Pivot… Ball Change
By Cara Chang Mutert
Hold on as tight as you can, close your eyes and scream. That’s my general memory of my last roller coaster ride, which ended in nausea, regret and whiplash in my low back.
The blur of this past year—Covid-19, and the civil, political, economic, educational, and environmental unrest—has left most of us feeling much the same way. Because of our inability to predict what happens next, to get a glimpse of what lies beyond the next curve, the majority of us have found ourselves holding on, closing our eyes and screaming at least at one point or another this past year. Although throughout history, the fact we have ridden out storms of the past can give us some comfort, for many of us, it’s the first time in our lives that we’ve experienced this sense of such broad-sweeping insecurity. And it’s exactly that which has fueled our personal anxiety as well as our collective angst.
Since it appears that we still have a good way to go before the torment of the unknown subsides in any measurable way, the best we can do to manage it is to take action in our own world. Whether it’s within the cavity of your own skull, the boundaries of your own body, the four walls of your own home or within your own family and community, the importance of taking small steps to maintain our own mental health and physical/emotional well-being is so critical right now.
To survive and find some semblance of normalcy, in the lingo of our new world, we’ve all had to “pivot.” And in my experience, it has also required a willingness to take a step back but also to step back in. In the language of my former dancer brain, I’ve had to “Pivot … Ball Change.” Technically in dance, pivot means spinning on one foot to change directions, usually 90-180 degrees. Ball change means taking a step back with one foot and then forward again with the other. This spin (pardon the pun) on the word of the year works for me because it describes a way to shift directions, and then move forward without acting too impulsively. To adapt where and when it’s necessary, to take a step back and reassess, to respond intelligently and then move forward appropriately.
It’s actually what we do in yoga. Think about it. Just to get to practice, we have to momentarily pivot out of our daily life and make ourselves the priority. Once we make it to a class, the first thing we do is take a step back to pause, breathe, ground and center. Then we move forward into our practice with intention and purpose. During our practice we do the same thing. When we’re in a pose, quite possibly holding our breath or clenching our jaw, we may choose to rethink our tendency to grind and force the pose. Instead, we might step back and use a strap or block when we need it, and breathe more freely again. Here, we can back off, take stock and reassess. Then, we have the space to move forward more deeply with forethought, creativity and sensitivity. Finally, during savasana, we step back once again, replenish, regroup and step forward into life with greater awareness and clarity.
This process can provide a consistent pattern and cycle of awareness that you can return to over and over again whether you’re on your mat or not. So next time you find yourself white knuckling it and screaming on the inside, try not only the pivot, but also the ball change approach. Shift to look in a new direction, step back to pause, feel and observe, then step forward consciously with a clear head and new perspective.
And 5-6-7-8… Pivot… Ball Change… :)