Chapter 1: Understanding the Role of Bodily Alliance

The manner in which we execute our actions can indeed be influenced by our choices.

The effectiveness of any action is largely shaped by the resources we draw upon, such as motivation, emotion, cognition, physiology, health, and experience. This connection with our own body and with those around us integrates all these resources into a unique quality of action, fostering communication both internally and externally.

In response to our earlier article, Elena Verkhozina shared a personal experience:

"Thank you, Vladimir Alekseevich, for your thorough explanation of the method. I recalled an incident from my student days when I participated in the Universiade competitions. I was anxious about my uneven bars performance due to limited practice time. I instinctively applied the method you described. The night before the event, I mentally rehearsed the entire routine in intricate detail, focusing especially on the more challenging elements. I vividly pictured my dismount and landing with confidence. Lacking a physical model to emulate, I created a detailed mental image of my ideal performance. This visualization was immersive; I was inside the image rather than observing it from afar. The method proved effective, but I eventually forgot about it. Your article has rekindled that memory and broadened my understanding of how I can draw on diverse examples that resonate with me."

Our colleague Olga Aleksandrovna Bychkova also commented on our training methods:

"Training certainly enhances our capacity for self-control and self-regulation."

So, can we indeed select how we perform our actions?

We have previously suggested several exercises to explore this idea.

In the "Chief's Personal Space" exercise, we expanded our sense of self by incorporating a partner into our personal space, fostering an environment of acceptance and control for effective communication.

In the exercise titled "Feeling Joy Throughout the Whole Body," we cultivated a sense of joy by adjusting our hormonal state and the tone of our muscles and organs.

Additionally, we engaged in gait exercises inspired by Naomi Campbell and Tyra Banks, where we practiced embodying the experience of full-body engagement with every step—from our toes to our neck and eyes. We conducted these experiments in a large shopping center, tuning into the energy of those around us and experimenting with various gait patterns that intrigued us.

We also incorporated master classes on mindful movement from Moshe Feldenkrais, meditation sessions led by Dr. Joe Dispenza, and exercises for the neck and spine demonstrated by Dr. Shishonin.

Through these exercises, we forged bodily alliances that support our self-regulation across different actions. Our publications, filled with a variety of exercises, are designed to help you connect with and process these experiences, fostering a conscious awareness of your bodily alliances to enhance the various actions you undertake.