10,000 hours

10,000 hours

This is a number that many experts use when referring to mastery. Research says it is not only the hours that are dedicated to the skill, but also the elapsed time in-between that makes a difference. In the book, "Genius within Us" author David Shenk says that after studying the process of mastery, ten years and ten thousand hours- no matter what the domain- seems to be the start of mastery. This equates to three hours a day. Just the other day a friend of mine who is a student was referring to a teacher at Empowered Yoga. He was commenting on her development as a teacher. I told him it is a simple equation, passion + practice = mastery. I told him that if the person is passionate and practice is steady then mastery can be achieved. The part of David Shenk's research that I find so important is the importance of lapsed time between dedicated study time. It is the digestion time that allows for the skill to soak into our being. I always tell our students in teacher training that the only thing they are lacking is teaching hours. Is there a skill you would like to master? If so are you putting in your time towards mastery?

The Sound of Your Life

"Out of silence emerges the sound of your life". During certain periods of my life, I work with quotes. This is one I am working with now. I am at the end of a 90 day challenge involving sitting daily in meditation so this quote is something easy to work with. Meditation is a pretty misunderstood word. Meditation and focus are synonymous. We meditate all of the time, especially when we drive. If you don't concentrate on the road you get in an accident or you get a ticket. In the process of seated meditation you concentrate on your body and breathing. You are concentrating on yourself. Seems a bit narcissistic at first yet all of this hinges on your intention. For most people, meditation is a process of relieving stress while experiencing joy and self discovery. The process is learning to listen inwardly to the sound of your life. Within this process you are taught the importance of being gentle and not judging yourself. Most of us can be hard on ourselves and judgmental. If you get quiet and sit still, what is your experience? For me spending time each day to be quiet and do nothing has become a profound practice. It has gotten me in touch with the sound of my life and the direction it is taking. We have beginner meditation every Friday in Wilmington if you would like to learn how to meditate.