Working in Movement

Earlier we learned that Shy Rats Die Young. Now we find that the the shy get sick more, too. The article reports on a UCLA study published in Biological Psychiatry. The researchers first had HIV-infected subjects assess their own personalities with questionnaires, and then measured the amount of HIV virus in each, as well as seeing how they responded to treatment for a year. The men who scored highest for "social inhibitions" had more of the virus than others and showed stronger physical reactions to stressful situations.

This article and study it cites seem to support the findings that being shy isn't good for your health. If it's really true, what does it mean? If you're shy, you're doomed to being sick and dying before your gregarious acquaintances?

Being focused on learning as we are in movement education, I just have to ask: What part does learning play in all this? Is it really a question of learning how to deal with stressful situations?

Among the things compromised in a stress reaction is attention; it narrows dramatically, usually on the thing that seems to be causing the stress that's the source of the reaction. The attention narrows and gets ready to fight or flee. This is good if the stimulus for the stress reaction is an approaching tornado or someone obviously bent on harming you. Fight or flee; there's not time for anything else.

But in many situations, the source of the stress is not so clear. There may be more options available than fighting or fleeing. And with the recognition of more options available there may be less of a stress response. But if the attention is narrowed to the point of not being able to distinguish what might be going on, learning about those options is also compromised, no?

I've mentioned the work of Timothy Gallwey and Ellen Langer in previous posts, and of course the work of Feldenkrais on numerous occasions. All of them focus on learning, especially using attention to notice ever smaller differences in body sensations.

"The body reflects the attitudes of the mind. Improve the function of the body and you must improve the state of the mind. The movements are nothing. They're an idiotic thing. What I'm after isn't flexible bodies, but flexible brains. What I'm after is to restore each person to his human dignity." Moshe Feldenkrais

With practice, the ability to notice small difference in body sensations, to sense or feel yourself, improves. And, if Feldenkrais' idea that the function of the body effects the state of the mind if accurate, this learning ability is a valuable skill to have. Failing access to the PowerderMilk Biscuits that public radio's Garrison Keillor tells us, "gives shy people the strength to get up and do what's needed," maybe learning is all we have. But, shy or not, you have to practice.