I received an email from Daniela Welzel, whom I do not know. It was obviously of the bulk variety, not even a name in the greeting, and it touted its magnitude and asked if I was interested. I didn’t know what the Embodiment Summit was, so I looked it up. The faces looked white and older and similar (much like the feature photo above). I started looking at the names scheduled to speak. There were some big ones. Why on earth would someone want to listen to me when they can get entranced by Jozef, Yuri, or the Toms?
I replied back saying I was interested, but I was concerned about the stipulations that you need to promote the event through your newsletter (which I long ago disconnected) or social media. There was a lot about affiliates, which I knew was connected to selling, and I didn’t understand my role in that since I had nothing to sell. I was also worried about how an additional online class and/or presentation schedule would effect my current workload of 174 high school students. Voicing my hesitations, but also intriguingly excited, I hit send.
Thinking for a beat, I made the connection that I was contacted through the thinkmovement site. Why here if this is a collaboration site that currently houses work from 46 different people? I quickly followed up asking if they were indeed looking for me. I hit send a second time and dropped it. There’s always more immediate things to do.
Several days later I received a follow up email that clarified they were looking for Nick Konow. I laughed out loud and gave her his contact info. She thanked me and apologized, and asked what it is that I do. I jokingly replied that I am trying to make the need for an Embodiment Conference obsolete by giving PE a greater purpose. I’m not sure if there was a 3am on a Tuesday slot that needed to get filled, but she asked if I too would be willing to participate, placing me in the “Movement & Anatomy” section.
I sent in the same non-headshot profile pic I always use, and delivered a shorter and longer bio. I asked the person who covers this section (also a big name in the movement world) how it could be free and also try and turn a profit. Apparently, it’s only free live and within 24-hours of the presentation. They are counting on our DVR/ On Demand tendencies to sell you something you could have watched for free had you been able to make it a priority.
I will choose a live- interactive format, because that’s how real connection and meaning comes forth. Otherwise it’s a lecture — something someone else thinks is important, delivered in the way that most suits them. If I’ve learned one thing from teaching 17 years of public school, it’s that ‘best practices’ will always be presented to you but no one has any actual idea about implementation and reality. The only thing that grounds you in actuality is building things with the people you are asked to lead.
Which brings me to my topic, galvanized by the recent blitz of how to PE homeschool your kids. The overly simplified, “Just follow along!”, “I’m always smiling!, and “You don’t need any equipment to do pushups!” is nauseating. Even Katy Bowman misses the mark:
Just five simple steps!
The full article she alludes to can be found here. I will refrain from picking it apart piece by piece, because I have more pressing real-life matters to attend to, but I will quickly point out some overarching flaws. 1. Privilege. 2. The assumption that parents have the time, energy, or desire to play with their kids more than a few fleeting moments. 3. Kids need parents to lead them in playing/ moving (when all they really need is obstacles to do so removed). 4. Certain stuff is necessary. 5. Certain planning is necessary 6. THAT SIMPLY GETTING UP AND MOVING FIXES EVERYTHING, PARTICULARLY IN A PANDEMIC DURING WHICH HALF OF THE COUNTRY ALSO CAUGHT FIRE.
Small rant exuded, I will be speaking and sharing how I’m using online PE as a means to get kids to look deeper at themselves and their beliefs. Can they objectively observe to understand, without the additional deeming of habits and behavior to be good or bad, and can a shift in thinking lead to an automatic shift in how and why one moves? In short, we will be studying change and normalization. The actual baseline of need is far deeper than those on the outside of this would suggest.
Comments