What is strength? Part 2
As I explained in my previous blog, “What is strength part 1”, people often find it hard to fully release their muscular contractions even when resting. We are frequently unaware of these muscular tensions because they may be minor and we may have become used to them. Generally, we only become aware of them when we feel some kind of discomfort or pain. In this context, Dr. Feldenkrais’ quote “we cannot change what we do not know” is highly relevant. To release tension, we must first become aware that there is tension in our body and the best time to do that is before we feel pain and before the pain becomes chronic.
One of the main focal points of all Feldenkrais lessons is to become aware of what we are feeling in our body at a given moment. This sounds easy, but is not always. For this reason, Feldenkrais lessons begins and end with several minutes of “meditation”, in which we focus on screening what we are feeling in our body. How is the body lying on the floor? Which areas are touching the floor cleary, and which aren’t? Where do we feel discomfort and/or muscular tension? It can take a while for us to fine-tune this ability of heigthened awareness. As I always like to say to my students, “awareness is work”, it requires focus and concentration. However, achieving this heightened awareness helps us get to know our bodies better, so that even after the lessons are over, and next time we have that tension in our shoulders we can let go of it consciously and quickly. This process of becoming aware and letting go frees our muscles and gives them more strenght to work when needed. We want to know how to use our muscles optimally, that is, to use them only when nedded and not otherwise. If we use our musculature in this efficient way we will have more freedom of movement, strength, and thus less pain.