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I have read about this principle under a lot of different names. What I do not get is how it is supposed to work if there is nothing in our "personal ROM" that

by cJ0th 12y ago

I have read about this principle under a lot of different names. What I do not get is how it is supposed to work if there is nothing in our "personal ROM" that our "system" can restore. The example in that article about relaxing makes sense to me. Early in life we probably were relaxed and thus deep inside we know, what being relaxed means and our body finds a way to restore this state. But how is this principle supposed to work if the data for the state you desire is not there in the first place? For instance, how do you learn Karate if you spent your whole life being a non-physical person? I took lessons for about a year and I hardly improved. The teacher suggests to "stop thinking". That may be reasonable if acitivities in recent years subdued your knowledge on movement but otherwise I don't understand how this is supposed to work. For example, I never knew and still don't know how to make an effective punch. Another area where I don't know how to apply this principle is studying. I sometimes catch myself re-reading a passage many times as it doesn't make sense to me. This is clearly "doing" in an obsessive way and the result is poor. But how is learning by "not doing" supossed to work? Just reading a text without constantly analyzing it on purpose doesn't lead to success either.

collyw 12y ago
Like I say its very subtle (and difficult to describe), and "not doing" is different from actively trying to do something in a different way. A lot of the teaching is just about slowing down and watching what you are doing (and what happens automatically). For example, try squatting but keeping your heels on the floor. You will likely not be able to do it. Now if you could lie on your back, with feet on the floor and get someone to raise the rest of your body to a squat position, then it would probably happen. The action of squatting will trigger lots of habitual muscular responses that your brain didn't specifically ask for. If you are put in that position from a non conventional way, the muscles raising your heels won't be triggered. Or a basic example. Stand straight and look ahead. Now imagine that you are in the start up line for 100m sprint. Now really try to imagine you are there. Now check your legs. Is there tension in one of them, ready to sprint off? Did you consciously do that? The lessons explore these habitual responses, so that once you recognise them you have the choice to carry on habitually, or do something in a new way. As I say, its difficult to describe.

by cJ0th 12y ago

collyw 12y ago

Like I say its very subtle (and difficult to describe), and "not doing" is different from actively trying to do something in a different way. A lot of the teaching is just about slowing down and watching what you are doing (and what happens automatically). For example, try squatting but keeping your heels on the floor. You will likely not be able to do it. Now if you could lie on your back, with feet on the floor and get someone to raise the rest of your body to a squat position, then it would probably happen. The action of squatting will trigger lots of habitual muscular responses that your brain didn't specifically ask for. If you are put in that position from a non conventional way, the muscles raising your heels won't be triggered. Or a basic example. Stand straight and look ahead. Now imagine that you are in the start up line for 100m sprint. Now really try to imagine you are there. Now check your legs. Is there tension in one of them, ready to sprint off? Did you consciously do that? The lessons explore these habitual responses, so that once you recognise them you have the choice to carry on habitually, or do something in a new way. As I say, its difficult to describe.