Noticing, The Essence of the Trager Approach

Last night my husband and I went to an amazing jazz performance by singer, songwriter, and upright bass player Esperanza Spalding. She sang, she danced, she played an instrument that towered over her slight frame. She seemed to be doing it so effortlessly, so naturally. How was this possible? It boggled the mind watching her do all these seemingly disparate things without getting confused. I still have trouble patting my head and rubbing my tummy. How did she keep it all together and separate?
Mark summed it up, “it’s all one thing for her, she was the music.” Being one with her environment is in Trager parlance: “hook up.” Several times during the concert, especially when performing without her back-up band this state of hook up included the audience, and we the changed from mere onlookers and became part of the performance. This is the magic that happens at concerts, the boundaries between audience and performer are softened. The feeling is expansive, effortless and wondrous. This is hook up, the essence of the Trager Approach.
There are other terms for hook-up, (and other meanings for hook-up, but let’s not go there.) Being in the zone or a state of focused attention is another way to explain this state of being one with our environment. In qigong we call this principle “wu –wei” or the art of using the least amount of energy to do something. You can think of it as getting out of your own way. Both modalities do this by acknowledging that we are part of a system larger than oneself. Once we know how to access this state, things get easier. In qigong we use the qi (chi) that is naturally all around us. With Trager we notice where we are now, and then we ask questions. “What can be easier?” “What can be softer?” “What can be better?” “What could be____________?” Get quiet, listen/notice, you will get an answer.
So the next time you feel stressed, or uneasy, uncomfortable, take a moment to ask yourself, what could be better. Listen closely for the answer and make whatever little change you can. Each increment is a step towards a more peaceful life. I will end with the words of Milton Trager, MD, “World peace, one body at a time.”