How we see our body affects the relationships we have with it..

Now that sentence is pretty loaded, as it already frames the body as separate from the mind.

Intellectually separating the mind and body was made famous by Rene Descartes.  He quite logically asserted that one can doubt ones existence of body, but you can’t doubt the existence of your mind (he was the guy that said I think, therefore I am). Therefore, the mind and body must be separate..

But… Dualism (as this idea is known) isn’t the only way to think about the mind and body… I now urge you to go into google rabbit whole!… and suggest you check out the fields of Neuroscience, Existentialism and Quantum Mechanics for compelling ideas against Dualism. Personally, I think Descartes was wrong… I see the mind and body as one thing.. (I actually see ALL our minds and bodies as one thing – but that’s another story!) Anyway my belief in mind-body monism rather unsurprisingly affects how I live and think, eat, move and teach/coach my clients.

Let’s forgo intellectual reasoning and think at an emotional level… I know for me… when I score a goal, return a serve in tennis, Ski down a mountain, block a punch while boxing, or even accidentally fall down stairs or get totally wiped out by a wave, there is never a divide between me and my body. When I do athletic stuff, I often feel completely “connected” – i.e. my mind and body are performing, feeling and existing as one beautiful unit. (if two things are so perfectly aligned, then they merge into another (like mixing orange juice with sparkling water .. once in the same glass, they become as one – a fizzy orange juice!). If you ever have got into a “flow state’ (be in meditation, writing, playing an instrument, dancing etc), you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about.

As discussed in my NUK SOO™ video from a few days ago, I believe the best way of understanding and enjoying the mind-body connection isn’t through intellectual musings… but through mindful movement, learning new skills and the art of play.. i.e. living the athletic life. Helping you feel connected in your mind and body has become central to my work as a coach.