Newbie to CST

[Francesco]

Dear all,
please be patient with my low English (powered by google). I read posts by scott
on FB and I was impressed by the power of words and the vividness of the images, as if to improve the care of the body is not only relative to the body itself, but also a mental and spiritual path.
This exercises a strong attraction for me: why not try?
I start from nearly zero and almost zero: 55 years, no systematic physical practice (nor any systematic mental practice). But there it is.
So I decided to try (wildly) I bought:
Tacfit survival,
Prasara book and DVD,
The Big Book of Clubbell® Training,
Body-Flow: Freedom from Fear-Reactivity
Intu-Flow® DVD,
and because of the high price of imported clubbels I bought two separate 10-lb from a local supplier (marked with a trademark or tacfit very similar: they are the Helios).

This was "the straw" that broke the camel's back the clubbels are incredibly heavy and I can hardly steer one two-handed.
The exercises are almost all "unfeasible" (for me) and I seem to be a paralytic.



So I'm also waiting for the arrival of clubbels encyclopedia (just to add some other movement to the barbarian squat) but meanwhile I'd like to understand how to handle it.

On top, I was unable to immediately post on the forum because the email address is not of those immediately accepted, but now, thanks to the help desk, i am here.

So where am I going and how?

Thank you in advance for any advice or suggestions you want to give me.

My goal is do the best i can! (the only thing learned from scott's thought)

Best regards,

Francesco

[MemV]

Hello Francesco,

I wish you the best with your journey.

The suggestion I would give you would be to start with Intu Flow... Intu Flow... Intu Flow...!

Do it striving for perfection, being in the moment, consciously observing your body. When you
do each joint observe the impediments, the snap crackle pop, the strain and think about it.
I have realised over time all these observations are not what the exercises are doing but what
tensions remained in my body. This is what I found....study and practice and see what you
make of it.

Once you make Intu Flow regular practice, you have a good foundation to build on. Having
washed, lubricated the "inner bag" Coach talks about, then do something for the "outer bag"
i.e. prasara yoga etc...

By having these two practices in place you will be able to recover from whatever you choose
to do, be it Flow Fit, Tac Fit, clubbells etc...

Enjoy! Mem

[Galoot]

Hello Francesco,

The suggestion I would give you would be to start with Intu Flow... Intu Flow... Intu Flow...!

Do it striving for perfection, being in the moment, consciously observing your body. When you
do each joint observe the impediments, the snap crackle pop, the strain and think about it.
I have realised over time all these observations are not what the exercises are doing but what
tensions remained in my body. This is what I found....study and practice and see what you
make of it.

Once you make Intu Flow regular practice, you have a good foundation to build on. Having
washed, lubricated the "inner bag" Coach talks about, then do something for the "outer bag"
i.e. prasara yoga etc...

By having these two practices in place you will be able to recover from whatever you choose
to do, be it Flow Fit, Tac Fit, clubbells etc...

Enjoy! Mem

I was in the same boat and found that it was best for me to start with very little and go slowly and patiently.

For me, it's pretty much been all about awareness.

Form and technique is most important to me.

I'm not concerned with breaking any high speed records, but only with consistent movement with awareness.

You may wish to do Intu-Flow® twice a day...without pushing it...or just once a day.

You don't even have to do the entire level if that is pushing things too far at this point in time.

I find that, if I am consistent, opportunities for program expansion open up 'by themselves' in their own good time...automatically.

You can do whatever amount that you can do with awareness and, of course, good form and technique.

I try to follow the "Tortoise" approach (from "The Tortoise And The Hare story" which has shown me good results over the last year or so.

When I am consistent, patient and work with awareness, my intuition shows me the next step.

This has worked for me.

[Francesco]

Thanks Meme and Galoot; next step is to shape my daily routine: intu flow every day better if twice in a day. First of all check what happens and if it works.
Thanks again
Francesco

[Galoot]

Francesco,

Speaking only for myself...

I have found that going overboard is actually evidence of expecting and planning for failure, burn-out and defeat.

I had to see myself as fit and flexible in my mind first, accept myself this way, allow the changes and operate out of this new self-image.

The actual exercises then followed.

I notice that I always get results directly corresponding to my dominant intention. Conscious or unconscious.

Most of the time, I have conflicting intentions. (e.g. "I must play small in order to be safe." vs. "I want to be awesome." or "I want to be lazy." vs. "I want to function at my utmost." )

The results I get show me what my dominant intention has been.

Intentions can shift and change. I am never 'stuck forever'.

My true intentions always override any amount of my will or action.

So far, wherever I have ended up, is exactly where I had intended whether I realized it along the way or not.

And part of me did realize it all along.

My journey has been, in no small part, becoming consciously aware of what goes on in my unconscious.

What has this to do with exercise and fitness?

In my case....absolutely everything.



“Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win”

- Sun Tzu ("The Art of War)

[Francesco]

Yep, barely a life of "I should" or "I would".
Thnaks a lot.
F

"By knowing things that exist, you can know that which does not exist."
Musashi The book of five ring.

[Mark.Carr]

Francesco,

Welcome to the forum. Just like everyone has said, daily Intu-Flow®. Once you are comfortable with that I would add in the biomechanical exercises from the Bodyflow book. The shinbox, triangle squat and cossack squats will help to loosen up and strengthen your body to allow you to move forward into more sophistcated movements. For a detailed tutorial for the 2 handed swing check out the link below. This 3 part series will give you enough to work on to set a good foundation. The link takes you to the first segment. Take it slow and enjoy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmeRk...yer_detailpage

Mark Carr
CST
Okinawa

[Francesco]

Hi Mark, thank you very much, I am tryng with Intu-Flow®.
I feel each movment so strange.
But not impossible.
After that I will ask again.
Ciao!
Francesco

[RonP]

You're doing good with Intu-Flow®. It is the only thing we should be doing for about the first six months. Use this time to study. The Tacfit is a great tool to feed your mind how, when, and why a good workout program. Study it now. Plan on implementing it. Study those books now.

You're doing good. Don't worry about how low you're starting from. Intu-Flow® feeling a little strange? That's because we haven't moved in many ways that we can move. You're training your nervous system to do what it hasn't done before. It's ok. It's good. Trust Coach Sonnon. He knows what he is doing.

Might consider a pair of 5's in clubbells? If difficult to choke way up on the 10's for now? The Tacfit clubbells look like they may be easier to choke way way up on? I can't say I know the term: Helios? I ain't no expert.

I might consider Flow-Fit as next thing to implement. Level one does a good job of introducing one to squatting. I don't know you. You may live in a part of the world where squatting is second nature. Flow-Fit is great at starting you in range of motion training. It does much more than squatting.

You haven't done badly buying what you have. You have things to study. Don't go beyond what you can do. Coach Sonnon is so good at focusing on where you are at and working with that. Doesn't matter how low we are. Very smart at working our way up. I can't encourage you enough. Don't worry about "not being able to do" or "feeling strange". Follow what you are learning in those books and you will get great results. I know... I was extremely down. Almost died before I came across CST. I had nerve damage, muscle atrophy. I'm 52, much like you. I hope to hear from you someday that this has really paid off for you. It has for me. And remember...it takes years to accomplish anything worth accomplishing. You're playing it smart.