exuberant animal performance training
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workshop guide an exuberant animal® publication
exuberant animal
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Copyright 2011 Exuberant Animal® All rights reserved.
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change your body, change the world
by frank forencich
e
ter un
race exp b er em i
gement e n ga co en
exuberan ce e c en
“Exuberance is an abounding, ebullient, effervescent emotion. It is kinetic and unrestrained, joyful, irrepressible.” Kay Redfield Jamison Exuberance
“All vigor is contagious.” Emerson
exp o s ur
welcome to exuberant animal performance training
E
xuberant Animal® is a multi-disciplinary approach to performance that combines the study of practical neuroscience with vigorous movement training. We provide a uniquely integrated experience that will open your mind, body and organization to new dimensions of performance and potential.
presentation content: Recent discoveries in neuroscience have shown conclusively that mind and body are interconnected and interdependent. States of body and physical condition have profound influences on cognition, behavior, judgment and decision-making. Neuroscience has tremendous explanatory power; it can tell us how our bodies work, how we interact with the world and why we behave the way we do. In addition, it offers tremendous potential for personal and organizational transformation. Once we understand the principles of neuroplasticity, we position ourselves to make lasting changes to our bodies, our minds and our organizations.
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movement session content: Beyond the obvious health benefits of physical activity, vigorous movement helps us sharpen our cognitive skills and deepen our relationships with one another. Vigorous movement enhances brain function and improves memory, attention and learning. Physical games and social play promote team cohesion, role flexibility and creativity. Our movement sessions include functional training and games drawn from The Exuberant Animal Play Book. These movement sessions will spark your physicality and integrate your energies into a coherent, powerful whole. You’ll experience • The basics of physical intelligence and function • Agility, balance and coordination • Core integration • Body awareness
Taken together, these complementary experiences will spark a new appreciation for physicality and its role in work and life performance. Not only will you feel great, you’ll discover a new set of ideas that will revolutionize the way you live and work.
You’ll learn • The neurological basis of learning • The power and potential of neuroplasticity • Strategies for creating positive stress • The fundamentals of rapport-building and social intelligence
“you’ll leave laughing, sweaty and inspired.”
morning
afternoon
8:00
Welcome
1:30
Meditation
8:20
Movement Session 1
1:45
Presentation: Stresscraft
8:40
Presentation: Panorama
2:25
Movement Session 5
9:20
Movement Session 2
3:00
Break
10:00
Break
3:10
Presentation: Rapport and social neuroscience
10:10
Presentation: Functional Training
3:40
Movement Session 6
10:40
Movement Session 3
4:10
Presentation: Creative living and integration
11:10
Break
4:40
Break
11:20
Presentation: Learning and Plasticity
4:50
Presentation: Trends and recommendations
11:50
Movement Session 4
5:10
Movement Session 7
12:30
Break for lunch
5:30
Jump for Joy
8:00 - 8:20
introduction
welcome to training Who we are Why we’re here A look at our day: rhythm and oscillation Movement snacks and the embodied process Engagement and focus Everyone’s an athlete, everyone’s a coach. Safe emergency: It’s all optional, use your judgment.
Show respect for people, process and place. Exercise responsibility. Seek balance, harmony and integration. Focus attention and presence. Be here now. Participate fully with end-to-end commitment. Everyone works with everyone. Come with an empty cup, ready to learn. Balance gravity and levity with serious play. Seek transformation and clarity of purpose. Walk your talk.
gravity and levity
8:20 - 8:40 touch the earth:
movement 1
Squat touch, alternating. Also with steps.
short form and warm ups
? Getting the juice moving. Robust, vigorous movement. Get your breathing turned on, get some bounce in your legs. Movement in all three planes. Play with speed and amplitude. Focus on whole-body integration.
• Standing arm swings
heaven earth squat:
• Flutter kicks and back stroke
?
Squat touch, alternating with reaches.
• Wax on, wax off • Hip-shoulder rotations • Multi-circle, all planes and stances
sidewalk dilemma:
• Crossing reaches, one foot
Eye contact, then an easy, graceful pass. Touch as desired/necesssary.
• Deep arc, go low • Dynamic loop • Figure eight, all stances and steps
arm swings
flutter kicks and backstroke
wax on, wax off all sizes
hip-shoulder rotations
multi-circle: all planes and stances
one foot x-reaches
deep arc (go low)
dynamic loop with steps
figure eights: all sizes and stances
8:40 - 9:20
presentation
pain and potential Performance is behavior and behavior comes from the body, especially the nervous system. Context and history: Welcome to the “primate’s predicament,” the realization that we’re experiencing a profound mismatch between our evolutionary heritage and the reality of the modern world.
body pain • heart disease, obesity, diabetes • depression • neurological and attention disorders • physical unhappiness, body dissatisfaction
workplace pain • Health care costs • Conflict • Absenteeism
key points:
Our bodies are ancient; we are embedded in the living world. Every detail of human anatomy, physiology and psychology is the way it is because of our experience in wild outdoor environments. Our tribal behavior and mental performance are rooted in our deep history; we perform the way we do because of our “legacy programming.” We live in an alien environment with unique demands. This alien environment wreaks havoc on both health and performance. It challenges us to develop new ways of thinking, working and living.
• Fragmented attention • Stress overload and burn out • Depression and presenteeism
promise and potential • Neuro-optimism: using our knowledge of plasticity and social neuroscience to craft new perceptions, behaviors, relationships and possibilities. • Embodied cognition: moving bodies think better. • Stress education: stress can work for us. • Rapport with our bodies, our work, our communities and our habitat.
9:20 - 10:00 A heckle is a playful, destabilizing challenge another body.
movement 2
The coach’s goal: the athlete should have a good experience.
spotting and heckling Spotting:
basic heckle:
Use your body to protect one another from falling. Use the power in your legs, hips and torso to absorb momentum and protect your partner.
Soft hands; just enough to destabilize. Shoulders, hips, arms
judo heckle:
Double role: spot the fall and challenge stability.
spot:
Shape like a funnel. Absorb the fall with your whole body and solid stance. Use your arms and/or your torso.
sticky wrist and ankle:
Maintain contact. Heckle and spot as necessary.
10:10 - 10:40
presentation
functional training The new standard for athletic training.
isolation v. integration Kinetic chains are the functional unit of human movement. • Barefoot Sensei: “It’s all one muscle.” • Vern Gambetta: “Work movements, not muscles.”
Functional training asks “What works?” and “What’s effective?” what is functional training?
Multi-joint, multi-plane Emphasis on performance, not appearance.
Musculoskeletal elements in a mutually supporting system; balanced length and strength.
Emphasis on the nervous system. Emphasis on integration, balance, motor control and agility. Emphasis on sensation and sensitivity. Emphasis on real world challenges, relevant to the individual. t ra
n
s
v
the power of specificity (SAID principle)
e
You get precisely what you train for. You become what you do.
rs e frontal
sagittal
proprioception: super fast and trainable
Multi-plane function: graceful and powerful in all three planes
10:40 - 11:10
movement 3 mountain rescue
balance and locomotion
Sprained ankle. Spot your partner down the trail.
single leg squat As low as you want. Spot your partner and/or heckle.
compass rose reaches Low and high. Fast or slow Especially NW and SE.
skipping variations and silly walks
step-n-stop Big step: stick the landing with perfect control. All directions. Also with a partner and a bump.
rope-a-dope: Competitive. Stay on one foot, no hops. Pull or let slack slide through your hands. One hand or two.
11:20 - 11:50
LTP: Long-term potentiation of synaptic transmission: nonlinear increase in membrane sensitivity. This is the cellular basis of learning.
presentation
learning and plasticity Adapted v. adaptable: The crucial distinction for athletic training and performance in the modern business world. Neuro-optimism: regeneration of the brain and nervous system. The human brain is constantly reorganizing itself, growing new cells and new connections. elements of plasticity: • neurogenesis (growth of new nerve cells) • myelination (insulation of nerve cell fibers)
the neoplastic transformation: Experience (doing) + Attention (caring)
• long-term potentiation (sensitization of synaptic transmission)
pro neurogenesis:
“Use-dependent” (“Use it or lose it.”) “Cells that fire together, wire together.” Education is fundamentally physical.
Attention stabilizes new circuits.
• Aerobic exercise (cardio) • Meditation (relaxation response) • Play and enriched environments
beware the paradox of plasticity: The brain is a habit-forming organ!
myelin sheath:
growth orientation
Acts as insulation to speed signaling. Thickens with use.
Mindset by Carol Dweck Effort is more important than achievement
11:50 - 12:30
back and forth:
movement 4
Choose a number of steps. Then smooth resistance with role reversals.
partner-resist back-to-back:
Sink down into your stance: butt to butt. Walk across room, then switch roles. linear stroke:
Like a martial art punch. Strong stance, full-body power. Smooth resistance.
towing:
Smooth resistance. Across the room, then switch roles.
rope pulls:
Use core and hips. Bend your knees. Smooth resistance. lateral tow:
Step as desired: crossing in front, behind or shuffle. Also slalom tow.
1:30 - 1:45 “The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another.”
meditation
William James
Observe and return.
“Soften and stay.” Pema Chodron
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Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
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ssio a p
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n
“How much stress we experience depends more on how well we control attention, than on what happens to us.”
s com es Mindfulness:
Non-judgmental attention
“Fresh awareness of whatever arises...is sufficient.” The Ninth Gwalwang Karmapa Mahamudra: The Ocean of Definitive Meaning
“Tension is who you think you should be. Relaxation is who you are.” Chinese proverb
1:45 - 2:25
presentation
modulators of the stress response • control
stresscraft
• predictability
Stress education is far more than simply learning to cope with difficult circumstances. Understanding stress is vital to developing high performance in any discipline.
• outlets
• trends • social support
neurological assets: The knowledge stored in your nervous system and in the people of your organization.
sweet spot neurotoxicity, resource depletion, tissue damage
autonomic nervous system: • Fight-flight system for emergency physical movement. • Rest-repair system for tissue healing and regeneration These systems operate on an “either-or” basis: we activate one or the other, but not both. Classic stress event: a threat to physical safety.
increased stress, cortisol production
Perceived threats to rank and identity also create stress. challenge: The stress response is hair-trigger, the relaxation response takes time. stress hormones: Low levels and short exposures are powerful elixrs; large doses and long exposures are harmful. Chronic stress akin to “burning the furniture to keep the house warm.”
early warning signs of over-stress: • anhedonia (loss of pleasure) • neophobia (avoidance of new things) • reduced ambiguity tolerance • cognitive distortions, especially over-generalizing • irritability, decreased sense of humor • poor concentration
“the dose makes the poison.”
• impulsivity and small-picture thinking
2:25 - 3:00
two coach target touch with med ball
movement 5
exuberant animal games target touches Cross-body touches. Coach adjusts targets. Stationary or dynamic.
stick target lay ups
crawl target Stationary or dynamic.
orbits gravity pump
Athlete circles around coach. Coach moves as desired. Heckles as desired.
3:10 - 3:40
presentation
“A finite game is played for the purpose of winning, an infinite game for the purpose of continuing the play.”
rapport
James Carse
The challenge of social neuroscience:
zero-sum games:
The body is an open system; our minds, bodies, health and performance are co-created.
Perpetuate perceptions of scarcity.
Our bodies and lives are permeable to stories and narrative. We are hyper-social primates: our brains work best in combination with others. The brain is a social organ.
Reward strength, deception, cunning; increase stress.
non-zero sum games; Unlimited abundance possible. Reward communication, social intelligence, rapport; increase social cohesion, decrease stress.
The power of mirror neurons: Mirror neurons have a dual function: to produce movement and to run a simulation of what other bodies are experiencing in motion. Mirror neurons are believed to be the foundation of empathy. Our social nature is fundamentally physical.
play principles: • Role-reversals and role flexibility • Self-handicapping
“We are people through other people.” Nguni-language saying of the Bushmen of South Africa
3:40 - 4:10
movement 6
exuberant animal games slam dunk 3 clap rap
eqilateral triangles
Low right, low left, leap high for right, then reverse.
cross clap one foot Wider is better.
attention deficit disorder pass with stance switch
clap with stance hop-switch hoop pass
4:10 - 4:40
romantic v. classical
presentation
Robert Pirsig Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance
creative living and integration
romance phase v. the precision phase Alfred North Whitehead “The Rhythmic Claims of Freedom and Discipline”
primal oscillations: Paleo Childhood Athletic Circadian
wild land back country rhythm is a performance-enhancing pattern: beware contrast erosion!
city front country
focused, high-density attention
jagged, flat-line “living”
analgesic v. exuberant model dis-engagement, rest low-density attention
Solving problems v. creating a future.
4:50 - 5:10
presentation
trends focus on neuro-optimism Increasing interest changing the brain with intentional behavior. Decreasing interest in talent or innate ability; more interest in training and experiential education.
attention mangement Recognition of the power of attention to drive neuroplastic change. Intentional efforts to channel and focus attention at key moments.
behavioral epigenetics Strategic use of behavior and lifestyle to turn genes on and off.
embodied cognition Increasing understanding that intelligence is distributed across the entire body and the relationships that the body creates.
social neuroscience and rapport Increasing appreciation for social contagion of ideas, memes and emotion. Increasing interest in developing non-verbal rapport. Decreasing focus on individuals; greater focus on teams, tribe and culture.
strategic use of movement Movement snacks to improve cognitive performance, distributed throughout the day and prior to important events.
stress education Increasing interest in preserving and extending “neurological assets,” both in individuals and in organizations.
body-friendly design Increasing focus on bio-compatible and human-friendly qualities of structures, products and processes.
neuro and ecosystem metaphors and models Increasing interest in holistic and relational forms; greater appreciation for massively interconnected systems.
positivity Increasing appreciation for the value of positive states. Intentional efforts to promote and sustain a culture of meaning, satisfaction and happiness.
5:10 - 5:30
movement 7
circle squats:
jump for joy
One legged squats. Include spot and heckle. A dozen on each side.
get off the line:
Easy “sword cut” with a soft hand. Receiver slides in towards “attacker” to left or right. Get the metaphor: “Enter into the scary place...embrace the fear.”
team touch:
Imagine a point in the center. Stand on one foot and adjust your distance so you can just reach it. Everyone reaches in together to touch. Alternate hands. Also foot touches.
animal magnetism:
Start with sticky wrists: don’t break contact. Coach leads with creative movement. Goal is to give athlete a good, pumpy, dynamic experience. On sensei’s call, switch roles.
jump for joy: “All together now... Three jumps with a big yell at the top!”
specific recommendations Pay greater attention and respect to physical experience. Embody and honor healthy behavior.
results and return A comprehensive program of health and performance education will provide these benefits:
Use physically activity strategically to promote and sustain energy. Implement “movement snacks” to maintain and increase cognitive function.
ÐÐ fear and conflict
Monitor health and performance: be alert for the early warning signs of stress.
ÐÐ health care costs
Promote a high-contrast culture of engagement alternating with deep and sustained rest. Encourage meditation and relaxation practices. Build a culture of social support, recognition and rapport. Promote a growth orientation: focus on continuous learning. Reward effort before achievement. Hire or train internal health advocates/coaches. Provide stress and performance education for managers, staff and employees.
ÐÐ cognitive distortion and impulsivity
ÐÐ absenteeism and presenteeism ÏÏ learning, comprehension and memory ÏÏ affiliation and trust (oxytocin) ÏÏ long range thinking ÏÏ team cohesion and collaboration ÏÏ engagement, creativity and innovation
reading and resources Stress and the Body by Robert Sapolsky: Audio and DVD by The Teaching Company Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers by Robert Sapolsky Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck No Contest: The Case Against Competition by Alfie Kohn Punished by Rewards: The Trouble with Gold Stars, Incentive Plans, A’s, Praise and Other Bribes by Alfie Kohn
Brain Rules by John Medina A General Theory of Love by Thomas Lewis, Fari Amini and Richard Lannon The Joy of Living: Unlocking the Secret and Science of Happiness by Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche The Relaxation Response by Herbert Benson, M.D. Relaxation Revolution by Herbert Benson, M.D.
The Power of Full Engagement by Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz
The Twenty-Four Hour Society by Martin Moore-Ede
The Power of Story: Change Your Story, Change Your Destiny in Business and in Life by Jim Loehr
Molecules of Emotion: The Science Behind Mind-Body Medicine by Candace Pert, Ph.D.
The Way We’re Working Isn’t Working: The Four Forgotten Needs that Energize Great Performance by Tony Schwartz
Emotional Intelligence: Why it Can Matter More than IQ by Daniel Goleman
Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain by John Ratey M.D.
Social Intelligence: The New Science of Human Relationships by Daniel Goleman
The Talent Code: Greatness Isn’t Born. It’s Grown. Here’s How by Daniel Coyle
Mirroring People: The Science of Empathy and How We Connect With Others by Marco Iacoboni
Talent is Over-Rated: What Really Separates World-class Performers from Everybody Else by Geoff Colvin
The Age of Empathy: Nature’s Lessons for a Kinder Society by Frans de Waal
Free Play: Improvisation in Life and Art by Stephen Nachmanovitch
Our Inner Ape by Frans De Waal
Play by Stuart Brown M.D.
Learned Optimism: How to Change Your Mind and Your Life: by Martin Seligman Ph.D.
Iconoclast: A Neuroscientist Reveals How to Think Differently by Gregory Burns
The Neuroscience of Psychotherapy: Building and Rebuilding the Human Brain: by Louis Cozolino
The Brain That Changes Itself by Norman Doidge M.D.
Descartes’ Error: Emotion, Reason, and the Human Brain by Antonio Damasio
The Neurobiology of We: How Relationships, the Mind, and the Brain Interact to Shape Who We Are by Daniel Siegel, M.D. Sounds True Audio Learning Course
frank forencich
Narrative Medicine: The Use of History and Story in the Healing Process: by Lewis Mehl-Madrona, M.D. The Aims of Education “The Rhythmic Claims of Freedom and Discipline” by Alfred North Whitehead Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi The Art of Happiness by The Dali Lama Train Your Mind, Change Your Brain by Sharon Begley “Free Your Ass and Your Mind Will Follow: Embodied Leadership” by Jamie Wheal www.changethis.com “Engagement is the Keystone of Employee Productivity” June 2010 White Paper by the Human Performance Institute “Get in Shape to Lead” Harvard Business Review Article “What’s the Hard Return on Employee Wellness Programs?” Harvard Business Review Reprint “The Making of a Corporate Athlete” Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz Harvard Business Review reprint R0101H “What Brain Science Tells Us About How to Excel” by Edward M. Hallowell Harvard Business Review reprint R1012L “Workplace Wellness Plan Saves Money Over the Long-Term, New Study Shows: ScienceDaily (Aug. 20, 2010)
Frank Forencich is an internationally-recognized leader in health education and performance training. He earned his B.A. at Stanford University in human biology and has over 30 years teaching experience in martial art, functional movement and health promotion. He is the author of Play as if Your Life Depends on It, Exuberant Animal and Change Your Body, Change the World. 206-406-5670
[email protected]
performance, health and team-building seminars
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revitalize your body, your people and your organization
l® ma ni ta an
Exuberant Animal® is an innovative health leadership organization dedicated to performance and transformation. We offer a comprehensive, multi-disciplinary approach that’s invigorating, liberating and life-changing. By combining the study of practical neuroscience with physical movement training, Exuberant Animal provides an experience that’s exciting, inspirational and intensely meaningful. Exuberant Animal® offers experiential training for managers, team-leaders, human resource professionals, fitness trainers and other health advocates. For more information, visit
exuberantanimal.com
