We just finished up our second unplugged meditation and movement retreat. It was an absolute success.
I am fairly convinced there is no other event like this that is happening, and I also believe that I have as much or more fun than anyone else on the retreat. I really get a lot out of these events and look forward to going deeper again on our next one.
Anyway, at one stage we had a great conversation about creating a movement practice for one of the attendees who wanted to go to the next level. He wants to develop his own practice.
One of the points that was made by my friend Vik Hawksley (Anatomy in Motion) was the emphasis that we need to have on Learning to Learn.
I’m also a strong believer of putting effort into this area and feel that it is the single most powerful way to accelerate your progress, especially in new domains.
Well, are you a good learner?
This is far more important than the level of our current skillset. What we “can” or “cannot” do at any point in time pales in comparison to our our ability to learn.
I believe Vik is a great example of someone who has fine-tuned this ability. He is a fantastic athlete, movement coach and business owner. He learns quickly.
Here are a couple of traits he has that we can learn from:
- He is not afraid to fail, frequently. Having a fear of failure is one of the biggest hurdles people have to learning new skills.
- He asks questions. Whether he “believes” in your angle or not, he asks. Then, he listens. He’s looking for your context, your approach and looking to see things from a new angle that could help him.
- He has embraced immersive learning (here). In my opinion, this is our best chance at accelerated learning. Vik is immersed frequently. Workshops, retreats, courses – he has an insatiable desire to see and experience different approaches
- His approach is one of inquiry. Fun, vibrant and inquisitive. He has embraced the experience of learning with a light and energetic way. This makes it sustainable, makes him fun to be around, which makes it easier for him to learn more from others.
- He observes the context. How can we learn something in the context of life. In the context of a safe environment. In the context of being able to pass along the skill or knowledge to others.
Many people set out to learn and develop.
But not many are ready to develop the actual art of learning itself. Vik is one of these rare people and I’m grateful that he was able to join us on retreat.
