pathological doing

Sorting rice and lentils, Cleaning the House workshop

My classes have been on pause so that I could work on a project in London for Marina Abramović, an artist who’s had an immense influence on my experience as a performer and teacher.

Part of the trip was spent sharing the Cleaning the House workshop with the large group of performance artists who are performing in her exhibition at the Royal Academy. The artists fast for four days in silence while doing exercises like sorting grains of rice and lentils, walking in slow motion for hours, and sitting blindfolded while listening to nature. The commitment to a single activity chafes at “our penchant for pathological doing,” as one participant in the rice sorting has noted.

Moving away from the pathological doing mindset and toward a more thoughtful being mindset is a key component of my classes. The emphasis is not on what you do, but on how you do it. There is no perfect checklist of exercises that will save you from pain. The magical shift away from pain and toward more comfort grows as you shift the quality of your presence and patience with yourself. This transformation takes time but I see it happen all the time. For me, it’s the most rewarding part of teaching.

My Moving Whole classes resume on Monday with a Daily Practice Intensive that you can do for one week or two. We’ll meet online for an hour Monday - Friday. If this is a good moment for you to practice moving with more presence and patience, I hope you’ll join me.