I’m working with an exercise that’s new for me, so I thought I’d review how that has evolved.
Until a few years ago, all the inner exercises I knew had been ones Mr. Bennett showed at Sherborne. For years I worked from the notes I took during the course.
Later, I was privileged to be given notes that Mick Sutton had made and Mr. Bennett had reviewed. Some even had Mr. B’s scribbles on them.
For many years, those notes have been my bible. I hear Mr. B’s voice in the printed words, carrying an energy which affects my practice. They capture nuances missed in my own notes. I’ve always thought his words were more effective since I had already done my own work learning the exercises.
Sticking with the Same Exercise
As time went on, I discovered the concept of sticking with the same exercise for months at a time. I think that is when things began to shift in me and I came to understand the concept of “making the work one’s own”. At some point, I no longer had the urge to use Mr. Bennett’s words, but simply spoke what was happening within as I was working with an exercise. Leading a sitting has always been an essential part of my practice. Like putting myself in the front line of a movements class. The best way to learn.
What is new for me now, is working with an exercise from a book rather than having it transmitted in person. Or being shown an exercise that is someone else’s interpretation from a written record. Surprisingly, depending on the situation, something can transmit.
Perhaps it is because the groundwork has been laid and so many channels forged. My recent experience on the movements floor is an example.
Working with a New Exercise
Just as my body knows how to take a gesture and move to a rhythm, I know how to come into a quiet state and direct my attention with intention. I know how to “take-in” the finer elements of the air and how to use sensation. The building blocks are established.
When I am in front of an exercise that was not introduced at Sherborne, I find myself recognizing the elements as old friends. In fact, I am currently working with an exercise that is new to me, here’s how:
I start by reading the notes I’ve taken after it was shown. Then I see how many of the instructions I can remember as I sit without the notes. I review the notes again after sitting. With each sitting I remember more and the flow is better. Eventually, the exercise takes hold of me. With practice, a nuanced understanding from this exercise enfolds itself into my work.