The Thing About Learning
Just being in my training, here in Las Vegas with Jules Mitchell, for only one week, I already know that my previous post about “What Is Biomechanics” needs to be re-written. I also know that I won’t be able to re-write for a little while.
The most beautiful thing about education, is that it has the potential to challenge us. I read somewhere that our brain releases dopamine when we read something that confirms what we already believe. We’re literally wired to be rewarded for confirming our biases. So how does it feel when you read something or learn something that doesn’t agree with what you know? Not great, we can all attest to that. Defensiveness, dismissal, anger, and other such responses may rise initially. Hopefully curiosity takes over. And then when we use the challenging/confrontational information to think critically about why we are so attached to our current perspective of things—the learning happens. I believe the best learning doesn’t happen in the information itself, it happens when the information gets processed.
The other thing about learning that I’ve come to understand is that the integration of knowledge will happen when the learner is ready. Knowing something because you learned it in a book, or took a course, or listened to a teacher is very different than living it. That’s why self help books are only good to a point. It’s awesome to learn new ways to foster self growth, but the information you now know after reading the book is only as useful as your ability to use it and integrate into your everyday life. This could happen immediately after reading the book. In most cases however, it takes repetitive exposure from various sources for you to be able to apply what you’ve learned in a meaningful way (funny that that’s how the body/brain works when learning a new skill . . .).
For me, this has become a very consistent part of the learning process, and something I’ve come to truly appreciate. I’ve learned so much about the body over the past 3 years, but only over time does what I’ve learned actually sink in. It’s not something I can force to happen. It happens when it’s time. Every week, something new sinks in for me, gets absorbed into my understanding in a way it hadn’t previously, even though I technically “knew” it for many months, or even a couple of years. It’s a fascinating and patience-dependent process.
So, what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas . . . for a little while. Slowly, in bits and pieces, you’ll find me blogging about a certain topic in my effort to understand it, like I’m talking it out with myself. And slower still, as the dust settles in my brain and body, my teaching may evolve. I invite you to question with me, be patient with me, and be curious with me.
keep moving.
xo