are you tuned into your body?
This post answers Thomas‘ second question which I mentioned yesterday.
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Q. You seem to be tuned into your body very well. Do you think this is due to you using the pose method, or have you always been able to listen to your body like that?
A. Back in my high school days I was very in tune with my body. I remember it being quite easy for me to learn athletic skills and I’m sure that being in tune played a pretty big role. Sadly, the skill has diminished over the years. But the good news is that it’s returning. And “yes”, the pose method has helped – although it hasn’t been the only thing (I’ll get to the other thing in a moment).
In learning the pose method, you are taught to look/feel/perceive certain things. Of these “things”, foot placement relates closest to today’s discussion. You must make contact with the ground on the balls of your feet. Interestingly enough, this was not as simple for me as it may sound. Toward the beginning of learning the pose, I was having some foot pain. When I began consciously thinking about what part of my feet were making contact with the ground, I was surprised to learn it wasn’t the balls of my feet – it was the outside of my forefeet. After that, I was able to make an adjustment and guess what? The pain went away in a matter of days. That was my first practical lesson in really paying attention. After that, I got better at being “in tune”.
And that “other thing”? It’s barefoot running. Quite simply, when you aren’t separated from the ground by hunks of cloth, plastic, rubber and foam (aka “shoes”), you have an instant feedback mechanism for teaching yourself to connect with your body. If you run poorly, it’ll hurt, or scrape or pound or…well, you get the point.
Anyway, the pose method and barefoot running have been a really dyamite combination for teaching myself to be “in tune”.
So, there’s answer #2 for you Thomas. Capiche? Molto bene!
Thanks! 
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Comment by 
Thursday October 20, 2005 @
Capiche. Mille Grazie!