I challenge my self to write 50 posts in 50 days. Every day one lesson, one tip, or one tool that I use and which help me in my life and capoeira. Enjoy and hope it will be beneficial for you, too. This originally was written for my students.
Harsh language ahead. Beware!
I have always been sort of a geek. And even before going to my first capoeira class, I read the whole Wikipedia on the subject and came overprepared. I couldn’t do any movement, but I already knew about the traditions, lineages, styles in capoeira. Now I don’t recommend doing it extensively or having any high expectations before doing anything. Do your research, but “empty your cup” for new experiences.
I see there are two ways to understand identities. One level is where you associate your self with a work, school, group, or lineage. Another level where you associate yourself with habits you do day-to-day.
Stress is good for your health if you believe it’s good for you.
The placebo effect is the positive response to an inert substance or treatment due to the patient’s belief in its efficacy, while the nocebo effect is the negative response to a harmless substance or treatment resulting from the patient’s expectation of harm.
Both the placebo and nocebo effects are well-documented phenomena supported by research in psychology, medicine, and neuroscience. But they are still a total mystery. Researchers continue to explore the underlying mechanisms and the conditions under which these effects are likely to occur.
In the previous post I wrote about leadership and how capoeira acts as s disguised leadership academy. But the next, more interesting question and challenge for a leader is: how to pass the baton of leadership to a new runner? How can we pass on all the stuff we learned in a half-time to the next generation?
This is a tough one. Even if you do not consider your self a leader, try to read through and understand what is on the other side.
In many ways, a capoeira community is a disguised leadership academy. You can play capoeira by yourself, but to manifest capoeira in its full power and full colors, you need a group of people. You need people to play instruments, to sing songs and clap hands, you need people to play in the circle.
Stop taking it so seriously and have fun. Capoeira is a game. If you adopt capoeira philosophy as a life philosophy, then Life is a Game. So it should be played with a smile on your face. Enjoying and knowing that sometimes you’re going to fall on your ass. You are going to get up, do a rolê, and laugh.
“God breaks open the heart again and again until it stays open”
Hazrat Inayat Khan
The whole point of doing a big project is to break your heart. It’s not a side effect, it’s the objective. Any big thing you do in your life will break your heart. And breaking the heart is not a bad thing. It’s one of the most profound teachings that we have as a human being.
Integrity is like a crossroad with three roads: Your Thoughts, Your Words, Your Actions. In the place where your thoughts, words, and actions intersect, you have integrity.
Everything around us is a result of integrity. Buildings, roads, bridges, anything created is a result of the intersection of someone’s thoughts, words, and actions.
There are many articles on the web comparing words “reactivity” and “responsibility”. But let’s view it in a capoeira context. As you know, the roda of capoeira is a great analogy for life.