Starting a training program can seem daunting at the
beginning, there is a lot to learn about the exercise techniques, how to
perform each movement, even how to breathe for optimal results.
Your body may move in ways you have not experienced before
and you may feel uncertain, even anxious about what you are being asked to do.
MET Fitness training programs are more than just exercises;
they are designed to improve your strength and posture and teach you to be more
conscious of how you move your body, in your training session and in everyday
life.
We often dissociate physical activity from our thoughts and
feelings, but as many clients will attest, they have noticed profound changes
in the way they think and feel in the whole of their lives, as a direct result
of participation in their training program.
The word ‘whole’ comes from the same root as the word
‘health’ and by inquiring into deeper causes of our health problems, not ‘what’
but how we eat, drink, exercise and
go about living our lives, we give ourselves the ability to influence our
health in a profound and lasting way.
Increased personal neglect contributes to increased reliance
on symptomatic ‘fixes’ such as drugs or surgery. What is required are new ways
of thinking, feeling and being in our bodies with an awareness that we operate
as ‘whole’ rather than a collection of our parts.
Criticism vs
Cooperation
By confronting learning opportunities with curiosity instead
of fear and being comfortable with the idea of ‘not knowing’ while we are
learning, we give ourselves the space to observe, receive feedback and alter
our habitual patterns, creating new ways of moving and being.
We usually think that ‘controlling’ ourselves is the best
way to effect changes in our lives or ‘improve’ ourselves, when what is needed
most is cooperation.
Overemphasis on ‘knowing’ as opposed to ‘learning’ makes
looking good in the short term more important that being good in the long term.
A new perspective is required.
Cooperating with
ourselves
At MET Fitness we focus on deep learning on a physical level
that allows us to embody new capabilities for effective action and movement.
This embodiment is a developmental process that continues over time, in a
continuous cycle of action and practice.
The impatient quest for improvement often results in
superficial changes that leave our deeper patterns untouched. Conscious action
is critical for transforming our will, thinking, emotions and body; we must be
fully conscious to be fully effective for deeper learning.
Deeper learning often produces fewer obvious consequences
for long periods of time. In order to embody new competencies we have to practice continuously for periods of no apparent improvement. In Chinese, ‘learning’ is expressed by two symbols: the first stands for ‘take in’, the second stands for ‘practice constantly’. In the West, we are so focused on results that we have little time for ‘practice constantly’.”
Learning is a lifelong process that doesn’t end when we
leave school; it can feel dangerous or scary ‘not knowing’ and many people
prefer the safety of this, rather than questioning, exploring or experiencing
anything new in their lives.
We humans are complex beings, we need to experience the
unity of our system as a whole, working with our breath and being fully present
in our body, to experience conscious activation of the correct muscles for the
job.
What we tell ourselves about that feeling can stop us in our
tracks and prevent us learning something new and delightful about ourselves,
our bodies and our relationships.
There are no mistakes with learning. You cannot do it wrong.
Just keep going.
