Cycles – with Patrick Oancia
This conversation between Craig Constantine and Patrick Oancia revolves around the importance of structure and exploration in movement practices. They discuss the concept of balancing structure and chaos to create a practice that offers both a foundation and room for individual exploration. Patrick shares his experience in developing a movement practice called Baseworks that combines structure with the opportunity for multiple possibilities. They also touch upon the significance of finding deep connections and the value of building relationships within communities.
( Note: This conversation was originally recorded in 2020. Sorry it took me so long to get around to republishing this as a podcast. ~Craig )
“I wanted to make something structured enough that people can go from A to Zed in a learning pattern, but at the same time, have some room for that person to have some space to perceive it as something interesting for themselves.”
~ Patrick Oancia 42’30”
Patrick shares his insights on the significance of structure within movement practices. He emphasizes the importance of a structured approach that allows individuals to progress from one stage to another, while still providing room for personal exploration and diverse perspectives. They discuss how structure combined with chaos creates an engaging and interesting experience, fostering depth of perception and possibilities for growth.
“If people jump from one thing to the next, there’s no potential for somebody to sink their teeth into something, it’s reality.”
~ Patrick Oancia 44’30”
The conversation goes into the notion of embracing multiple methods and perspectives in movement practices. Patrick reflects on his experience with strict yoga teachings and how, despite the advice to stick to one method, he pursued different approaches simultaneously. Craig and Patrick discuss the value of exploring various methods, as it allows individuals to gain a broader understanding and depth of perception. They acknowledge that everyone’s journey is unique, and by embracing multiple perspectives, one can find what resonates with them personally.
“Find the others… if you come away with one new deep connection, that’s a super valuable thing.”
~ Craig Constantine 46’35”
Also explored in the conversation is the role of community and deep connections. Craig and Patrick emphasize the value of finding like-minded individuals who share a passion for movement and personal growth. They highlight the importance of creating meaningful connections and relationships within communities, as it provides support, inspiration, and opportunities for collaboration. They recognize that a single deep connection can be more valuable than a multitude of superficial ones.
Take-aways…
- Balance and Focus: It’s important to strike a balance between various aspects of personal development. Just like putting all your golf balls in the physical training bucket can make you good at it but eventually become boring, focusing on a restricted number of things allows for deeper attention and progress.
- Structure and Flexibility: Creating a structured framework for learning and practice provides a solid foundation for growth. However, within that structure, it’s essential to allow room for individual exploration and personalization, enabling people to find their own unique perspectives and interests.
- The Complexity of Verbalizing Concepts: Both participants acknowledge the challenge of articulating their ideas and concepts when discussing movement practices. Movement is often a deeply experiential and nonverbal domain, making it challenging to express certain concepts verbally. This recognition highlights the multifaceted nature of movement practices and the importance of direct experience and embodiment alongside verbal communication.
- Multiple Paths: Everyone’s journey is different, and there is no one-size-fits-all approach to personal development. Each individual may follow a different path, focusing on different areas at different stages of life. It’s important to respect and acknowledge the diverse journeys people undertake.
- Deep Connections: Building meaningful connections with like-minded individuals is invaluable. Finding “the others” who share similar interests and passions can lead to enriching conversations, collaborations, and personal growth. Even if you come away with just one deep connection, it can be highly valuable.
Resources…
Baseworks Baseworks is a movement approach that helps anyone better feel and understand the body while developing strength, flexibility, and better control over one’s movements.
@baseworkslife Baseworks on Instagram and Baseworks on Facebook.
Baseworks’s “Zaap” has even more ways to learn about Patrick and Baseworks.
(Written with help from Chat-GPT.)
— Hello, I’m Craig Constantine. 👋
In the Movers Mindset podcast, I talk with movement enthusiasts to learn who they are, what they do, and why they do it. I’m interested in the nature and philosophy of movement and in exploring themes like independence, self-direction, and human excellence. My interests color each conversation and provide some structure to Movers Mindset. But since I like to take the scenic route, every conversation ends up going somewhere unique.
The purpose of Movers Mindset is to create and share great conversations with movement enthusiasts. Each conversation feeds my insatiable curiosity, but I share them to turn on a light for someone else, to inspire them, or to give them their next question.
I appreciate your time and attention, and I don’t take it for granted.
— Thank you!
My personal mission is creating better conversations to spread understanding and compassion. And Movers Mindset is one of the things I do in service of my mission. Drop by constantine.name for my weekly email, my other podcasts, writing and more.
The Movers Mindset project grew from conversations I started having as part of my personal journey rediscovering movement. The project started late in 2015, and it was initially simply a web site that shared others’ writing. The project grew, and in 2017 I started the podcast. I’ve worked extremely hard, but none of this would have been possible without so much help from so many people.
Thanks for listening!
