Taking a Step Back

Categories: Blog Apr 23, 2017

And now, a quick thought by Mark Limbaga:

"I did my best, but I guess my best wasn't good enough, cause here we are back where we were before"

These lines from James Ingram's "Just Once" may actually have so many parallels to how I approach my application of OS on a daily basis. While I have indeed done my best (like crawling for 10 minutes nonstop and crawling a quarter of a mile on an oval track, to name a few), I may not have truly been doing my "best" execution of certain resets; which definitely means there is more room for improvement.

Lately, I started thinking, why not tone it down a bit?  Why not take a few steps back and truly explore where I really am with some of my movements?

When I breathe, can I truly perform diaphragmatic breathing in most, if not all, positions? Can I feel my lungs expand from the bottom to the top? Can I feel my center "turn on"? Can I maintain my breathing and keep my tongue on the roof of my mouth for a given duration of time when I move, crawl, or train?

Or, instead of focusing on how long I can crawl, what if I focus on the quality of how I crawl? What if I try to make every step appear and feel graceful and fluid? What If I get in the moment instead of move through the moment?

Having these thoughts, I decided to put them into practice... Whenever I get the opportunity to do a reset, I grab it with intent and focus. I do not worrying about trying to best an accomplishment I've already done, like adding time to my crawling. But instead, I listen and feel to how my body is moving and responding. I have "reset" my focus to a heightened awareness for how I am actually moving, and I'm learning in the process.

One interesting thing I have noticed is that my recovery has gotten better; I recover faster. It could be because I'm doing "less" or it could be because I am putting more effort and focus into my movements so I am reaping more reward. Either way, I need less total time or volume pressing reset and I get the desired response I want. This is progress - to me. I know I am moving in the moment and not just checking a box or trying to accomplish a trivial task or amount of time in training. I am learning and exploring my way to feeling and moving better. And thats a good thing.

If you haven't tried it, take that leap of faith focusing on the details, or get into your resets. Instead of merely rolling around for sets of 5 or 1o rolls, or rocking for 20 reps, roll for 1 minute (take one minute to perform 1 roll). Or, rock with abandon for 10 minutes, with no other intent other than just exploring how it feels, getting lost in the moment of time.

Learn to be present in how you move rather than just move. Your body has a lot to say, and if you listen, you may have a lot you can learn.

Mark Limbaga SFGII SFB

Mark is the first Strongfirst level 2 kettlebell instructor and bodyweight intructor based in the Philippines. Also an Original Strength alumni, Senior coach at Eclipse gym 247 and the head strength and conditioning coach for the Philippine boxing team. When he is not helping others move better and get stronger, he spends his time watching movies, playing with his dogs and enjoying everything fun and interesting with his wife, Kathleen.
His blog is marklimbagastrength.wordpress.com

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