Increasingly, I’ve wanted to widen my experience of living and moving inside my body. I call it my physicality-mindset. I’d noticed what I think I’m capable of, and where I’d closed off a whole range of experiences because ‘I’m not good at that’, or ‘I could do that when I was younger, but probably can’t now’.
I’ve been really exploring: What is my body capable of? What else can it do? How much more space can I take up in it? I’m curious too about how different movements seem to be changing my emotional and spiritual world.
One of those unconscious and unchosen things I had given up on, without even realising, is cartwheeling. I used to do that all the time as a kid, and I loved it. I’d cartwheel at the beach. On the lawn. In the house. And then I stopped.
Decades have gone by, and now cartwheeling is a memory, even though there is no physical reason why I’m not doing them. In experimenting with my physicality-mindset, I’ve chosen to re-learn cartwheels, and experience the sense of freedom, and somatic joy attempting them brings. (And when I do one I might even film it and show you!).
As I set out into cartwheel territory, I’m noticing the inner changes as my body learns new things. I’m like a kid on the floor, hopping like a frog, or crawling like a crab. What’s interesting for me is a new sense of what’s possible. Not just physically, but also psychologically. I can feel the crevices within that I’d closed off, like a room not used in ages.
Mindsets isn’t just about helping us lead better. It’s about widening our field of possibility for our lives! Where might you expand your feelings of wholeness, excitement, fulfilment, spontaneity? Probably not cartwheeling (unless you too feel the urge!), but what small, small thing could you start to practice, for no reason other than you like the sense of openness and exploration it offers? Something that’s not more of what you already do?
I asked a leadership team recently about this, and invited them to explore. I wanted them to break open a new area of their curiosity, and take a small action each day. Not to achieve, but to just to notice what happens within themselves. Was there a change in their thoughts? Feelings? Skill?
The outcomes were so interesting.
For one person it was planting and tending some tomato seedlings. (They found this thrilling!). Another’s was drawing a piece of fruit each day. (Intrigued by the focus it took). Someone else learned the 4 step salsa move off YouTube and practice that for a few minutes every day (focus, embarrassment, fun!).
In doing so, the team noticed more latitude to explore and be curious. More sense of play. More space.
What have you given up on, without even realising it? What is a small small movement in that direction you can take? Can you take it just out of curiosity and exploration? How does that make you feel?
I’d love to know.
Till next week,
Your cartwheeling queen
Cathy
