WRITTEN OVERVIEW OF THE LOOP
WHAT ARE THE EASY INGREDIENTS OF YOUR LOOP?
The loop has three stages. It started simple and as I kept going it got a little more complex. I start from a:
I) seated half straddle → shoulder rolling across my back all the way to seated half straddle on the other side → lift hips up (down dog) → thread leg trough → slide down → roll over belly → push to seated half straddle.
Then it develops into a:
II) seated half straddle → shoulder rolling across my back all the way to seated half straddle on the other side → lift hips up (down dog) →cross leg behind into reverse table top → turn all the way back into down dog → thread leg trough → slide down → roll over belly → push to seated half straddle.
Then, the loop culminates in:
III) seated half straddle → lift hips and shift legs → shoulder rolling across my back all the way to seated half straddle on the other side → lift hips into low squat → cartwheel → back seated half straddle.
DESCRIBE YOUR PROCESS. HOW DID YOU CHOOSE THE PARTS? HOW WAS YOUR EXPERIENCE LEADING UP TO FILMING THIS? WHAT DID YOU NEED TO DO TO GET IN THE RIGHT STATE OF BODY/MIND/SPIRIT TO FLOW?
This process was very intuitive, in general. I put on some music on my earbuds, connecting to the vibe of it, and started moving, just following where my body wanted to go, or where it felt easier, paying attention to the contact to the floor and how it could be smoother to seamlessly connect one movement into the other. I wasn't worried about building a loop. I was just enjoying letting my body move through the music. After a while I started to notice some patterns surfacing, so I started to make them a little more structured, finding ways to string these positions together in a loop. Taking the space into account, I explored ways I could make this into a traveling loop across it. Filming wasn't an issue either. After playing with the floor for 1 hour, at some point I just forgot I was recording.
WHAT FELT GOOD OR PROVIDED A HEALTHY CHALLENGE IN THE LOOP VIDEO EXPERIENCE?
Most times when I'm playing with/on the floor I'm not very worried about building a loop. I just keep moving and exploring ways I can make smooth transitions from one position into the other. I've noticed I had the tendency to move faster, in a more complex way, losing the connection with the floor. This is even more so when the music has a faster pace. I let myself be carried by the beat and kind loose control of the choices, which I don't find is wrong or bad. It 's just a way. So, keeping it simple and slow is somewhat challenging. It's not hard though. It just takes more awareness. However this awareness doesn't always translate into fluidity. I feel that there's a sweet spot in between awareness and flow state that can be tricky. Too much awareness, or the idea of exploring movement through the forefront of the head can lead into movement stuttering and hesitation, the idea of grasping and controlling each movement as if it were a mathematical system. When I find myself like this I see myself constantly making pauses and thinking "what do I do now?". It becomes a very rational process and, therefore, not flowy at all. On the other hand, having no awareness at all leads to total lack of control and body engagement, which also leads to lack of fluidity and ease. In this scenario I find myself stumbling, falling, bumping, I lose eye contact with wherever is, and the conversation with the floor tends to be very confusing. So, when I find this sweet spot (where I can breathe calmly, having just the right amount of body engagement and softness, where I know where I'm looking at with both, external and internal gaze, where I feel I'm both making conscious choices but also letting go) I know I'm in flow state. And finding this sweet spot is very challenging. It's like sitting for meditation. You cannot sit and expect that you'll get in the meditation state or even grasp it. You can only sit and be available, preparing yourself and the space around you for an experience of being with yourself, dealing with all your mind's noises. Sometimes, with time, you can feel moments of deep awareness and focus. To me, floor flow manifests itself in a very similar process. I need to show up with an open mind, not trying to reach something, being available and mindful enough so that the flow experience can manifest through my body with the floor. Sometimes it doesn't and it's ok too.
IF THERE'S ONE THING THAT YOU WOULD DO DIFFERENTLY, WHAT IS IT?
The only thing I wanted to do differently is not something I can really change. I wish I had more room to travel and explore. I also wish I had AC so I could put more clothes on to slide and glide more.
WHAT DID YOU LEARN FROM THIS EXPERIENCE THAT YOU WILL APPLY TO YOUR OWN TRAINING OR TEACHING?
I guess, being mindful about what could be the perfect balance between body engagement and control AND softness and release. Pendulating between the extremes and finding what the sweet spot could look like and feel in my body.