No phones allowed →

Published December 27, 2018  ·  All posts on Dec 27  ·  ,

The no-phones policy illuminated something about smartphone use that’s hard to see when it’s so ubiquitous: our phones drain the life out of a room. They give everyone a push-button way to completely disengage their mind from their surroundings, while their body remains in the room, only minimally aware of itself. Essentially, we all have a risk-free ripcord we can pull at the first pang of boredom or desire for novelty, and of course those pangs occur constantly.

~ David Cain from, The Simple Joy of “No Phones Allowed”

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It has always seemed obvious to me that being focused on a screen, at the expense of the other person, was obviously bad. This used to bother me.

Now, when it happens I check my premises: Am I, right this instant, actually more interesting than the entire world in their hands?

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Dylan Johanson | Salsa for Fluidity →

Published December 26, 2018  ·  All posts on Dec 26

On Castbox.fm — Dylan Johanson | Salsa for Fluidity

What are the transferable skills between salsa dancing and Parkour, and how can they enhance physical training and movement?

Highlighting how musicality and timing contribute to better control and creativity in physical movement.

I challenge you to go and ask somebody to dance.

~ Dylan Johanson (7:20)

The conversation focuses on the intersection between salsa dancing and Parkour, exploring how skills developed in dance, such as fluidity, decisiveness, and responsiveness, translate to movement training. By engaging in salsa, practitioners improve their ability to make quick decisions and adapt to unpredictable situations, mirroring the dynamic challenges faced during Parkour. The discussion emphasizes how leading in salsa fosters decision-making, while following sharpens sensitivity to physical cues—both of which align closely with attributes beneficial to Parkour.

The dialogue gets into the personal journey of discovering this crossover and the unexpected ways in which dance has influenced balance, recovery, and flow in Parkour. Additionally, the session touches on how participants resonated with the material, recognizing the value of timing, spacing, and musicality in movement practice. The session ends with practical suggestions for incorporating salsa into daily routines to enhance Parkour skills, encouraging participants to engage in social dance events to further develop their abilities.

Takeaways

Salsa and Parkour crossover — There are transferable skills between salsa dancing and Parkour, particularly in fluidity, decisiveness, and responsiveness.

Lead-follow dynamics — Leading in salsa sharpens decision-making, while following develops sensitivity to movement cues, both of which are beneficial in Parkour.

Balance and recovery — Practicing salsa helps improve balance and the ability to recover from compromised positions, aiding in obstacle navigation.

Pacing and timing — Musicality and pacing in dance relate to the timing required in Parkour routes, contributing to smoother and more controlled movement.

Group movement awareness — Salsa highlights the importance of timing and spacing in collaborative movements, mirroring the coordination needed for group Parkour sessions.

Practical exercises — Practicing basic salsa steps or attending social dances can reinforce foundational movement skills applicable to Parkour training.

Resources

Innate Movement Parkour

(Written with help from Chat-GPT.)

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The fountain of content →

Published December 26, 2018  ·  All posts on Dec 26  ·  

The fountain of content must spring up in the mind, and he who hath so little knowledge of human nature as to seek happines by changing anything but his own disposition, will waste his life in fruitless efforts and multiply the grief he proposes to remove.

~ Samuel Johnson

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Insecurity →

Published December 25, 2018  ·  All posts on Dec 25  ·  

This entry is part 68 of 72 in the series My Journey

The problem comes from how we deal with the feeling of insecurity. We might curl up and hide, lash out at someone in a hurtful way, harden our rigid views of the world so that everyone else is wrong and we’re continually angry. We might procrastinate and run to distraction, use social media to avoid feeling insecurity, try to control others or the world around us to end the feeling of insecurity.

~ Leo Babauta from, The Guide to Insecurities You’ve Been Waiting For

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I have been lucky—repeatedly over the course of several years—to have had Leo Babauta’s writing available to me. One theme that he repeats is the idea of being kind to one’s self.

The insecurity that I’m not good enough, in my own judgement, is deeply held. I regularly and often flee to easy comforts; it’s been many things over the years, but in the most recent years, it is food.

Not often enough, but sometimes, I find a way to practice being kind to myself. One that works well is: “Spend 30 minutes balancing on a rail. If you fall, simply get back on. Take your time. Be kind to yourself.” Each time I do this I know I will reach a barter-stage where I’m ready to be done. Each time I do this I know I will fall off often—it’s hard for me to even leave out the word “too,” from the phrase, “fall off too often.” Each time I do this it makes me sweat from the physical effort not from, (for example,) the fear. I do fear that some day this exercise will no longer work for me.

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Do you value your time? →

Published December 24, 2018  ·  All posts on Dec 24  ·  

Do you value your own time?

Do you actually do the math?

Suppose there was something you spent 10 minutes on per week that you could avoid doing—some chore you could eliminate. How much money is that amount of your time worth?

The first step is to value your time and it turns out this is rather hard to do. But just investing the time to think about it will shift the way you think about the way you spend your time. A few ways to put some brackets on how much you—not others—value your time.

If you know a specific hourly rate for your job, you could multiply that by 10. (The thinking being that you’re willing to sell that time at a HUGE discount because you’re gauranteed to be able to sell large amounts of it, on a well-known and convenient schedule. It’s a market balance between you and your employer.) Another possible valuation is to imagine some task you would hate; maybe it’s shoveling out latrines… and that you had to do an entire 8 hour shift of that; what hourly rate would you want? Or take your total current take-home annual income and divide by a “sane” 40-hours a week of work times 48 weeks and divide it out to get an hourly rate. Again multiple by how much you think you’re selling it at a discount based on the market forces with your employer.

Just doing the “how much is my time worth” math is valuable. Now, suppose you came up with $500/hr. (Which is a pretty reasonable amount for a reasonable human being in my opinion. Remember, this isnt how much cash you can earn at your job in an hour; this is how much do you value your time.)

That 10 minute per week task times 52 weeks? …that’s $4,300 per year of value that you “regain” by stopping that activity.

Suggested exercise: Do the math for your intentional hobbies and discover how irrelevant the physical costs are. Do the math for your “time wasting” activities and you discover how much you value your down-time, etc..

Update March 2019: Here’s something apropos from Seth Godin, Making Big Decisions About Money.

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I think it’s obvious that… →

Published December 23, 2018  ·  All posts on Dec 23  ·  

If it’s really common sense, it should be easy for you to explain why. So let’s all agree to never use “common sense” again.

~ Ben Cotton from, What if we never used the phrase “common sense” again?

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I feel like we should use, “I think it’s obvious that…” That makes it very clear—to the listener, but also to myself—exactly what I’m glossing over and why.

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Silent flute →

Published December 22, 2018  ·  All posts on Dec 22  ·  

I wish neither to possess,
Nor to be possessed.
I no longer covet paradise,
More important, I no longer fear hell.

The medicine for my suffering
I had within me from the very beginning,
But I did not take it.
My ailment came from within myself,
But I did not observe it
Until this moment.

Now I see that I will never find the light
Unless, like the candle, I am my own fuel,
Consuming myself.

~ Bruce Lee from, The Silent Flute

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Cord’s closing speech from The Silent Flute.

(hat tip: Martial Artist of Life by J Little.)

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Show us you have learned →

Published December 21, 2018  ·  All posts on Dec 21  ·  

Eat like a human being, drink like a human being, dress up, marry, have children, get politically active — suffer abuse, bear with a headstrong brother, father, son, neighbor, or companion. Show us these things so we can see that you truly have learned from the philosophers.

~ Epictetus

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A doorway from hell into your bedroom →

Published December 20, 2018  ·  All posts on Dec 20

If the devil were to create a doorway from hell straight into your bedroom, it would look a lot like an email app. While email is a valuable tool, it’s also a giant funnel into my consciousness. The single biggest change that helped me resist insomnia was to ignore work email when I get home.

~ Gabe Weatherhead from, Fighting the Insomnia Machine

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I banished the phone (and everything else) from the bedroom about a decade ago. If you have a television, your phone, your computer or anything else in the space where you sleep, I believe you are making a grave error.

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Brandee Laird | Intuitive Instruction →

Published December 19, 2018  ·  All posts on Dec 19

On Castbox.fm — Brandee Laird | Intuitive Instruction

What role does intuition play in effectively teaching and engaging with learners?

Intuition transforms raw knowledge into meaningful teaching experiences.

Information on its own is just… raw data. It’s a what. Experience gives us the why and the how.

~ Brandee Laird (4:00)

The conversation explores the concept of using intuition to improve teaching effectiveness, particularly in the context of Parkour instruction. Brandee Laird highlights how intuition, often dismissed as abstract, is rooted in mindfulness and the ability to notice and interpret subtle cues. She emphasizes that a teacher’s adaptability, based on observations of students’ physical and emotional readiness, outweighs rigid adherence to pre-planned lessons.

The discussion also delves into the balance between knowledge and experience, pointing out that knowledge provides raw data, while experience transforms it into actionable insights. Key practices for fostering intuition, such as meditation and being open to unpredictability, are discussed as critical tools for becoming a more effective instructor.

Takeaways

Mindfulness — A calm and observant mind is essential for noticing subtle cues in students.

Adaptability — Teaching plans should remain flexible to match the needs of learners in real time.

Observation skills — Teachers must focus on facial expressions, body language, and energy levels to gauge readiness and engagement.

Experience vs. knowledge — Information alone is insufficient; lived experiences provide the context and meaning required for effective teaching.

Intuition development — Regularly practicing mindfulness and reflection helps turn observations into automatic, intuitive responses.

Soft skills in instruction — Intuition and empathy are critical for creating impactful learning experiences.

Resources

Parkour Visions — Organization where Brandee Laird has taught for over a decade, fostering innovative approaches to Parkour instruction.

Art of Retreat

(Written with help from Chat-GPT.)

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