At a recent acroyoga workshop, I was teaching how to connect the core, shoulders, and hands to generate more power in pushing movements. While this connection can significantly improve performance in exercises like push-ups, I noticed something even more interesting. It revealed an important principle about movement, strength, and body awareness that I want to share with you in this post.
That same day I was also listening to an interview with Paul Linden. Paul is a senior Aikido instructor and specialist in body/movement awareness education.
He states that in stressed situations we tend to contract or collapse our attention, breath, posture, and movement.
In situations where we need to be strong, we become week. Our rational mind is hijacked by feeling or fear, anger, anxiety, shock…
He continued that if we, instead of contraction and collapse, choose expansiveness and awareness we can respond in more harmonious and constructive way. By taking an open and expansive posture, our mindset changes and we can decide more freely how to react.
This made me think about the change I saw in the workshop.
The first push-up the students performed felt difficult and strenuous for most of them. They were not particularly athletic, and the idea of doing a push-up seemed intimidating. Many doubted whether they were capable of it. Their shoulders and core collapsed, their breathing became restricted, and they lacked overall body awareness.
I then showed them how to stabilize their shoulders and engage their core. They learned how to connect with their whole body, creating a sense of expansion and support. The second push-up felt noticeably lighter and more harmonious.
Not only did they experience greater power, but they also became more confident and decisive.
Body equals mind and vice versa
Learning new physically demanding moves – in partner practice, like acroyoga, even more prominent – can invoke the same distress response as in stressful everyday situations. If we confront this kind of situations mindlessly we will most often fight, flight or freeze. Which of these three strategyes we use depends on our personality, but all are automatic, unconsious reactions.
But if we first regulate our state we can see a bigger picture and can make a smarter move. Take a grounding, spacious, and relaxed stance to center yourself. This state is what Paul calls the embodiment of power and love. We become compassionate warriors. Standing for ourselves without doing harm for others or yourself.
Body and mind are not two separate things. They are one entirety, intertwining, and co-creating the way how we interac with the world. When we start to understand this and use it as one, we can get the most out of it. Bodymind becomes one of the most powerful tools for life. We become embodied!
Any physical practice, whether it’s acroyoga, handstands, weightlifting, or something else, can be approached with mindfulness and embodiment. By bringing your awareness to your body throughout your practice, even just a few times, you can reduce stress, improve your focus, and become better equipped to face life’s challenges.
The next time you’re at the gym or in an acro class, ask yourself: Where can I relax more? Where can I be stronger? What does it feel like to truly embody power?
