Foundation Series

Don’t you love those moments in life when the penny drops…you suddenly ‘get it’…you have an ‘ah-ha’ moment? Of course you do! They’re often met with a smile and you can’t help but be a bit pleased with yourself.

We can’t be thrilled all the time because, let’s be honest, it could be pretty tiring! So what do you do when the first thrill of your ah-ha fades? Here are some tips to make full use of your newly realised knowledge.

WRITE IT DOWN

This is the first step for two reasons. Firstly, we are more likely to remember something when we write it down and you certainly don’t want to forget your breakthrough. The second is that while your brain is flooded with the excitement and happiness (and the corresponding hormones) it’s the perfect opportunity to creatively explore the ah-ha. What does that mean?

Think about the possibilities this new revelation has in terms of improving something you do and how you can change you actions and habits to reflect your ah-ha.

DO IT AGAIN (and again)

Ah-ha doesn’t happen that often, but when it does you want to wallow in it a bit (or is that just me?) If you have been doing something a certain way and you suddenly realise there’s a better way, you’ll want to re-enforce it. Ultimately you are endeavoring to change a habit and replace it with a new one that will serve you better. This means good old repetition.

Here’s an example: You’re doing your Callanetics workout, focusing on toning the behind and smoothing out the hips. You’ve been doing the exercises and are already excited by the results you’ve achieved. Then you hear the instruction to lengthen more…your body responds and suddenly you feel the work go very deep into your behind and it intensifies the sensation of your muscles working…”AH-HA!!” you say (probably out loud!) “I get it…lengthen to lift. That felt soooo different!”

Chances are you already want to have another go and don’t be surprised if you see a speed up of the results!

Whether you are in an exercise scenario or a completely different situation, repeating what works better is a way of imprinting the information or action on your brain. You’ll be able to refer back and use this again, rather than reverting back to the old way of doing things.

SHARE YOUR AH-AH

Have you ever found that you gain better understanding of something when you explain it to someone else? We are forced to organise all the information we have about something (like how to have a perky, peachy behind) and make it very clear as we teach it to someone else. This is another way of cementing it in your own brain and making it stick.

In the spirit of this sharing, there is an entire thread of The Café dedicated to Ah-Ha Moments. This is also where members share other things they’ve noticed along their Callanetics journey. Here’s a few to give you an idea..

“Today I met a neighbour I hadn’t seen for several weeks and she commented how different and slimmer I look! I also noticed that my jawline looks now exactly like 15 years ago – so well sculpted again.”

-Izabela

“I have also noticed the last few months the strength and length and definition in my abs, not a muffin top in sight!”

-Judy

“My lips are redder! Not just after a workout, but the change seems to be more or less permanent.”

-Izabela

You never know, your ah-ha could be contagious, so comment below with your most recent or your biggest ah-ah. Perhaps it’s nothing to do with exercise. It could be you learned how to communicate better, or that you suddenly understood that difficult grammar point in your French lesson! I want to hear it all!