Author Archives: Paula Josa-Jones

Jan22

attention

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The other day I received a post from Gwen Bell who had a link to a video of Linda Stone talking about Continuous Partial Attention.  I am including it here because I think it well worth a listen.

I have been paying attention to attention for a while – say thirty years.  It is a big part of how I approach performance work, movement, writing, my horses and dogs, my kids and myself.  I am interested in the fluctuations of attention, and a big part of Breaking into Blossom is about that practice – how and when and why we attend.

Something wonderful that I discovered on Linda Stone’s web is a list of books that she likes.  The one I am reading and loving right how is Exuberant Animal: The Power of Health, Play and Joyful Movement by Frank Forencich.  He talks about how we have become a hyper-visual and hypo-tactile culture. And even beyond that, how we have narrowed our visual fields to exclude the peripheral.

This morning when I was shooting outside in the snow (yes, I had my pajamas on), I noticed that I have trained myself to scan peripherally within the frame before I shoot.  I am a complete novice photographer, so this was radical and exciting.  I also noticed that as I was walking, consciously widening my visual field seemed to deepen breathing and expand joy.

 

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Jan21

snow day

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Photo:  Pam White

And have you finally figured out what beauty is for

And have you changed your life?

                         Mary Oliver

postscript:  This week The Journal is about what is inside and  outside of our personal comfort zones.  Inspired by my brilliant daughter.

Jan20

don’t have back surgery

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Back pain

Yesterday a good friend of my daughter’s, a 20 year-old young man, had back surgery for ongoing back pain.  When he came out of the surgery, he was paralyzed on one side.  They went back in and when he came out the second time, he was paralyzed from the neck down.  Then he went into a coma.

A few weeks before that, the companion of a friend of ours became paralyzed because of complications from several old back surgeries.

When I had a bodywork practice, the most horrific cases I treated were always those of those who had  back surgery.  The worst pain, the most compromised movement.

Our friend, the osteopath Dr. Andy Goldman, says that if only people with back pain would see an osteopath first, often they could avoid the surgery. By the time they come to him after the surgery, it is usually too late.

The web genius Seth Godin wrote this post recently.  (I left in his other tips because they are excellent as well.)

  1. No stranger or unknown company will ever contact you by mail or by phone with an actual method for making money easily or in your spare time. And if the person or company contacting you asserts that they are someone you know, double check before taking action.
  2. Don’t have back surgery. See a physiatrist first, then exhaust all other options before wondering if you should have back surgery.  (I would suggest an osteopath first, based on my personal experience). 
  3. Borrow money to buy things that go up in value, but never to get something that decays over time.
  4. Placebos are underrated by almost everyone.
  5. It’s almost never necessary to use a semicolon.
  6. Seek out habits that help you overcome fear or inertia. Destroy those that do the opposite.
  7. Cognitive behavorial therapy is generally considered both the quickest and most effective form of addressing many common psychological problems.
  8. Backup your hard drive.
  9. Get a magnetic key hider, put a copy of your house key in it and hide it really well, unlabeled, two blocks from your house.
  10. A rice cooker will save you time and money and improve your diet, particularly if you come to like brown rice.
  11. Consider not eating wheat for an entire week. The results might surprise you.
  12. Taking your dog for a walk is usually better than whatever alternative use of your time you were considering.