Our session last Thursday evening may not have gone as planned for all participants, but it provided me with a first hand look at Mental Pilates in action!
We found ourselves getting into a circular discussion that soon threatened to compromise our ability to get through the entire evening's agenda. I could see that Andy was getting frustrated when the worst possible thing happened - serious technical difficulties!! With his computer frozen beyond any normal recovery, Andy was forced to power down, which we now knows means an abrupt end to all WebEx audio and video for all! :(
Ruh roh. Two days worth of preparation, high hopes and grand expectations dashed by an interrupted signal. But what is that about interrupted signals?? Time to sound the alarm!!
I witnessed Andy interrupt his awareness and begin to redirect any negative emotion on a path to regaining control. He began by breathing consciously for a few moments and I suspect he was reciting his core identity internally. Perhaps reciting something like, "Don't mistake failing with 'I am a failure." Not all goes as planned, sometimes for good reason! Next he took steps to insure his awareness was redirected. He got up and accomplished something positive and helpful - he emptied the dishwasher!! Then he picked up his mandolin and played some of his favorite Dead tunes with gusto. (Yes, Dead tunes on the mando, not bluegrass in this house!)
When we sat down to dinner a short while later, we enjoyed a calm and constructive conversation. He was already formulating revisions to his introduction to address the points that seemingly got us off track. What could have been an entire evening or more of being sucked into a downward spiral instead produced a very cool tweak to make the message more clear from the outset. I'm looking forward to seeing the new and improved version during our next session and look forward to sharing the experience with the team!
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Thank you Dorothy for the observation. It does give me confidence to see these "thoughts" turn into actual skills that help you get through the little hick-ups we all encounter on a day-to-day basis.
ReplyDeleteMy biggest fears are that, after all of this effort and work, that Mental Pilates would end up being some esoteric concept that would not be practical to "practice". I feel confident that this isn't the case. I find myself practicing my MP skills daily, not because I am working to develop the practice, but rather because I enjoy life more feeling connected to my innate vitality and more fulfilled when I am getting stuff done that is clearly linked to my Identity, Purpose and Vision!!
What about the other people? Have you had experiences when you find yourself consciously applying the Mental Pilates skills?
Let me know!!!
Hi guys,
ReplyDeleteFirst off, I think that this is a very cool use of the blog. One of the great things about blogging is the opportunity for discussion and hopefully we can get a great dialogue going in response to Andy's question.
I had a mental pilates moment at work yesterday. Unlike Andy's experience I wasn't being sucked into a negative spiral, but I had lost the frequency of my energy channel. I have a grant due on Monday and as the intern I am regularly interrupted by my coworkers to be given new tasks. With my work in progress folder growing fatter, I felt myself flipping into robot mode. I was going to crank things out like a maniac at the expense of awareness and balance. Once I realized what I was doing, I did a few minutes of yogic breathing and then practiced another yoga exercise called soft eyes. Back on center, I was able to be the person described by my core identity statements rather than being a crazy robot-nutcase. Thanks mental pilates!
Nobody enjoys being a crazy robot-nutcase!!! Good Work Sarah!!!!
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