I have a nearly impossible task for you—don’t worry, it will only take a second. Without changing your breath in any way, notice the movements your breathing creates. Did you succeed? If so, you are more talented than I.

For me, attending to breathing feels like tracking a wild animal. I encounter imprints suggesting what has come before—sometimes only a moment has passed, sometimes I discover a fossil. When I do manage to arrive in the presence of my live breathing, it often interrupts its activity to turn a suspicious eye to my intent. A moment where I manage to come with enough quiet to witness my breathing undisturbed is a rare and highly valued gift.

This practice of attending without interferring is a skill we cultivate in Awareness Through Movement®. Moshe Feldenkrais is reported to have said: “When you know what you do, you can do what you want.” To truly know what you do requires the ability to experience without changing. Awareness is a prerequisite for choice.
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