Taking Time

Dear Reader

My mother-in-law used to say that she woke up on Monday morning, and when she went to bed it was Friday night. How does that happen?! As time rushes forward, I look around at the things I want to do, might do and ought to do, and I hardly know where to start. Often, I start with what’s easy or something that’s right in front of me.

But, lately, I’ve been trying to start with things that aren’t quite so easy—the things that I’ve put aside even though they weren’t complete. Mostly, those things were put aside because I wasn’t confident about the next step. What’s different now? Partly it’s that time thing. As time progresses faster and faster, I figure I better get on with it. You know, “If not now, when?”

And partly, I’ve begun to realize that it’s okay to not do it perfectly. If it’s not perfect, it might be good enough. If it’s not good enough, it might be possible to redo it or take it in another direction. I recently heard a sewing instructor say that she could tell the beginners from the more experienced participants. The beginners struggled with the idea of ripping out seams and redoing them. The experienced sewers just took it in stride as a normal part of the process.

In a number of Feldenkrais lessons, I hear the encouragement to “do it badly.” What? Yes, indeed. Don’t even try to do it well. Could you forget what you know about doing this movement well or correctly? Could you just do it any old way? And then what? Then, you might surprise yourself. You might find a new way to move, or a worse way, or a better way. Regardless, you can learn something new about yourself, and that, my friends, gives us more choices. And who knows where that might lead?

I’ve heard that if you want to slow down time, learn something new. I invite you to join me in learning something new about yourself.

Tuesday’s class is still Free Pay As You Wish.

The March Thursday series is Relaxing the Muscles of the Neck and starts on March 2. Please register by Wednesday, March 1.

These aren’t easy times, y’all. May peace be with you.