This past weekend was such a "beating" that when I walked into my first class I hadn't a clue what to work on. When I shared my dillema with my students one suggested we work on concentration but I laughed and explained that I could not concentrate long enough to do that... So we just worked on forms training. Detailing the physical movements, mechanically, structurally, just moving through the forms. It was actually quite refreshing! Not having to concentrate on a specific principal and allowing ourselves to be "SimplyAware" of our movements. I found myself feeling more relaxed, less scattered as the week went on...
Mind over matter...
When I was in the military my Drill Instructor would say (as he was torturing us in some way) "Its mind over matter boys... I don't mind and YOU don't matter!" I look back and laugh but back then...WOW. This week my "mind over matter" issue was more "matter over mind"... I let my physical movements take over and gave my mind the week off. My students and I gave ourselves permission to to just work on foot work, hand placement, repetitive, monotonous, redundancy at its best. It was really nice...
I think therefore I get confused...
After such a week of "easy classes" I realized that it is very possible to "over think" your training and get caught up in the mental details. Trying to "think" the forms instead of "feeling" them. We already know that if you think too hard you body will respond with tension, holding of the breath and an over all state of tightness. Looking back on this week, it was time to just let go and feel again. Next week we can go back to the mental game, maybe...
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