Nov 042013
 

dancing-our-way-out-of-dogma

“There’s mental inertia – my favourite  – which is a whole bunch of philosophies and attitudes and beliefs – about yourself, about other people, about the world we live in, about groups of people. This – all – must – go! “  Gabrielle Roth,  (1941-2012)  Founder of the world-renowned movement practice “5 Rhythms” Dance

Loosening up
We’re  in a high-ceilinged hall. There’s fourty five or so of us, male and female. We’re at the start of a 5 Rhythms dance class, loosening up minds and bodies, rousing physical and mental energies to overcome inertia, getting present, clear, and creative.

Warming up, we’re moving in all directions to flowing music as we begin to collectively inhabit the empty room. Walking barefoot on the warm, wooden, well-worn floor, we’re  shuffling, strolling, striding, as befits our mood while traversing the space. Sensing those around us as we do so, we catch each other’s eyes, self-consciously or in recognition, notice each other’s form, movement and demeanour. Continue reading »

Aug 302013
 

quiet-please-im-thinking-with-my-hands

We have to understand that the world can only be grasped by action, not by contemplation. The hand is more important than the eye … The hand is the cutting edge of the mind.
— Jacob Bronowski, The Ascent of Man, Episode 3 “The Grain in the Stone”. (1)

Getting into a state of “Flow”
Every so often, I find I have to take time out from the world of words and abstract concepts: sharing ideas, negotiating, imagining, listening and discussing things. I most easily enter that happy state of flow where time disappears and I become absorbed (2) , when I’m silently and contentedly alone, non-verbally doing something in a concentrated way – and most often when I’m using my hands, where I can see that what I’m doing with them matters. Continue reading »

Aug 052013
 

food-for-thoughtWhen you think of better thinking tools and techniques what comes to mind initially? Books? Workshops? Coaching?

How about chewing gum?

No!? Well a new chewing gum called “Think Gum” has recently come to my attention whilst working in Turkey. It claims to improve your brain power by improving the cognition of its user. I have a potential unease envisioning a product working by forcing your retinas to move at such a rate as to improve cognition for a longer period than normal. This is just my own initial cynicism ofcouse, and nonetheless this area is a sign of another channel of our desire to explore and deliver better thinking. Continue reading »