This amazingly easy key to a better you is something you can integrate and start doing right now. And the good news is that this is not something that takes extra time. It is something you can do daily as you move throughout your day.

What is it exactly?

Simply paying attention to how you are moving.

You’re probably wondering – how can that help me?

Well it’s implementing one of the Nine Essentials Anat Baniel has identified necessary for learning she calls “Movement with Attention.”

It is probably easiest to understand by first talking about what it is not – automatic movement.

Automatic movement is movement done without paying attention. This is the way we move most of the time. On auto pilot. Our habitual way of moving.

For example, think about walking. Walking is something you do without having to think about how you do it. You don’t wake up every morning and have to think about it or learn to walk all over again. You already know how. You just roll out of bed and walk down the hall. Auto pilot.

Here’s an example of a situation in which Movement with Attention is applied.

Sometimes at night my dog sleeps in an unusual place on the floor. As I get up I could be about to step on him without knowing it. As my foot begins to touch him, I feel his soft body against my foot and I am able to stop mid-action, reverse my movement and avoid him. Paying attention to the sensation on the sole of my foot keeps my dog from being stepped on.

So in this instance I am not on auto pilot, but paying attention to my movement.

You can adapt this example to what you are doing as you walk. If you pay attention to your experience while walking, you may be able to explore ways of walking that are easier or feel free or are faster or slower. Or, if you have pain or discomfort, find a way to walk that reduces it.

Here’s another example. Let’s assume you are sitting down right now. Even though you aren’t moving much while you are reading this, there is still some movement.

Do you feel your eyes moving left and right across the screen? As you are breathing, can you feel movement in your belly? Where else do you feel movement as you breathe? Perhaps in your chest, the  sides of your rib cage. How about your back – do you feel any movement there?

The goal of these examples is to illustrate how to notice your inner experience, switching from auto pilot to Movement with Attention.

Anat writes on her website (anatbanielmethod.com), “When we bring attention to what we feel as we move, the brain immediately starts building billions of new neurological connections that usher in changes, learning and transformation.”

So start moving with attention – it’s a key to a better you!

Tags: Anat Baniel, automatic movement, integrative movement, Lara Gillease, nine essentials
Posted in Anat Baniel Method, Brain Power, Featured, NeuroMovement | 2 Comments »