Learning with Anat Baniel Method
What does it take to feel more engaged in your life, to feel more joy and vitality in your relationships? The secrets is that you need to actively engage in new and different experiences. This means learning how to do activities in new ways that are interesting to you. Otherwise you are repeating what you already know and you won’t feel as vital and have that feeling of aliveness.

How do you know when you are learning something new versus repeating the same-old-same old? Here is an example that can help you figure that out.

Have you ever left your home and then wondered whether you locked the door or not? You’re half way to the car and you ask yourself, ‘Did I lock the door?’ You go back and check. You see in fact that you had locked the door.

Remember when you first moved in to your new place. You would close the door and attentively look for the right key. You had to figure out how to orient the key correctly. You heard the door latch shut and lock. You attempted to re-open the door to make sure you locked it. It was locked. Afterward you never doubted whether you had locked it or not.

How come it is easier to remember a relatively newer experience compared to one you have had many times before?

The reason is because there are two main ways your brain functions:

 

  1. 1) Repeating What You Already Know-
  2. When you don’t remember whether you locked the door, it is an action you have done hundreds of times. You’re on automatic pilot. You leave your home and lock the door without even thinking about it.This is your habitual way of doing things. You have streamlined down other options so that you are only doing what you need to do in order to complete a task (such as lock the door).You need to be able to have habitual ways of doing actions. Just think if each day you had to learn all over again how to get out of bed, walk or make yourself something to eat.You rely on your habitual ways of doing things. You have deeply grooved neural pathways in your brain for these repetitive actions.

However, your brain CRAVES new experiences as well. It is easy to get caught up in the demands of life and be on automatic pilot.

When you spend your days only repeating what you already know, you are robbing yourself of what your brain needs to stay vital. By the way, you would know whether you would benefit from having new experiences if you are feeling bored or a lack of vitality.

 

  1. 2) Being in Learning Mode-
  2. The first time you locked your door, you had to think about what you were doing. You were learning how to lock this door. You were in learning mode.This is one of the Anat Baniel Method’s Nine Essentials called the Learning Switch. Although there is no actual switch in your brain, it is a way of being.When you are actively learning your ‘learning switch’ is turned on. Anat says that the brain is like Cookie Monster (from Sesame Street) for information, craving lots of NEW information and gobbling it up. One example: Have you ever gone out of town somewhere you have never been before? You experience new sights and what this different culture is like. The air smells different and has its own combination of humidity/dryness, temperature. You are listening to the sounds of this place whether it is the hustle and bustle of city noise or a quieter area with birds singing. Did you notice when you are in a new place that you feel more vital and alive? You may even needs less sleep. You are in learning mode. Your learning switch is turned on and you are taking in new information.But you don’t have to go out of town to provide your brain with these rich learning experiences. You could do this by learning a new language, ballroom dancing or doing the Anat Baniel Method.

    Anat says, “Movement is the language of the brain.” You can have new movement experiences as a way to turn your learning switch on.

There are various ways to experience the Anat Baniel Method (also known as ABM and NeuroMovementsm).

  • 1) In your own living room, you can watch and listen to movement instructions by dvd.
  • 2) You can attend an Anat Baniel Method group class.
  • 3) You can get individual attention with a series of private lessons with a certified Anat Baniel Method practitioner.

Whatever way you choose, you will do gentle, safe, informative movements in which either a practitioner moves you (private lessons) or by following verbal instructions (group or dvd).

Through the lessons you can learn to:

  1. 1) Refine what you already know how to do. So that next time you repeat what you already know, you will do so more easily, with more finesse, more comfortably and with less or no pain. For instance, you’ll be able to turn your head to look behind you without that familiar strain in your neck. Or reach your arm in a way you have never done before so that you can reach a higher shelf without pain.
  1. 2) Learn to do something you have never done before.For instance, you could become more flexible and lean over and touch your toes. Or sit on the floor with your legs crossed comfortably.

To learn more, reference Anat Baniel’s books, ‘Move Into Life’ and ‘Kids Beyond Limits’. These books provide much greater detail about the ‘Learning Switch’ and “The Nine Essentials”. Also visit, anatbanielmethod.com.

Lara Gillease has been working with the Anat Baniel Method with adults and special needs children since 2000. She also teaches in the Anat Baniel Method International training programs for becoming a certified practitioner. To learn more, go to: integrativemovement.com.

 

 

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