Matter over mind?
Or mind over matter?
I am energised by the first,
I am enervated by the latter!
All this thinking wears my insides out
The joy of thought grows thin,
I think I’ll try another way
And let the outside in.
A body of knowledge
Can trump and lift the soul
Breaking despair’s spell
And making us more whole…
Well, at least with the body’s help
The journey can begin
To triumph over darker moods
And let some sunshine in.
Assume the position:
Lift up your hands,
Lift up your chin and eyes;
Let the body lead
Where the soul should follow:
Prepare to be surprised!
For the mind’s rehearsed
Each gesture’s meaning
It interprets your body’s speech;
So if you move
As if you’re joyful
That joy‘s within your reach.
Your soma remembers the golden times
Your muscles recall the story
So when you mirror that mnemonic posture
Your mind will return to glory!
Poet’s Note.
I’ve taught for years that changing one’s physical position necessarily transforms one’s mental ‘position’. This is irresistible since other neural pathways are automatically triggered when we change our body language. More than this, though, there is a body of teaching that encourages us to act ‘as if’. Today I saw that in terms of a kinaethetic memory. Mind and body are one system. If you feel low, your body knows what that should look like and so it assumes the correct stance! Changing your stance (physically) works the other way too, matter over mind, where you will change your mental stance in the metamorphic mirror of the dance of mind and matter.
Enchanting Poetry 