Understanding and Contrasting Awareness and Hyper-vigilance
25/01/12 21:30
Understanding and Contrasting Awareness and Hyper-vigilance
Hyper-vigilance is a survival tool employed by many who live and work in threat rich environs. As a tool it does work on a temporary basis, but it comes with many problems.
Hyper-vigilance is not sustainable, strain and fatigue of maintaining high levels of arousal wreak havoc on our bodies, our relationships and will eventually degrade skill sets to a point where we are not able to work competently.
Awareness on the other hand is a symptom a profoundly healthy psyche and body. Awareness lends itself to empathy, insights into individual threats as well as an overall situational and contextual awareness.
While hyper-vigilance isolates and creates tunnel vision, awareness includes and enlarges response options.
The question is, How do we train to be deeply, profoundly connected and aware of our environ and our situation?
Masters such as Vladimir and Konstantin perceive the world differently than we do. They are able to tune in or out of the rythms and frequencies of their surroundings and see, experience a richer dimension than most of us.
I believe from my own experiences that we can train to move towards this greater connection physiologically, through our bodies.
Three events culminated in my coming to this position.
3 fifteen minute massages from Big Sergei :), working with the breath hold and recovery while walking, rolling and moving and hearing that Russian agents tasked with capturing Nazi's could be trained in as little as 6 weeks.
I saw for myself that our ability to perceive, to truly see, could be GREATLY enhanced by lowering our baseline level of tension. Admittedly, this is an excruciatingly painful process, if done at an intensity level that provokes dramatic results. Still, this awareness is healthier for us as humans than hyper-vigilance and makes threat detection laughably easy.
These points lead me to believe that it is also possible to manipulate other people's awareness of us so that we can move and operate in the way that is most beneficial to ourselves and our loved ones.
Konstantin Komarov with his experience commanding and training deep reconnaissance operatives as well as law enforcement special purpose groups, and his PhD. in psychology seems perfectly suited to set us on the right track regarding studying these issues. He will be in Austin March 10 and 11 doing just that.
On a personal note. Awareness may not seem a sexy topic. Our egos cling to fists feet and tough as nails to get us through. But any true professional, any true student of Systema must acknowledge that awareness is absolutely key to survival and growth.
In the richness that is Systema, to dismiss "health practices" as not fundamental to our development or survival is a mistake. With less tension in our bodies we SEE. And when you SEE anything is possible.
gene smithson
certified Systema instructor
History of Systema
10/12/11 12:32
Flow Drill 1-up, 1-down
10/11/11 14:00
A Beautiful Day
26/02/09 14:50
So one of my twin sons was riding in the car with me the other day. It was sunny and warm, I live in Austin remember? He says,
" Dada its a beautiful day."
So I asked him why he thought that. He replies,
" Its sunny and warm and the sky is blue."
So...I asked him, What if it were raining? He thinks it over and says.
"It would still be a beautiful day, because I like the way the rain sounds and smells, and it feeds the trees."
So what if was really cold, I ask. And he pauses, a while longer this time, and says.
"It would still be a beautiful day, because my Mom puts my coat in the dryer and makes it warm for me."
I'm pretty sure he's on to it, Every day is a beautiful day, each is a gift for us to enjoy if only we have eyes like a 7 year old boys. And maybe someone to put our coat in the dryer and warm it up for us :)