The other day I coincidentally found Elizabeth Beck, art therapist. Here are the questions I asked, and her response. Thank you Elizabeth.

Hello Ms. Beck,

I found your website looking up a life coaching program, and found your site. I thought it was a great site and a neat coincidence because I’m also doing some web work, and recently did process art few weeks ago with Pamela Hoschstetter as part of my Masters Program for Conscious Evolution. It was my first experience with process art, and really, I had never painted before. Looking at your thesis helped me think about my own, which is looking at the Self-Aware Movement Practice and Transformation/Conscious Evolution. I’m still working out the actual questions to explore, as it seems to become bigger and broader by the moment. Would you have any thoughts on the matter - what part does physical movement practice, and specifically, movement where we bring our conscious attention to task, play in the transformation of consciousness. What are your experiences?

Hi Alex,

When I read your question I couldn’t help but think- what would a Dance/Movement therapist would have to say? In my opinion bringing conscious attention to a task through movement can lead to the transformation of consciousness especially if the movements and conscious attention are practiced/ repeated over time. I feel that repetition and practice is often the key to transformative experiences that involve using the body and its connection to the mind. Many people find the movements involved with Tai Chi and Yoga to be relaxing and eventually transformative. I also found art making and drawing from life to be transformative too, albeit after I had achieved a certain skill level. In these cases, in order to achieve the transformational experience, one often needs to repeatedly pursue the activity on a daily or weekly basis, where one no longer has to concentrate or think what one is doing, but rather, the movements have become somewhat intuitive.

When people discuss creativity, often times the word flow is used to describe the relaxing, pleasurable feeling people get from creative tasks (which often involve movement of some kind), where somehow one doesn’t seem to experience time in the same way and can be, for example, dancing or painting for hours without noticing. It seems to me that when we are in the state of flow we are able to be in the world and in our bodies without judging or thinking…we are able to just do. Perhaps when we are able to act without having our inner speech cluttering our perception, that allows for a transformational experience to occur? Maybe the intensity of the experience or how quickly a transformation in consciousness is achieved would be changed depending on how often you practice? I’m not sure, and I would need to do more research before being able to answer this question as fully as I would like.

Also, I think its worth discussing the fact that a “transformation of consciousness” is a difficult thing to explain. I seem to use it in a way that is analogous to learning something new about the world that somehow I never noticed before. For me, this can be any number of things. For example, a new way for perceiving a situation, a new way of looking at objects and understanding spacial relationships, the realization that I can tense each muscle in my body separately if I concentrate, or being able to perceive colors and shadows with more acuity. Some of these experiences may be strictly developmental in nature (where as you grow up and your brain develops you and would expect that these new perceptions would develop too), where as others may be achievable with training over time.

I think its important to remember that no matter what you may be doing, you may experience a transformation in consciousness, and you would have never been able to guess in advance what you would have learned. I suppose that’s one of the beautiful and mysterious parts of being a human being.

I hope this helps get you on your way to formulating new questions to ask and to be answered. It may be helpful to research topics in perceptual and cognitive psychology, where you may find less subjective ways of approaching this subject.

- Liz

Also, I want to direct you to the Shrink Rap Radio podcast, episode #153. Here’s the link:feed://www.shrinkrapradio.com/feed/

This excellent older video is of me demonstrating a self defense technique against a tackle.
One of the first rules of self defense is: stay off the ground! While sometimes that’s unavoidable, we can redirect the attack in many ways. Here’s one:

This older video is of me demonstrating a self defense technique against a knife attack.
While I don’t practice or teach self defense much, I still encourage people to think realistically about self defense and continue to explore effective and efficient movement of all kinds!

What is Meditation?

Meditation can be thought of as paying attention to what you’re doing, as you’re doing it, and more importantly, choosing to. There are many forms of meditation, many types of instructions. The common theme is choosing to look, choosing to inquire, choosing to pay attention. Meditation is practicing on purpose for a period of time in order to get better at being at purpose all day long. So you…

o Feel calmer now and anytime
o Improve your day and every moment
o Energize all of your relationships
o Transform and complete your yoga practice

Often we can also use meditation techniques to change your state towards a more desirable one. In this way, we can navigate the possibilities in our lives with ore clarity and purpose.

One Minute Meditation

The goal of these instructions is to change your state from where you are, to a deeper place with space between you and your thoughts and emotions. Rather than shutting anything away, allow, and change your focus to your breath.

Close your eyes or keep them open softly

Breathe in slowly and deeply

Hold you breath in gently for a moment

Exhale through the nose slowly and let your body relax

Hold your breath out gently until you are ready to breathe in again

Repeat three to five times

Notice any sensations and changes in your body. How do you feel?

Experience each week

Meditation classes are now offered every Monday evening from 6:30pm to 7:30pm
and Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday mornings from 6:30am-6:50am.
All these are held at the Sports Club/LA in Boston and available for members only.

I also work with individuals and groups through workshops and special arrangements.

Special Meditation Requests

I’ll be posting audio meditations soon. In the meantime, contact me and share all your special requests. In other words, tell me what you want, and I will deliver.

I’ve recently updated The Epic Workout, which is progressing very nicely and is receiving phenomenal response from the people who have gone through Epic classes.

Epic has a new logo, which I love, of course. I’ve also been able to articulate the core goal, message, and three main principles of what makes the Epic Workout tick.

http://www.epicworkout.com/2008/about-epic/what-is-epic/