How mobile are you?
Are you agile?
What does Agility mean to you in regard to your mind, body and emotions?
This is not only an important principle in Fitness but also for the human pathway. In terms of our Physical or Body Intelligence; which some say is the end outcome, final culmination or result of all our “intelligence’s” to feel or exist as being a more ‘complete’ person, then being agile maybe the piece of the puzzle you are searching for?
Let me give you some concepts to consider and experiment with:
If I were to talk about the mind which includes our internal representations of our external environment and our emotions, being agile might mean: Creating and acquiring more knowledge and distinctions, a broadness in thinking, being able to
change and adapt to our environment. Having a hierarchy of ideas, better timing and wit or being able to bounce back from a stressful or highly analytical situation.
If I had a race car, I would be looking at suspension and braking, damper rates and g-force data. If I were a race car driver, I would be asking; ‘does it feel light and controllable? Give good feedback through the wheel and throttle? Does the vehicle cope with its environment or how well or quickly does it change direction?’
Emotionally it means to swap and feel different emotions more quickly; adjust, adapt, and acquire a more suitable state of mind to better control yourself in a given situation, which builds resilience.
Imagine that you have planned and prepared to do a task, assignment, or a mission and then through circumstance or another person’s intervention that completely changes?
What will you do?
Get angry or frustrated? Impatient? Crumble, cry, or sulk? Be shocked and yell ‘what am I going to do now?’
No doubt any of these emotions will materialise – but the Agility principle reminds us to consider how long we will feel this way? Can we alter or change to a more constructive mood or experience degrees of positivity and balance more swiftly?
We can adjust and get on with the new or altered task without clinging to the emotion that does not serve us.
If stress is the inability to adapt to changing circumstances, then having an agile mind will certainly aid in escalating you to a heightened level of emotional intelligence.
Finally, in physical fitness: Could I have that same speed, lightness, and quickness to shift and step effortlessly like a rugby league centre or wing? To adapt better you might ask yourself – How mobile is the range of motion in my joints? It combines with our soft tissue flexibility to be able to work, play sports, be as functional as a human can be or simply be comfortable, healthy and move with grace and without pain.
If I was exploring Agility in martial arts, I might want to be adept at anticipation and reading others. Have the traits of a monkey as they say, like speed and quickness. Practice eluding, stepping and evasion techniques with the feet and the body (ashi sabaki and tai sabaki). To a boxer or kickboxer – timing, technique, and speed, along with bobbing, weaving, sucking, drawing, rising and sinking will be what I want to develop a high skill level in to master sparring and fighting.
This may prompt you to write down or at least consider your own meanings for this principle and how it may relate to your Values, Your priorities in life, Your higher Purpose, or you might just discover that you are really talented and skilled at these tasks and concepts naturally!
If that’s the case, give yourself a pat on the back!