We spend so much of our time becoming aware. Be focused on what you do, don't make mistakes. Practice, practice, practice. But the real athleticism comes when you're in the zone. When interviewing several basketball players who frequently get in the zone, many described it as not even feeling the basketball, their whole motion being instinctive.
Music can be the same way. I can count in my head, or think about the next chord. But the magic happens when I just do it. When I let go of the worry and the concious decisions and just let my body move where the music takes it. I listened to a recording of a group I played with and noticed a really cool rhythm. I couldn't tell where it was coming from. There were two guitarists and a percussionist, and I hadn't remembered hearing that rhythm. The next time we played that song, I realized I was the one playing that rhythm. I had been in 'the zone.' Completely unaware, not making concious choices, but filling the musical space.
So here's the question, how do you get there? With music I've found part of it is letting go of the technique and just feeling it, but it took a long time to get to where I had enough technique to do that. Never was much of a runner, but when I tried it, the one time I rememer finding 'the zone' I was doing math in my head and then suddenly I had run for miles. Don't know if this counts, but I've found myself lost in thought in the car, usually when listening for a traffic report, suddenly realize I was so absorbed in thought that I missed three traffic reports. How about when you think you're not paying attention to driving and then a brake light ahead wakes you up?
Wednesday, February 23, 2005
Tuesday, February 22, 2005
Hey Booboo, I don't bend like that
Last night I decided to try a yoga class at the cheetah gym. It was advertised as Hatha Yoga, this is the class you should take if you've never done yoga before. A good introduction. Wow. They should call it 'Your body as a pretzel.'
It was tough, glad I didn't go to the advance class. I thought it would be a little bit of stretching, but it was more. Balancing on one hand and knee while pulling your other leg behind your head with the other hand... tough. Then we were instructed to do a shoulder stand, starting from on your back, roll your legs over your head so that your feet are on the floor above your head. I was having issues, so the instructor tried to help me. She asked, 'Is your neck ok?' As she pushed my legs further over my head than I thought possible. Miraculously I finally got into the shoulder stand position. It was actually pretty cool, once I found it and got past the inital fear of snapping my neck and spine in twain. The class ended with a couple minutes of meditation and the instructor giving a mini-massage to everyone, followed by chanting of 'Om.'
I know it sounds a little hokey. But it was actually very relaxing, and I can see a lot of flexibility, balance, and strength eventually coming out of it. But trust me that it's not worth going to class just to 'look at bendy women,' as Wally suggests in Dilbert. In my class there was lots of falling down by the men and the women, though I managed to avoid it. Think I'll try and go for a month see how it turns out.
It was tough, glad I didn't go to the advance class. I thought it would be a little bit of stretching, but it was more. Balancing on one hand and knee while pulling your other leg behind your head with the other hand... tough. Then we were instructed to do a shoulder stand, starting from on your back, roll your legs over your head so that your feet are on the floor above your head. I was having issues, so the instructor tried to help me. She asked, 'Is your neck ok?' As she pushed my legs further over my head than I thought possible. Miraculously I finally got into the shoulder stand position. It was actually pretty cool, once I found it and got past the inital fear of snapping my neck and spine in twain. The class ended with a couple minutes of meditation and the instructor giving a mini-massage to everyone, followed by chanting of 'Om.'
I know it sounds a little hokey. But it was actually very relaxing, and I can see a lot of flexibility, balance, and strength eventually coming out of it. But trust me that it's not worth going to class just to 'look at bendy women,' as Wally suggests in Dilbert. In my class there was lots of falling down by the men and the women, though I managed to avoid it. Think I'll try and go for a month see how it turns out.
Are we nuts?
Upon returning from the ol' grocery store last night I noticed a note on the prepackaged almonds I bought. 'This product contains nuts and was processed in a plant with nuts and peanuts.' What?!?! Almonds are nuts? I smell a litigious society behind this...
Thursday, February 17, 2005
Thursday, February 03, 2005
Stupid People
Do you ever feel like stupidity is a contagious disease? For example, a person who replies to the entire company and kisses the ass of an executive who is leaving with phrases like 'walk the talk.' Why didn't she just include her resume?
Or my neighbors, who while providing food, water, a towel to sleep in and even a freaking scratching post for a stray cat who has wandered into our common hallway neglected to provide a litter box. Never mind that the cat is now relieving itself in the hallway outside my front door and the entire common area smells of cat urine.
For some reason they think this is an OK situation. Frankly, the cat was abandoned. All the 'no-kill' shelters are full (I called 6) so at this point either adopt the cat yourself, or it's bye-bye Mr. Bigglesworth.
And before you sick the ASPCA on me, yes, I would rather the cat lived. But if it's gonna live in the hall and use my door way as a bathroom then it's gotta go.
My gripe here is really with the stupid neighbors and the cat's former owner, not the cat. It's never the animal's fault. It's the stupid people who can't commit to properly caring for or training it.
Now I don't want to get off on a rant here but how is it the same people that coddle this cat and insist on it's right to piss on my floor the same ones chomping down on a sausage, wearing alligator shoes, an Italian leather belt, and a floor length mink with a rabbit's foot in the pocket while feeding their dog horsemeat?
Or my neighbors, who while providing food, water, a towel to sleep in and even a freaking scratching post for a stray cat who has wandered into our common hallway neglected to provide a litter box. Never mind that the cat is now relieving itself in the hallway outside my front door and the entire common area smells of cat urine.
For some reason they think this is an OK situation. Frankly, the cat was abandoned. All the 'no-kill' shelters are full (I called 6) so at this point either adopt the cat yourself, or it's bye-bye Mr. Bigglesworth.
And before you sick the ASPCA on me, yes, I would rather the cat lived. But if it's gonna live in the hall and use my door way as a bathroom then it's gotta go.
My gripe here is really with the stupid neighbors and the cat's former owner, not the cat. It's never the animal's fault. It's the stupid people who can't commit to properly caring for or training it.
Now I don't want to get off on a rant here but how is it the same people that coddle this cat and insist on it's right to piss on my floor the same ones chomping down on a sausage, wearing alligator shoes, an Italian leather belt, and a floor length mink with a rabbit's foot in the pocket while feeding their dog horsemeat?
