Every year for the past 21 years, our Wholistic Tennis Academy has given away and sold t-shirts with a saying on the back. This year’s message is ‘Trust the body’.
Tennis is a game played by the body, so why is it so hard to trust the body? Can we learn to be more trusting?
The reality is that we don’t trust. That’s my reality at least, at times. The first thing is for you to see what exists in you now. Do you trust the body? Can you swing freely without fear of consequence? At those moments you cannot, what is going on?
If not, there is no need to talk about trust (since that is not our experience because we know nothing about it. It just happens.), we need, instead, to talk about what is our individual experience. If trust is not there, what is?
Is it a desire for control? If so, we need to move into this desire for control and see what that is all about (last year’s t-shirt, ‘Get into it’ referred to this exploration!).
Control somehow seems connected to the mind and thoughts. Do you agree? Is there is a relationship between the two?
If there is, the exploration of control seems to lead us to explore what the mind and thoughts are all about.
It seems we are constantly in our heads and thoughts are coming to us continuously. Do you notice that? Spend some time just watching your thoughts while you are going through your normal day. What do you notice?
Some times the mind is needed (in order to accomplish tasks), but often it is not. But regardless of need, the mind keeps churning out thoughts. Is that your experience? You will need to be alert and aware of your inner process to verify if what I am saying is true or not.
If your experience is consistent with what I am saying, the next step is to move our energy from the mind to the body by bringing attention to the body while going through your daily routine. Bringing attention to hands, legs or whatever body parts you may be using at the time. It could be subtle like the sun on your face, the wind against your arms, water cascading down your body or it could just be bringing attention to body parts while doing specific physical tasks like walking, driving, brushing teeth, ad infinitum.
To try and trust without ‘knowing’ (through experience, not intellect) more about this desire to control would seem impossible to me. Do you agree?
Explore.
See what happens!