though the other person may not be able to pinpoint exactly what you are doing they will get the general impression.

So coming back to our earlier example.

Crossed arms is defiance and resistance in the face of obvious obstacles.   This is not a desirable look to convey.

Leaning back is running or shying away at the very least.  It also tells me you find it difficult to stand up by yourself.  It is weakness.  How can you be strong when you cannot even stand up?

However, it is mistakenly believed to convey strength.  Look at many football players and other people who believe themselves strong.  How often are they portrayed in such stances?  But really, this is a tuck tail and run position.  Literally.  Falling back.  Tails tucked under.

Of course these postures have other ramifications beyond body language as they affect wear and tear on our spines in particular.

They also convey confusion as you are both running away and being resistant at the same time.  How can anyone trust you when you send out mixed messages like that?

So the power of posture, as it were, goes beyond the physical.  Ask any actor or even HR person.  It reaches into your subconscious.

Now how does this affect your learning?  Well if you are leaning back and crossing your arms to listen to someone then you are communicating to the teacher AND to yourself that you don’t really want to be there, that you are wanting to run away.  Now how do you think that will affect your learning?

So remember that physical alignment, what is commonly known as posture, affects us and the other in more ways than just physically.  Learn to inhabit your body because freedom and power requires choice.  That is the power of body language.

Awareness not anxiety

This is the secret sauce to learning, to movement, to training.

Awareness of body positioning in space, of length and tension relationships within the body, of relative orientation of one body part to another.

Because as one progresses through the learning process, the changes required become smaller and more refined. First the learning is quite gross but then it becomes finer and finer.
It is like the carving of a statue. First you chisel out he rough form before sanding and polishing with finer and finer grade paper. That is, if you persist long enough with training rather than moving on to the next thing that takes your fancy.
This requires greater control and technique by becoming more and more familiar with the body.

But because of cultural and social conditioning, a lot of people have been trained to tune out to their bodies.

So the first step is to reconnect with the body and develop greater awareness. It is a sensual process of experiencing and listening tot the body. There are different methods but ultimately they are designed to focus attention to develop this bodily awareness.

It could be sitting, standing, lying down or moving with the form simply serving as the vessel or tool to develop said awareness. Of course, certain forms of practice appeal more to certain individuals but ultimately the goal is the same. Developing bodily awareness.
Of getting the mind out of the head and into the body.

This takes time and one should not be in a rush.

Because learning is something you do not something that someone else gives you.

It begins with awareness.

A to Z of learning

Skills are learnt.
But not many people know how to learn.
That in itself is a skill.
Over the next few months I’m going to write some short posts on these topics. An a to z that focusses on deep practice not the modern short term 30 day challenge approaches.

At the least it should make you think about your preconceptions and attitudes.