Retention of Knowledge

Have you ever gone to a training class where you felt so overwhelmed with information overload that when you leave, you can't possibly want to think about what you just learned? And then a week later, as you attempt to recall your training, you think, I can't remember a darn thing? One time, in a training class of all things, I learned that it is not likely a person can retain all that knowledge when a person's full body of knowledge is comprised of their entire life's worth of experiences - one week class vs. your life (however old you are at the time). I learned that the key is to take away 3 key points to add your knowledge foundation.

I had the opportunity to take a yoga workshop this weekend with Ramanand Patel. I decided to take this workshop a month ago to further my yoga practice. Most of the classes I've taken in various local yoga studios are flow classes where I am in constant movement. The workshop is more similar to what I practice at home. Staying in the postures for extended amount of time, taking breaks between intense work.

I went to the workshop with the intention of de-stressing and learning new postures. After 12 hours over 3 days, I came away with much more. During our postures, Yogi Rama would tell stories, dispense wisdom, or crack jokes. Back to my point about the 3 key takeaways. There was so much to learn during the workshop, that during the last day of the workshop, I thought about which things affected me the most. Instead of trying to retain all the knowledge, I focused on 3 things.

1. Strive to be 100% present.

Ramanand talked about people saying they miss things all the time. Missing people. Missing home. Missing long lost toy. He said try to be 100% present in your current situation so that there is no room for missing. Sometimes, "missing" is a result of being bored. Your brain receives so much stimuli each second that technically, it is impossible to be bored.

I realize you might be in a sticky situation if someone asks you if you missed them and if your response is that you were 100% present when you were away, that you had no room to miss, it could cause some issues. Use as appropriate. Your mileage may vary.

2. Strive to go from the unknown to the known constantly.

Ramanand spoke of seeing the impossible through his travels. If something is unknown, make it a known. I think the concept is pretty basic and useful. In yoga, it's reaching for another millimeter in your pose.

I was attempting to do stand up from wheel pose with assistance from Ramamand pulling downward to create downward force from my lower body. I was supposed to not lead with my head. I was supposed to go into a deeper backbend, straighten my legs, and use my lower body as the leverage to get up. My mind blocked my body from executing properly. Ramanand said "It's just fear." Yes, fear of the unknown.

3. Strive for internal validation.

Ramanand told a story of a class he was teaching one time. There was a woman, presumably the most beautiful woman in the room. When they got to talking, the woman did not perceive herself as beautiful. It turns out she needed constant affirmation. Being told you are doing a good job, etc. feels good. And we all need it once in awhile, but if you feel internally that everything is well, then it is.

This last nugget was the wisdom I needed this past weekend. I've been all in angst over something. I went to the workshop not looking for the answer to this and the answer stared me in the face. It was surreal.



On a different note, during our Saturday and Sunday sessions, we had 90 minute breaks. The workshop was at The Yoga Room in the Berry Hill area which is an eclectic neighborhood. I took a visit to Textile Fabrics which was very near the studio. I came away with fabric from the Serendipity Line by P&B Textiles, Kaffe Fassett fabric, and two Amy Butler sewing patterns.