At this holiday time, I thought I’d share a different
perspective on using Brain Gym® techniques.
So much of what I’ve written regarding this amazing process describes
means of using it to overcome major obstacles: some aspect of life that feels stuck, uncomfortable, hard.
Sometimes I forget that another wonderful way to use Brain
Gym is simply to bring more joy to life.
The other day, I returned from my morning walk and realized
that I had not really been engaged with my surroundings; I
hadn’t been present with where I'd been, and what I'd seen. I’d been moving on
“autopilot,” my mind busy listing details about this and that. Yes, I got
some exercise, but my inner being hadn’t been refreshed.
Today, I did something different before my walk: I began
with a very simple Brain Gym balance.
I started with the PACE warm-up: four simple movements to bring me back to my best learning state. I set the stage for change by recalling my previous experience of not being “present” during my
walk, and noticed how that felt in my body as I took a few steps across the
room (stiff, not breathing). Then I turned to the Brain Gym movement poster on
my wall and noticed which movements caught my attention. I was drawn to do some Lazy 8s and Thinking Cap, and then held my
Positive Points. My body now felt more flexible, and my breathing was deeper. I
was interested to see how my walk would turn out.
My walk wasn’t just “better” – it was transformed. As soon
as I set foot outside my door, I was noticing the pleasing pattern of bricks on
my own front patio, and I stopped to smile at the geraniums in my front pots.
Along the way, I found myself marveling at the light playing through tree
branches, different textures of bark, all the different shades and shapes of
green in the plantings in neighbors’ yards, and the sparks here and there of
colorful flowers. I noticed all the hues of paint on the various homes. I heard delight in children's voices, calling out to each other as they laughed and played. I even noticed the variation in sound from different vehicles as
I walked along the street, and the stillness when there was no traffic. All
these sights and sounds brought out an inner smile as I walked.
My two-mile walk was finished in what felt like record time,
and I returned home feeling refreshed inside and out. I had been nourished by the
visual and auditory experiences of my time outdoors, even though I was walking
along busy city streets. I felt truly contented. Not only that, but my day went
exceedingly well, even without all that mental “rehearsal” time!
This had been a profound reminder that, while a remote,
woodsy lane is lovely, I don’t have to retreat to a locale like that to have an
experience of my surroundings that brings me closer to the stillness of my own heart. I
can do it anytime, by coming back to the state of inner balance, so easily
achieved through just a few Brain Gym movements.
What moments would you like to transform from “autopilot” to
“joy” during this busy holiday season? Just take the time for a few Brain Gym
movements, and allow yourself to be settled into the moment – that’s where the
joy is.
With all best wishes,
Kathy
Brain Gym® is a registered trademark of Brain Gym® International • www.braingym.org
Copyright © Kathy Brown 2013. All rights reserved.
