Getting Unstuck
Many of us could find ourselves using and hearing the word ‘stuck’ many times a day. “I was ‘stuck’ in meetings all day!” “I am stuck in a job I don’t like; what should I do?” But what does it really mean to be ‘stuck’? And might your body hold the clue to how you might get unstuck?
In Life Hack Workshop: Presencing inspired by Theory U, two bodies discuss with Yoek the coordinator, their unexpected discoveries on the way out of ‘stuck’:
· Davin, a case worker who is just into his few months at work
· Huien, who is about to set off on a sabbatical to travel-and-farm in New Zealand
1. What made you want to come to the Presencing session?
D: Curiosity! I’ve been interested in concepts of mindfulness and mindfulness-based interventions in therapy ever since I was exposed to it in my university days. So when I thought of presencing, I thought of mindfulness and thought it would complement the work that I do with clients in the community.
H: My friend told me it was about using the body to explore different issues in our lives and relationships. As I was myself exploring the theme of quarter-life crises, I thought it would offer an interesting perspective.
Y: Thanks for coming! I’d heard so much about this body of work on Presencing, and I really wanted to bring people together to try this and to experience for myself what I could learn from it!
2. What would you say is something new you discovered about the body and how you work/learn with it?
D: During the session, we were given the space and time to represent our “stuckness” through a body posture. The process of experimenting- of getting into positions of “stuckness” and getting “unstuck” was somewhat cathartic. I discovered that the body is a great tool for us to process pain. The body carries not just physical pain, but also a lot of intrapsychic pain. I think I came away from the session with a sense of relief and a greater appreciation for my body and the power it possesses.
H: I’ve always thought of myself as someone not very ‘physically intelligent’. Recently, with yoga, I’d thought I’d gotten more comfortable in my own body, but with this Presencing experience, I realized maybe it was because I’d learnt to form a bubble around myself.
During the session, we had to form ‘sculptures’ to represent an area of tension in our lives. I didn’t think we would have much insight but as it turns out, just sharing what we saw and what we felt, we came up with things that really spoke into their situations.
Y: I was struck by how ‘stuck’ is really a situation we create for ourselves, when we resist and work against what is, instead of flowing with it. The exercise really demonstrated to me that when we allow ourselves to see the situation for what it really is and flow with what emerges, we are never stuck, the situation is always fluid and it is just waiting for you to allow something to happen.
3. What was the process like for you; what’s something you learnt and anything you were surprised by?
D: I was fascinated! When we were asked to represent our “stuckness” with our bodies and to receive feedback, I was quite surprised by how accurate some of the reflections were. It actually reminded me that more than half of communication is nonverbal and that our bodies can be powerful conveyors of our inner states. Now I feel like I have been armed with another tool for communication, especially when language fails.
H: I didn’t know what to expect! But during the reflection, a lot of stuff I’d been thinking about came up, for example, the question of whether we were living life according to a script or if we were acting more consciously.
We formed sculptures interconnecting with the other bodies; I could feel the energy of the others. Likewise, I was fascinated by how we really can sense how others are feeling, maybe more so than we think we can. It shows that maybe we really don’t need to think so much!
Y: So many polarities came up in that one exercise. Doing what I want to do vs. connecting with others. Overcoming the body vs. Listening to the body. Exercising my will vs. Going with the Flow. The magic is in that when we listen in to what is present, we somehow can learn to find what is the right balance for that moment.
The Life Hack Workshop Series is an initiative set to inspire what the future of learning could be. Following the lead of learners, reigniting the curiosities of many and bring learning to surprising places and uncover unexpected teachers. If you feel moved to coordinate a class or simply find out more of how you could be part of this moment, drop us a note at hello@boldatwork.sg