How Do I Know If I’m Doing It Right?

How do I know if I'm doing it right?" 

This is one of the most common questions clients ask, especially when it comes to doing any kind of home practice.

My first answer to this question is that if you are doing any practice on your own then this in itself is 'right'. The choice not to move at all, because of fear of getting it wrong, is not going to serve you in any way on your journey to moving better. 

Making the choice to move is better than choosing not to move because you might get it wrong. Here's my guide to beginning your practice:

1. TAKE A MINDFUL APPROACH

The beauty of moving in a mindful way is that the pace is much slower than a traditional exercise format and there is very little risk of injury. Paying attention to how you move can improve body awareness and internal communication, which can positively impact coordination and proprioception - the ability to know where you are in space. 

2. GET TO KNOW YOUR LANDMARKS

Simple markers, such as the sacrum or the sit bones, can help you coordinate and organise yourself relative to the ground or the midline, helping you find alignment in each position. Regular practice helps you find your way around your body and organise your parts relative to each other for optimum balance and function.

Learning to locate specific points on the pelvis or within the feet, for example, without the use of a mirror, takes practice. It can be helpful to use touch to give yourself a tactile cue.

3. MANAGE YOUR EFFORT

Are you a good student? Do you like to get everything right and try your best? Notice how hard you are trying when you practise. Sometimes we are completely unaware of how much energy we expend when we try really hard. 

Pay attention to what 'trying hard' feels like in your body. There is a fine line between pushing to 'try' and go a little further, or easing off and letting everything go slack. 

Look for the space in between effort and ease. What does this feel like?

4. ACCEPT WHERE YOU ARE RATHER THAN WHERE YOU THINK YOU SHOULD BE

Maybe you used to be able to fold forward with ease at the hips and touch your toes without strain. Depending on how we use our bodies, this can change through different stages of life. If you now find that you can't get the range of motion you once had, take the approach of noticing where you are NOW and start there. 

Forcing yourself to get to where you expect you should be is like bullying your body into a position it isn't ready for. Accept where you are, allow this to be where you work from, and from there you will eventually make your way into a new range of motion. 

5. REPETITION CAN BE HELPFUL

Have you ever done something twice and heard completely different details the second time around? Repeating classes can reinforce concepts, but also, you might find with regular practice that you (hear) feel different elements and aspects of your body as you practice. 

6. DEVELOP YOUR MOVEMENT VOCABULARY

It takes time to learn to modify your positions for optimal alignment and know with confidence that you have nailed it. Learning to move better is like learning a new language. To develop this language, you need to build a vocabulary and learn how to use it in different contexts. It is similar with the body and movement. 

When we can manage our expectations, treat practice as an opportunity to play with new movements, explore the different anatomical landmarks and how to organise them relative to each other, movement practice becomes less about getting it right, or doing it wrong, and more about discovering what is possible with less effort or strain. 

7. SOMETHING IS WRONG, IT FEELS 'TOO EASY'

Learning to move in a more embodied way takes time and practice to integrate new inputs, like movements, concepts or anatomical details. Figuring out what is 'right' often needs to begin with noticing what is not working. Often this will be a red flag, like pain or discomfort in a movement. Sometimes it might seem a little bit too easy. This approach to movement can be a bit disconcerting to our culturally conditioned notion that if it doesn't hurt, then 'I must be doing it wrong', or 'I can't feel anything, and therefore it's not doing anything and is a waste of time. 

In the Bodyspace Movement Library, we've given this question it's very own section. In this section there are 2 sessions with tips for moving at the hip and how to tell if you are truly moving where intended. 

The body is clever at masking movements, so even though you think you're moving as instructed, quite often some other part of you is taking over. This usually reveals your default patterns or more overused areas. 

These short sessions will help you refine your hip motion and discover if you default to using your lumbar spine or if you actually do move at the hip. Learn how to use your hips more and reduce over loading to the lower back.