wiggy1
01-27-2006, 07:19 AM
First let me start by asking you to forgive me if what I am about to say is overly repetitive of other information posted on the forum. However, some of us learn at a much slower rate and sometimes it takes a different point of view to get things to sink in. As Coach Sonnon says, “We are all alone in this… together.” Although we all have different paths to follow, I have learned as much from other people’s experiences as I have from the various RMAX products and resources. So I would like to share my story in the hopes that it might help someone else, especially someone who is new to the forum and finds the overwhelming amount of (sometimes unfamiliar) information presented here as confusing as I did when I first came to RMAX. With all that said, on with the story.
I have been exploring and experimenting with RMAX for almost two years now. My journey with RMAX to this point has primarily been more of a mental battle. A battle intended to defeat the many personal demons that I have acquired through the years. I have encountered my share of both successes and failures in this battle and many ups and downs. However, there was one demon that I just couldn’t seem to conquer - that of self-image. More precisely, the idea of self-image generated by too many years of trying to fit into the fitness industry’s standard of fitness – Physical appearance, Level of strength determined by how much I can bench press, etc. The list goes on. It is a message that most everyone is familiar with. No matter how hard I tried though, this type of thinking continually invaded my RMAX training. “Are my reps high enough?” “Am I doing enough sets?” “I’m too weak, I should be using a heavier Clubbell!” On, and on and on. I just couldn’t break through that ceiling. There was still something missing, something distorting my thinking.
Two weeks ago I signed up for my first series of yoga classes. Not sure why, it just felt like it was the right thing to do. So I followed my intuition and just jumped in, hoping that maybe while practicing yoga something would click, and my questions would finally be answered. Last night was the first class. About an hour before the class, in a moment of typical personal neuroticism, a thought entered my head that sent me into an immediate panic. Like a nervous little child looking toward the first day of school, I began to wonder – What if the instructor asked me why I was there? What did I hope to get out of yoga? How on earth was I supposed to answer that?! I wasn’t entirely sure myself why I was there! How was I to explain all the questions that I couldn’t seem to find answers to? How was I to explain my long journey through RMAX to this point? And that as hard as I was working there was still something missing? Then in a miraculous moment of utmost clarity the answer came to me – Why? To gain peace and joy and health and strength through the disciplined practice of physical movement. WOW!!! I was immediately impressed (with a great deal of sarcasm and self-deprecation) by the deeply poetic and philosophical response I was able to muster. But did I fully understand all of the implications that it made? So I said it again, and again. And the more I said it, the more it made sense. This was not only the answer of why yoga, but also why RMAX. To gain peace and joy and health and strength through the disciplined practice of physical movement. That was it. That is what RMAX is to me. The ceiling was immediately lifted. I could hear the coffin being closed, finally laying to rest the fitness industry modality that I had been so entrapped in. Could it be that simple? Yes, it could. For that simple sentence completely engulfed, and clarified (for me) many of the driving principles behind RMAX. But how? So I broke it down, comparing the pieces to RMAX principles (as I understand them):
To gain peace and joy and health and strength- Sounds like Flow to me!! And also the “fitness” goals of RMAX as outlined by Coach Sonnon.
Through the disciplined practice- Daily personal practice; incremental progression; incremental sophistication; baby steps; stick with it and it will come, but you MUST stick with it and proceed in a structured (disciplined) manner.
Of physical movement – Not just a specific art, or style, but any physical movement. Self-mastery of ANY movement.
The results of such a breakthrough were almost immediate. No longer will I get on the scale every morning, obsessed with what it says. No longer will I look in the mirror and be depressed or frustrated because I am not looking at the fitness industry's ideal “beach ready body”. That is no longer what it is about. That is no longer what I am aboutl. This morning, my Intu-Flow session was phenomenal. Finally, this session was for me. It was not performed out of blind faith that I would achieve the results that Coach promised without fully understanding what those results were (I now knew what those results would be). It was not done merely as a warm-up because that is what I “should” do. It was not about how many reps or sets of each movement I could do. It was not a session of frustration because I was not as far ahead as I felt I should be. It WAS about reaping the benefits that come from developing the mental and physical attributes that are required to “master” a specific movement. Did I “master” each and every movement? Absolutely not, not even close. But now I know that it doesn’t matter that it didn’t happen today. Through disciplined practice it WILL come. And the benefits - peace and joy and health and strength, do not come as the destination of the journey, but are found and nurtured along the journey itself. The journey IS the destination.
The beauty of RMAX is that everyone can make it their own, and this is how I made RMAX mine. And it has enabled me to slay yet another powerful, personal demon. I am now ready to take my training and my life to the next level and I know that success will come.
I have been exploring and experimenting with RMAX for almost two years now. My journey with RMAX to this point has primarily been more of a mental battle. A battle intended to defeat the many personal demons that I have acquired through the years. I have encountered my share of both successes and failures in this battle and many ups and downs. However, there was one demon that I just couldn’t seem to conquer - that of self-image. More precisely, the idea of self-image generated by too many years of trying to fit into the fitness industry’s standard of fitness – Physical appearance, Level of strength determined by how much I can bench press, etc. The list goes on. It is a message that most everyone is familiar with. No matter how hard I tried though, this type of thinking continually invaded my RMAX training. “Are my reps high enough?” “Am I doing enough sets?” “I’m too weak, I should be using a heavier Clubbell!” On, and on and on. I just couldn’t break through that ceiling. There was still something missing, something distorting my thinking.
Two weeks ago I signed up for my first series of yoga classes. Not sure why, it just felt like it was the right thing to do. So I followed my intuition and just jumped in, hoping that maybe while practicing yoga something would click, and my questions would finally be answered. Last night was the first class. About an hour before the class, in a moment of typical personal neuroticism, a thought entered my head that sent me into an immediate panic. Like a nervous little child looking toward the first day of school, I began to wonder – What if the instructor asked me why I was there? What did I hope to get out of yoga? How on earth was I supposed to answer that?! I wasn’t entirely sure myself why I was there! How was I to explain all the questions that I couldn’t seem to find answers to? How was I to explain my long journey through RMAX to this point? And that as hard as I was working there was still something missing? Then in a miraculous moment of utmost clarity the answer came to me – Why? To gain peace and joy and health and strength through the disciplined practice of physical movement. WOW!!! I was immediately impressed (with a great deal of sarcasm and self-deprecation) by the deeply poetic and philosophical response I was able to muster. But did I fully understand all of the implications that it made? So I said it again, and again. And the more I said it, the more it made sense. This was not only the answer of why yoga, but also why RMAX. To gain peace and joy and health and strength through the disciplined practice of physical movement. That was it. That is what RMAX is to me. The ceiling was immediately lifted. I could hear the coffin being closed, finally laying to rest the fitness industry modality that I had been so entrapped in. Could it be that simple? Yes, it could. For that simple sentence completely engulfed, and clarified (for me) many of the driving principles behind RMAX. But how? So I broke it down, comparing the pieces to RMAX principles (as I understand them):
To gain peace and joy and health and strength- Sounds like Flow to me!! And also the “fitness” goals of RMAX as outlined by Coach Sonnon.
Through the disciplined practice- Daily personal practice; incremental progression; incremental sophistication; baby steps; stick with it and it will come, but you MUST stick with it and proceed in a structured (disciplined) manner.
Of physical movement – Not just a specific art, or style, but any physical movement. Self-mastery of ANY movement.
The results of such a breakthrough were almost immediate. No longer will I get on the scale every morning, obsessed with what it says. No longer will I look in the mirror and be depressed or frustrated because I am not looking at the fitness industry's ideal “beach ready body”. That is no longer what it is about. That is no longer what I am aboutl. This morning, my Intu-Flow session was phenomenal. Finally, this session was for me. It was not performed out of blind faith that I would achieve the results that Coach promised without fully understanding what those results were (I now knew what those results would be). It was not done merely as a warm-up because that is what I “should” do. It was not about how many reps or sets of each movement I could do. It was not a session of frustration because I was not as far ahead as I felt I should be. It WAS about reaping the benefits that come from developing the mental and physical attributes that are required to “master” a specific movement. Did I “master” each and every movement? Absolutely not, not even close. But now I know that it doesn’t matter that it didn’t happen today. Through disciplined practice it WILL come. And the benefits - peace and joy and health and strength, do not come as the destination of the journey, but are found and nurtured along the journey itself. The journey IS the destination.
The beauty of RMAX is that everyone can make it their own, and this is how I made RMAX mine. And it has enabled me to slay yet another powerful, personal demon. I am now ready to take my training and my life to the next level and I know that success will come.