WHAT ARE THE NINE ESSENTIALS?
1) Movement with Attention – paying attention to what we are doing as we move has a powerful effect on waking up and remapping the brain.
2) Slow – it is impossible to learn new patterns while going fast. The brain works by going into predicted grooves or patterns when we go fast so going slow works best for learning something new.
3) Variation – the brain loves variety and learns the most by making comparisons so doing a movement with variations works much better than repeating the same movement over and over.
4) Subtlety – going gently (as opposed to pushing hard) is fantastic for introducing new brain patterns.
5) Enthusiasm – noticing our own gains and being excited about them greatly enhances our performance.
6) Flexible Goals – Having a playful ‘I wonder what will happen’ attitude is great for learning versus having a fixed goal.
7) The Learning Switch – The learning switch is turned on when we experience comfort, pleasure and safety. The brain doesn’t learn well when the body is in pain or straining.
8) Imagination and Dreams – Create the life you want. Our dreams are what help our brain to actualize movement.
9) Awareness – Being aware of what we are doing and how we are moving allows us to do what we want more effectively.
