Posture and Seeing

Today I went running in the snow and at one point it was really coming down and blowing directly in my face. I was squinting through the snowy haze and couldn't see more than a few feet in front of me. At first this was mildly annoying, but after a minute or two it was very pleasant feeling, as if I were running in a snow globe that was moving along with me and that I'd lost all sense of where I was headed. I felt relaxed and like all sense of effort left my body. I've often had this experience running in rain or snow. It makes me forget where I'm going and just be present in the sensations of the moment.

By seeing less with my eyes, I was more fully aware with all of my senses, which helped my posture, form, and breathing, I was more relaxed and in the moment.

In contrast to running up a wooded snowy mountain, I've often run along the water in Brooklyn on a sunny day when I can see miles of open space ahead of me. I'm not knocking the view. It makes for nice photographs, but I generally find that my running suffers if I see to far ahead. It becomes all about where I'm going rather than where I am.

FM Alexander, founder of The Alexander Technique used a term he called "end-gaining"...bascially meaning getting ahead of yourself, anticipating, or pushing to get "there" before you're there.

What we see can be a very strong stimulus to "end-gain", which isn't just an idea or mental state, it's a phsyical thing we do that we often call "bad posture"... a way of ancipating with tension and strain... that can affect how we walk, run, pick things up, sit, use our computers and phones, and how we connect with and communiate with others.

We look with our eyes and we react rather than staying in the moment and responding one step at a time.

I loved the centered, relaxed, running in a snow globe feeling. I was on the path. No danger of getting lost, but I didn't feel the familiar pull of looking for the next landmark, pulling myself a bit to try to get there faster so I could stop sooner. I didn't want to stop because I didn't feel any strain and I didn't feel any strain because I wasn't looking for and pushing for the next thing...but I was still on the path passing all of the same landmarks.

Clearly, seeing is very useful, but when we let it dominate at every waking moment, our posture and well-being can suffer. How would your sense of well-being changed if you worked a little less hard to see ahead of you? If you waited an extra half-second before looking at your phone or your computer screen? If you took a moment sense your feet on the ground before speaking?

If you have a little more time to observe yourself over the holidays, try pausing before doing every day things. Notice if you're perpetually being driven forward by what you see or moving the way you move just because you always do it that way. Take a moment to sense your body...a good place to start is sensing your feet on the ground. Pay attention to your other senses as well. What do you smell and hear? How does your clothing, the rain, or snow feel on your skin? Make a point to tune into sensations other than just what you see and then "see" if you feel more present.

Interested in learning more and getting personalized instruction? I'm currently offering 1:1 virutal sessons as well as group classes.