After being able to continuously and effortlessly answer the questions What am I doing? and What do I sense? with regard to a certain daily activity, I now come to the third question that’s of importance when exploring the body.
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Asking yourself the question “Can I do it differently?” and also actively trying to do things in other ways strengthens your body-mind connection, increases body listening ability, and broadens understanding of your body. In addition, it’s a help in preventing or resolving health issues.
When you start doing bodily activities differently, you’ll need to iterate the questions “What am I doing?” and “What do I sense?” You will see that this is not difficult at all, because when you do things in another way than you’re used to you will automatically focus and feel.
So, let’s look at some examples. For instance, if you always put on your socks and shoes while sitting on a chair, try now to do it standing. If you usually wash your hair first in the shower, start now by washing your feet. Or, stir your cup of coffee using the left hand instead of the right hand, while standing, or alternatively while sitting.
When you put on a shirt, first push the left arm through a sleeve, instead of always starting with the right arm. Or, if you always lean on your left leg while washing the dishes, now lean deliberately on your right leg, or do it squatting.
The list of bodily activities you can do differently is virtually endless, and you should expand testing those variations gradually. The lessons it will give and teach you are extensive.
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For instance, you will learn to use more of your body, which will make you a more physically balanced person, while likewise preventing overuse of certain body parts. At the same time, you will notice if you feel less or more tension, pressure, friction, discomfort, or pain when you do things differently.
By paying close attention to what you sense by doing things in another way, you will learn if the way you usually do certain things is just a habit and perfect as they are, or if — in contrast — you consciously or subconsciously compensate for discomforts or pains, or if it’s perhaps easier or more efficient to do things differently.
Keep in mind that doing things differently, such as using the right arm instead of the left, sitting instead of standing, leaning on the left leg or alternatively the right leg, or squatting instead of bending over, will activate other muscles, other postures/positions, and other movements. This will most likely cause some initial muscle soreness, simply because you’re not used to doing so.
