Today’s post is in response to a comment from Andria (Thanks for the inspiration Andria – and I hope I pronounced your name correctly). The entire comment is posted below. Enjoy the video!
Here’s Andria’s comment in full:
Hi Devon!
I have more sporting news for you…Lately, it’s been all about the eyes for me. I realized that when I ski and mtb, I have predatory eyes, which are tight and focused. They help me cut though a crowd of skiers with precision (without scaring or cutting anyone off, of course). And when I mtb, I’m the mountain lion, locked onto her prey.
The other day, I had a gorgeous experience skiing. I was up high in the bowls, in and out of the trees, and away from the crowds, just taking in the big view I get with soft eyes. But, when I got down to mid-mountain, I suddenly felt disoriented. It appeared as if people were coming from every which way, I was unable to judge speed and direction, and my spatial awareness was shot. It was a trip, because I knew why it was happening, but I just stayed defaulted instead of tensing up about it, and laughed.
The weather was warmer the next day. I’m on my bike, on a snow packed single track that I navigate every spring to get to my house. The consistency of the snow is like a sno-cone, very thick and slippery, and if you fall off, you go sliding down the hill. Anyway, in my mind I hear you say, ‘Allow your eyes to go soft.’ Whoa. My whole body relaxed, I felt very lightweight, and my muscles actually reacted quicker than when they were tense. It was a feeling of being on balance, rather than constantly correcting imbalance.
What are some of your body-in-motion experiences?
Cheers and thanks again!
