How to Learn a New Skill or Take Your Ability to the Next Level
You know how we think of ourselves as grooved to move, think, and behave in a certain way? For instance, we can identify someone we know from a distance just by the way they walk or move, or by the way they hold something. People tend to be so distinctive in the way they speak, think and act, and we think of this as somehow being unchangeable. However this isn’t so. In her book Move Into Life: The Nine Essentials for Lifelong Vitality Anat Baniel tells us how it is actually possible to change the brain.
Mindfulness according to Anat Baniel.
In a recent episode of my podcast series, I spoke with Anat Baniel about her association with Moshé Feldenkrais, and her life work helping people with special needs as well as high performing athletes and artistes. Anat explains how we can learn new skills, improve existing ones, enhance athletic performance and just take our abilities and vitality to a new level. We can do this just by simple movements, or rather by changing the way we move and do things, which she explains in her book.
The first essential according to Anat as mentioned in her book, is movement with attention to the feeling of self. This makes so much sense, because this is similar to the mindfulness movement that we hear about so much in recent times. It is all about being fully present in the moment; about being aware of and attuned to the here and now. The fact is that we do so much of what we do, sort of on auto pilot, which according to Anat is the beginning of deterioration.“Awareness is the glue of learning,” she says, and this really resonates with me.
Slowing down, variation, enthusiasm and more.
Slowing down is another vital essential for when one wants to change the brain and increase vitality. Deliberate, slow movements are what Anat teaches as part of her NeuroMovement Treatment modalities. This is important for increasing wellbeing, and to manage and lessen pain, says Anat. To learn a new skill, slowing down is exceptionally important!
Another important essential according to Anat is variation— quite simply doing different things and doing things differently. She has an interesting anecdote that she shares on the show about a highly advanced Jiu Jitsu practitioner that she helped. He was stuck at one point and Anat was able to help him move beyond simply by opening up new variations for him.
Enthusiasm is another essential for creating change. She notices how when parents come to her to get help for their kids, their enthusiasm for the small improvements can be a cause for great happiness. It amplifies the appreciation of the whole process. She recommends the use of this in school, where failure is not seen as failure but something that is done on purpose. This would help make school a happier, safer place for kids! Next, she says, is imagination – sometimes we see Olympic athletes using visualization techniques just before their event. This is actually an aspect of Anat’s nine essentials in action.
We also speak about James Nestor, whom we both admire, and someone I had on my show not too long ago. Check out that episode here.
In conclusion, Anat recommends simple movements to make ourselves better. This can help us improve range of motion, brain fitness and performance, reduce neck and back pain, and even help with conditions such as scoliosis. Interestingly, Anat’s father is 102 and he has benefited greatly from her therapies. Join me for this fascinating conversation I have with Anat where we talk about all of her nine essentials for brain development.
