#1

Before trying to enhance our movement qualities – let's think about why we need to (re)learn to move better in the first place. Are we an exception in the animal kingdom in this regard? If this is the case, what have we done wrong, and what cultural pressures are making us physically less capable?

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‍#2

As we have seen with brain-body maps – if we rely on outdated ones, it might cause us a problem. But the idea of having an inaccurate self-image is not restricted only to the perception of the body. Similarly, we can observe the same trend in the way we perceive our social status, skill-sets, professional value, etc. 

And as with mapping our own body and having a clear image based on which we can make accurate decisions – the same process apply to mapping other aspects of ourselves. Here, the observation and careful reflection regularly might do the job to stay updated.

If you think about it – are you still perceiving yourself as who you were several years ago, or is your self-image accurate to the present time? 

What about the close people in your life – are you seeing them as they are today, or you still see them as they were at the time you have met them for the first time?

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#3

“The powerlifter who can perform a squat with perfect form is not necessarily prepared for a day of gardening, where the squatting movements need to constantly adapt to the environment — slightly off-center, with the feet in different positions.”

‍How does your training translate to your everyday life? Are you building skills and qualities that are impressive but of little use in your day-to-day life? Try to critically look at your practice and see its benefits and costs – every activity is a trade-off, and it is good to know both sides. 
*Keep in mind that even though some activities might not be optimal from a physical standpoint, they can still make you feel good. The emotional impact needs to be taken into account as well.

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#4

“An interesting illustration of the uselessness of a brain in a body without movement is the sea squirt, which spends the first part of its life as an animal moving around, and the second part attaching itself to a rock and then camping out as a plant. As soon as it settles down, it eats its brain for the energy.” 

Reflect on this example from two perspectives:

1. Any movement is indeed necessary, but the complexity of that movement matters quite a lot. Once our physical practice (and physical activities in general) become monotonous, habitual, and non-challenging for our system, how it affect our brain?
2. The way we treat the elderly is often by trying to provide for them (not letting them do the work because of efficiency reasons) and telling them to rest. We are making them believe that they are not capable, and as a consequence, they move less and decline across their whole functioning. How does the knowledge about the connection between movement and brain capacity change the way you see this issue? 
   

TASK 1

What changes do you trigger through different practices?

Think of specific training you do regularly (yoga session or going for a run). How is that particular training bout affecting the nervous system instantly, and what long-term changes does it stimulate structurally? Do this for all major types of training bouts you do – could you use this knowledge to organize your training better, so it fits your other activities in a day/week?
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TASK 2

Reflecting on your practice.

Write down your physical practice – what you usually do throughout the week. How changes would you make in your practice based on the information you have read in the first three chapters?

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#1

When you look at the training programs people follow these days, what do you think is missing? What aspects of “movement” are overlooked in these training programs? 

These questions might help you with the answer and in designing your own practice regime:

1. What activities you need to do in life – what physical capacity is an unnegotiable must for everybody?
2. What do you miss in life?
3. What inputs/stressors your body requires to function properly? Meaning – What are our human behavioral set-points, to which our physiology has adapted throughout our species evolution, and without which our health suffers?
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‍#2

There is an intriguing link between attention, breathing, vision (not only what we see, but also how we view our visual field), and arousal of our nervous system. Can you articulate how one affecting the other?
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TASK 1

Linking emotions/energy levels and posture.

Throughout the week – record your mood, energy level, and posture. An example would be: 'Monday - early morning | optimistic - high energy - expanded light posture'. After the week of recording, see how those three things correlate. Do you see a trend? Which one of those aspects can be easiest to correct and would have the power to affect the other two?
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TASK 2

How is your practice affecting you?

For the next few days, record how you feel physically and mentally before the particular training bout and right after it. After few days of noting these down, how are different practice sessions affecting you from a physical/mental standpoint?

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- a technique derived from Richard Feynman, who excelled in his ability to synthesize and explain even complex scientific concepts. By using this technique right after you have finished the book, you will further enhance your understanding of the book's subject, identify the possible gaps in your knowledge and master the ability to clearly communicate the newly acquired information.

It consists of the following steps:

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01. Teach it to a child

Take out a blank sheet of paper and write the central concept of the book you have just finished in the top corner. Underneath, write down everything you know about this concept, without revisiting your notes or the book. The trick is, however, that you have to write in style, as if you wanted to teach a given concept to a 12-year-old child. Unlike your intelligent adult friends, 12-year-olds do not have scientific / technical terminology and specific jargon. Plus, they do not hold attention for too long. Therefore, you need to be clear and concise, and use language, which vocabulary can be easily understood by a child, so it can grasp the basic ideas and relationships.

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02. Identify your knowledge gaps

As you write, you will get to points where you will not be able to explain something in simple words, you will not be able to recall some key information, or you will have trouble tying the individual parts together to make clear connection.

In other words, you will encounter gaps in your knowledge... and that is the point, where you are really starting to learn!

Now that you know where you got stuck, go back and re-read particular passages in the book, review your own notes, or look for other source materials that address this concept. This process is necessary for you to fill in all the cracks that emerged from the previous step, and skipping it leads to the illusion of your knowledge.

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03. Organize, simplify and tell a story

At this point, you have a set of manually created notes in front of you. Go through them and create one continuous story, which will contain the key terms, relationships, and ideas of the concept you have just studied.

Practice reading the created story aloud. Pretend you're telling a story to a class of younger students. This way you will hear where your speech ceases to be simple and concise - avoid jargon and complicated sentences. Stumbles in the speech will again indicate to you the incompleteness of your thoughts. Practice until you are satisfied with the simplicity, straightforwardness, and fluency of your presentation. Ideally, invite live listeners who will give you feedback.