O would some power the gift to give us
To see ourselves as others see us.
Robert Burns
What gets in the way of our dreams? People often blame outer circumstances for the detours and dead ends on their life path. Certainly not everyone is dealt the same cards, but it’s what we do with them that makes the difference in life. I sometimes sound like a broken record when I quote Moshe Feldenkrais, “If you know what you’re doing, you can do what you want.”
But I do know what I want, you may protest. So what is missing? The other day, a friend of mine was talking about an arrogant acquaintance who, in spite of his bluster, and even a certain level of success, alienates people around him. My friend shrugged, “He doesn’t know what he doesn’t know.”
If I am unable to see what is getting in the way of my desired outcome, of my wishes and aspirations, I am running smack up against a blind spot. Often others can see our blind spots quite well, but just like that spot in the side view mirror, we don’t see what’s right in front of us, what Feldenkrais called “the elusive obvious.” This video is a hilarious illustration of our blind spots.
When we explore our movement habits in a Feldenkrais lesson, we often come smack up against a hidden holding, a forgotten fear, a habitual protection that is easy to ignore in our busy daily activities. By recognizing and exploring these physical “blind spots” we often open the vista of our awareness to our emotional and mental obstacles as well. The four components of action are: thinking, sensing, feeling and movement. By becoming aware of our movement, we can begin to include the others in our attention. Then we can see what habits are interfering with that deferred or buried dream.