Steering the wheel

I started trying something that I first did about 5 years ago. When driving, there is a tendency to grip the wheel tightly, to hold on with both hands and 'muscle' the wheel around. I compared this to the experience of working with a body and it's a similar experience.

I found that it's possible to relax and hold the wheel in a different way. If I relax my shoulders, my arms, forearms, and just let the hands fall into the wheel, then my grip actually tightens. The weight of my arms pulls them into tightening my grip without any strength being applied.

It helps if the wheel is not too slick, on mine it has stitching which I can get more friction off. So, I relax my whole arms, and so my pectoral girdle is more relaxed. I am less tense in the neck, less prone to numbness down the radial and ulnar nerves.

But there is more to it still, when I turn the wheel I am more aware of how a turn to the right pulls my right hand down and my left hand up, . I am more aware that I can turn the wheel either by pulling down, or by pushing up. I am more aware that I can do either or both by moving my centre into the arms. I feel the car more. Feel the road more, feel the turns more. I cant say that I can outreach right through the the tarmac but you get the idea.

It's a similar thing with the pedals, I can press them not with my foot but with my body. I can change gear more smoothly by moving from the centre. 

It's an interesting experiment to play with. I suggest that you do it only at your own risk, but my experience is that it actually improves my driving and my awareness of the road.

The book of not knowing

In keeping with the general theme at the moment, I just ordered the book. Its been out for at least 6 months and I'm only just buying it now. I'll make a review or share my thoughts when I get a chance.

back again

I'm not sure what my motivation was for creating this blog, or why my motivation has lapsed. In truth my motivation seems to have lapsed completely. I cant remember when I last went to a class, and not just Cheng Hsin but any martial art. There isn't really any reason for this, I've just been pulling away.

I guess some of it has been a questioning of things, questioning myself, questioning the system, questioning other people... I've been making some changes too.

I've been questioning my habits and limitations, I started eating fish again after a 17 year break. I remember Peter telling me once that he had been a vegetarian but wasn't anymore. its easy to get stuck into a habit of doing something. More than that it becomes a fixed belief. I believed that eating fish was bad. Honestly more than that I believed that I was superior because I didn't eat it. Now I eat it again I don't feel guilty, I feel free of the limitations of my beliefs.

I had an email from Kevin and began to question my lack of training, lack of motivation, lack of interest. I am still interested but I have been in some other place for a while. But I still love this martial art and still consider myself part of it.

I'm intending to be back, and so I thought I would begin with this intention.