exuberant animal booklet

7/28/2019 Exuberant Animal Booklet

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exuberantanimal

performancetraining

workshop guide

an exuberant animal publication


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change your body, change the world

by frank forencich

exuberant animal

exuber

ant

ani

mal

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Copyright 2011 Exuberant Animal

All rights reserved.

No part o this document may be reproduced by any meanswithout express written consent.

Exuberant Animal Publications9112 32nd Ave. NE

Seattle, WA 98115

www.exuberantanimal.com


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Exuberance is an abounding, ebullient,eervescent emotion. It is kinetic andunrestrained, joyul, irrepressible.

Kay Redfeld JamisonExuberance

All vigor is contagious.

Emerson

exposu

reem

brace

exper

ien

ce exuberance

enga

gement

enco

un

ter


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Exuberant Animal is a multi-disciplinary approach toperormance that combines the study o practical neu-roscience with vigorous movement training. We provide auniquely integrated experience that will open your mind,body and organization to new dimensions o perormanceand potential.

presentation content:

Recent discoveries in neuroscience have shown conclusivelythat mind and body are interconnected and interdependent.States o body and physical condition have proound inu-

ences on cognition, behavior, judgment and decision-making.

Neuroscience has tremendous explanatory power; it cantell us how our bodies work, how we interact with theworld and why we behave the way we do. In addition, it o-

ers tremendous potential or personal and organizationaltransormation. Once we understand the principles o neu-roplasticity, we position ourselves to make lasting changes toour bodies, our minds and our organizations.

Youll learn

Te neurological basis o learning

Te power and potential o neuroplasticity

Strategies or creating positive stress

Te undamentals o rapport-building and socialintelligence

movement session content:

Beyond the obvious health benets o physical activity,vigorous movement helps us sharpen our cognitive skillsand deepen our relationships with one another. Vigorousmovement enhances brain unction and improves memory,attention and learning. Physical games and social play pro-

mote team cohesion, role exibility and creativity.

Our movement sessions include unctional training andgames drawn rom Te Exuberant Animal Play Book. Tesemovement sessions will spark your physicality and integrateyour energies into a coherent, powerul whole.

Youll experience

Te basics o physical intelligence and unction

Agility, balance and coordination

Core integration

Body awareness

aken together, these complementary experiences will spark

a new appreciation or physicality and its role in work andlie perormance. Not only will you eel great, youll discovera new set o ideas that will revolutionize the way you live andwork.

welcome to exuberant animal

performance training

youll leave

laughing, sweaty

and inspired.


5/25

morning afternoon

1:30 Meditation

1:45 Presentation: Stresscra

2:25 Movement Session 5

3:00 Break

3:10 Presentation: Rapport and social neuroscience


4:10 Presentation: Creative living and integration

4:40 Break

4:50 Presentation: rends and recommendations


5:30 Jump or Joy

8:00 Welcome


8:40 Presentation: Panorama


10:00 Break

10:10 Presentation: Functional raining


11:10 Break

11:20 Presentation: Learning and Plasticity


12:30 Break or lunch


6/25

8:00 - 8:20

introduction

welcome to training

Who we are

Why were here

A look at our day: rhythm and oscillation

Movement snacks and the embodied process

Engagement and ocus

Everyones an athlete, everyones a coach.

Sae emergency: Its all optional, use your judgment.

Show respect for people, process and place.

Exercise responsibility.

Seek balance, harmony and integration.

Focus attention and presence. Be here now.

Participate fully with end-to-end commitment.

Everyone works with everyone.

Come with an empty cup, ready to learn.

Balance gravity and levity with serious play.

Seek transformation and clarity of purpose.

Walk your talk.

gravity and levity


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8:20 - 8:40

movement 1

short form and warm ups

Getting the juice moving. Robust, vigorous movement.

Get your breathing turned on, get some bounce in your legs.

Movement in all three planes.

Play with speed and amplitude.

Focus on whole-body integration.

Standing arm swings

Flutter kicks and back stroke

Wax on, wax o

Hip-shoulder rotations

Multi-circle, all planes and stances

Crossing reaches, one ootDeep arc, go low

Dynamic loop

Figure eight, all stances and steps

arm swings

wax on, wax off

all sizesfigure eights:

all sizes and stanceship-shoulder

rotations multi-circle:

all planes and stances

one foot

x-reachesflutter kicks

and backstroke

deep arc

(go low)dynamic loop

with steps

sidewalk dilemma:

Eye contact, then an easy,graceul pass. ouch asdesired/necesssary.

touch the earth:

Squat touch, alternating.Also with steps.

heaven earth squat:

Squat touch, alternatingwith reaches.

?

?


8/25

8:40 - 9:20

presentation

pain and potential

Perormance is behavior and behavior comes rom the body, espe-cially the nervous system.

Context and history:

Welcome to the primates predicament, the realization that wereexperiencing a proound mismatch between our evolutionary heri-tage and the reality o the modern world.

key points:

Our bodies are ancient; we are embedded in the living world.

Every detail of human anatomy, physiology and psychology

is the way it is because of our experience in wild outdoor

environments.

Our tribal behavior and mental performance are rooted in

our deep history; we perform the way we do because of our

legacy programming.

We live in an alien environment with unique demands.

This alien environment wreaks havoc on both health and

performance. It challenges us to develop new ways of

thinking, working and living.

body pain

heart disease, obesity, diabetes

depression

neurological and attention disorders

physical unhappiness, body dissatisaction

workplace pain

Health care costs

Conict

Absenteeism

Fragmented attention

Stress overload and burn out

Depression and presenteeism

promise and potential

Neuro-optimism: using our knowledge o plasticity andsocial neuroscience to cra new perceptions, behaviors,

relationships and possibilities. Embodied cognition: moving bodies think better.

Stress education: stress can work or us.

Rapport with our bodies, our work, our communities andour habitat.


9/25

9:20 - 10:00

movement 2

spotting and heckling

Spotting:

Use your body to protect one another rom all ing. Use thepower in your legs, hips and torso to absorb momentum and

protect your partner.

sticky wrist

and ankle:

Maintain contact.Heckle and spot asnecessary.

judo heckle:

Double role:spot the all andchallenge stability.

basic heckle:

So hands; justenough to destabilize.

Shoulders, hips, arms

spot:

Shape like a unnel.

Absorb the all with yourwhole body and solid stance.

Use your arms and/or yourtorso.

A heckle is a playul, destabilizing challenge another body.

Te coachs goal: the athlete should have a good experience.


10/25

10:10 - 10:40

presentation

functional training

Te new standard or athletic training.

Functional training asks What works? and Whats eective?

what is functional training?

Multi-joint, multi-plane

Emphasis on performance, not appearance.

Emphasis on the nervous system.

Emphasis on integration, balance, motor control and agility.

Emphasis on sensation and sensitivity.

Emphasis on real world challenges, relevant to the individual.

the power of specificity (SAID principle)

You get precisely what you train for. You become what you do.

frontal

transve

rse

sagittal

Multi-plane unction:graceul and powerul inall three planes

Musculoskeletal elements in amutually supporting system;balanced length and strength.

proprioception: super fast and trainable

isolation v. integration

Kinetic chains are the unctional unit o human movement.

Bareoot Sensei: Its all one muscle.

Vern Gambetta: Work movements, not muscles.


11/25

10:40 - 11:10

movement 3

balance and locomotion

rope-a-dope:

Competitive. Stay on one oot, no hops. Pull or letslack slide through your hands. One hand or two.

mountain rescue

Sprained ankle. Spot your partnerdown the trail.

compass rose reaches

Low and high.

Fast or slow

Especially NW and SE.

step-n-stop

Big step: stick the landing withperect control. All directions.Also with a partner and a bump.

single leg squat

As low as you want.

Spot your partner and/or heckle.

skipping variations

and silly walks


12/25

11:20 - 11:50

presentation

learning and plasticity

Adapted v. adaptable: Te crucial distinction or athletic trainingand perormance in the modern business world.

Neuro-optimism: regeneration o the brain and nervous system. The

human brain is constantly reorganizing itself, growing new cells andnew connections.

elements of plasticity:

neurogenesis (growth o new nerve cells)

myelination (insulation o nerve cel l bers)

long-term potentiation (sensitization o synaptic transmission)

Use-dependent (Use it or lose it.)

Cells that re together, wire together.

Education is undamentally physical.

Attention stabilizes new circuits.

pro neurogenesis:

Aerobic exercise (cardio)

Meditation (relaxation response)

Play and enriched environments

the neoplastic transformation:

Experience (doing) + Attention (caring)

beware the paradox of plasticity:

Te brain is a habit-orming organ!

myelin sheath:

Acts as insulation to speedsignaling. Tickens with use.

LTP: Long-term potentiation o synaptic transmission: non-linear increase in membrane sensitivity. Tis is the cellular basis olearning.

growth orientation

Mindsetby Carol Dweck

Eort is more important thanachievement


13/25

11:50 - 12:30

movement 4

partner-resist

back-to-back:

Sink down into yourstance: butt to butt.

Walk across room, thenswitch roles.

towing:

Smooth resistance.Across the room, thenswitch roles.

lateral tow:

Step as desired: crossing in ront, behind or shue.Also slalom tow.

back and forth:

Choose a number osteps. Ten smoothresistance with rolereversals.

linear stroke:

Like a martial art punch.Strong stance, ull-bodypower. Smooth resistance.

rope pulls:

Use core and hips.Bend your knees.Smooth resistance.


14/25

1:30 - 1:45

meditationTe greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose

one thought over another.

William James

How much stress we experience depends more on how wellwe control attention, than on what happens to us.

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

Fresh awareness o whatever arises...is sufcient.

Te Ninth Gwalwang KarmapaMahamudra: Te Ocean o Denitive Meaning

ension is who you think you should be.Relaxation is who you are.

Chinese proverb

Observe and return.

Mindulness:

Non-judgmental attention

Soen and stay.

Pema Chodron

lovin

gkind

nesscompassion


15/25

1:45 - 2:25

presentation

stresscraft

Stress education is ar more than simply learning to cope with di-cult circumstances. Understanding stress is vital to developing highperormance in any discipline.

neurological assets:

Te knowledge stored in your nervous system and in the people oyour organization.

autonomic nervous system:

Fight-ight system or emergency physical movement.

Rest-repair system or tissue healing and regeneration

Tese systems operate on an either-or basis: we activate one or theother, but not both.

Classic stress event: a threat to physical saety.

Perceived threats to rank and identity also create stress.

challenge:

Te stress response is hair-trigger, the relaxation response takes t ime.

stress hormones:

Low levels and short exposures are powerul elixrs; large doses andlong exposures are harmul. Chronic stress akin to burning theurniture to keep the house warm.

the dose makes the poison.

early warning signs of over-stress:

anhedonia (loss o pleasure)

neophobia (avoidance o new things)

reduced ambiguity tolerance

cognitive distortions, especially over-generalizing

irritability, decreased sense o humor

poor concentration

impulsivity and small-picture thinking

modulators of the stress response

control

predictability

trends

outlets

social support

increased stress,

cortisol production

sweet

spot

neurotoxicity,

resource depletion,

tissue damage


16/25

2:25 - 3:00

movement 5

exuberant animal games

target touches

Cross-body touches.Coach adjusts targets.

Stationary or dynamic.

gravity pump

crawl target

Stationary or dynamic.

stick target lay ups

two coach target touch with med ball

orbits

Athlete circles around coach.Coach moves as desired.Heckles as desired.


17/25

3:10 - 3:40

presentation

rapport

Te challenge o social neuroscience:

Te body is an open system; our minds, bodies, health and peror-mance are co-created.

Our bodies and lives are permeable to stories and narrative.

We are hyper-social primates: our brains work best in combinationwith others. Te brain is a social organ.

Te power o mirror neurons:Mirror neurons have a dual unction: to produce movementand to run a simulation o what other bodies are experiencingin motion. Mirror neurons are believed to be the oundation oempathy.

Our social nature is undamentally physical.

zero-sum games:

Perpetuate perceptions o scarcity.

Reward strength, deception, cunning; increase stress.

non-zero sum games;

Unlimited abundance possible.

Reward communication, social intelligence, rapport; in-crease social cohesion, decrease stress.

A nite game is played or the purpose o winning, aninnite game or the purpose o continuing the play.

James Carse

We are people through other people.

Nguni-language saying o the Bushmen o South Arica

play principles:

Role-reversals and role exibility

Sel-handicapping


18/25

3:40 - 4:10

movement 6

exuberant animal games

3 clap rap

Low right, low le, leap highor right, then reverse.

cross clap one foot

Wider is better.

clap with stance

hop-switch

pass with

stance switch

hoop pass

attention deficitdisorder

slam dunk

eqilateral triangles


19/25

city

front country

wild land

back country

primal oscillations:

PaleoChildhood

Athletic

Circadian

romantic v. classical

Robert Pirsig

Zen and the Art o Motorcycle Maintenance

romance phase v. the precision phase

Alred North Whitehead

Te Rhythmic Claims o Freedom and Discipline

4:10 - 4:40

presentation

creative living and

integration

analgesic v. exuberant model

Solving problems v. creating a future.

jagged, flat-line

living

focused,

high-density

attention

dis-engagement, rest

low-density attention

rhythm is a performance-enhancing pattern:

beware contrast erosion!


20/25

4:50 - 5:10

presentation

trends

focus on neuro-optimism

Increasing interest changing the brain with intentional behavior.

Decreasing interest in talent or innate ability; more interest intraining and experiential education.

attention mangement

Recognition o the power o attention to drive neuroplasticchange. Intentional eorts to channel and ocus attention at keymoments.

behavioral epigenetics

Strategic use o behavior and liestyle to turn genes on and o.

embodied cognition

Increasing understanding that intelligence is distributed acrossthe entire body and the relationships that the body creates.

social neuroscience and rapport

Increasing appreciation or social contagion o ideas, memes andemotion. Increasing interest in developing non-verbal rapport.Decreasing ocus on individuals; greater ocus on teams, tribeand culture.

strategic use of movement

Movement snacks to improve cognitive perormance,distributed throughout the day and prior to important events.

stress education

Increasing interest in preserving and extending neurological

assets, both in individuals and in organizations.

body-friendly design

Increasing ocus on bio-compatible and human-riendlyqualities o structures, products and processes.

neuro and ecosystem metaphors and models

Increasing interest in holistic and relational orms; greaterappreciation or massively interconnected systems.

positivity

Increasing appreciation or the value o positive states.Intentional eorts to promote and sustain a culture omeaning, satisaction and happiness.


21/25

5:10 - 5:30

movement 7

jump for joy

animal magnetism:

Start with sticky wrists: dont break contact. Coach leadswith creative movement. Goal is to give athlete a good,pumpy, dynamic experience. On senseis call, switch roles.

get off the line:

Easy sword cut with a so hand.

Receiver slides in towards attackerto le or right.

Get the metaphor: Enter into thescary place...embrace the ear.

team touch:

Imagine a point in thecenter. Stand on one ootand adjust your distanceso you can just reachit. Everyone reaches intogether to touch.

Alternate hands. Alsooot touches.

jump for joy:

All together now...

Tree jumps with a bigyell at the top!

circle squats:

One legged squats.

Include spot and heckle.

A dozen on each side.


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specific recommendations

Pay greater attention and respect to physical experience.Embody and honor healthy behavior.

Use physically activity strategically to promote andsustain energy. Implement movement snacks to

maintain and increase cognitive unction.

Monitor health and perormance: be alert or the earlywarning signs o stress.

Promote a high-contrast culture o engagementalternating with deep and sustained rest.

Encourage meditation and relaxation practices.

Build a culture o social support, recognition and rapport.

Promote a growth orientation: ocus on continuouslearning. Reward eort beore achievement.

Hire or train internal health advocates/coaches.

Provide stress and perormance education or managers,sta and employees.

results and return

ear and conict

cognitive distortion and impulsivity

health care costs

absenteeism and presenteeism

learning, comprehension and memory

afliation and trust (oxytocin)

long range thinking

team cohesion and collaboration

engagement, creativity and innovation

A comprehensive program o health and perormanceeducation will provide these benets:


23/25

reading and resources

Stress and the Bodyby Robert Sapolsky: Audio and DVD by Teeaching Company

Why Zebras Dont Get Ulcers by Robert Sapolsky

Mindset: Te New Psychology o Success by Carol Dweck

No Contest: Te Case Against Competition by Ale Kohn

Punished by Rewards: Te rouble with Gold Stars, Incentive Plans,As, Praise and Other Bribes by Ale Kohn

Te Power o Full Engagementby Jim Loehr and ony Schwartz

Te Power o Story: Change Your Story, Change Your Destiny inBusiness and in Lie by Jim Loehr

Te Way Were Working Isnt Working: Te Four Forgotten Needsthat Energize Great Perormance by ony Schwartz

Spark: Te Revolutionary New Science o Exercise and the Brain byJohn Ratey M.D.

Te alent Code: Greatness Isnt Born. Its Grown. Heres How byDaniel Coyle

alent is Over-Rated: What Really Separates World-class Perormersrom Everybody Else by Geo Colvin

Free Play: Improvisation in Lie and Artby StephenNachmanovitch

Playby Stuart Brown M.D.

Iconoclast: A Neuroscientist Reveals How to Tink DiferentlybyGregory Burns

Te Brain Tat Changes Itselby Norman Doidge M.D.

Brain Rules by John Medina

A General Teory o Love by Tomas Lewis, Fari Amini andRichard Lannon

Te Joy o Living: Unlocking the Secret and Science o Happinessby Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche

Te Relaxation Response by Herbert Benson, M.D.

Relaxation Revolution by Herbert Benson, M.D.

Te wenty-Four Hour Societyby Martin Moore-Ede

Molecules o Emotion: Te Science Behind Mind-Body Medicineby Candace Pert, Ph.D.

Emotional Intelligence: Why it Can Matter More than IQ byDaniel Goleman

Social Intelligence: Te New Science o Human Relationships byDaniel Goleman

Mirroring People: Te Science o Empathy and How We Connect

With Others by Marco Iacoboni

Te Age o Empathy: Natures Lessons or a Kinder SocietybyFrans de Waal

Our Inner Ape by Frans De Waal

Learned Optimism: How to Change Your Mind and Your Lie : byMartin Seligman Ph.D.

Te Neuroscience o Psychotherapy: Building and Rebuilding theHuman Brain: by Louis Cozolino

Descartes Error: Emotion, Reason, and the Human Brain byAntonio Damasio


24/25

Te Neurobiology o We: How Relationships, the Mind, and theBrain Interact to Shape Who We Are by Daniel Siegel, M.D.Sounds rue Audio Learning Course

Narrative Medicine: Te Use o History and Story in the HealingProcess: by Lewis Mehl-Madrona, M.D.

Te Aims o Education Te Rhythmic Claims o Freedom andDiscipline by Alred North Whitehead

Flow: Te Psychology o Optimal Experience by MihalyCsikszentmihalyi

Te Art o Happiness by Te Dali Lama

rain Your Mind, Change Your Brain by Sharon Begley

Free Your Ass and Your Mind Will Follow: EmbodiedLeadership by Jamie Wheal www.changethis.com

Engagement is the Keystone o Employee Productivity June2010 White Paper by the Human Perormance Institute

Get in Shape to Lead Harvard Business Review Article

Whats the Hard Return on Employee Wellness Programs?

Harvard Business Review Reprint

Te Making o a Corporate Athlete Jim Loehr and onySchwartz Harvard Business Review reprint R0101H

What Brain Science ells Us About How to Excel by EdwardM. Hallowell Harvard Business Review reprint R1012L

Workplace Wellness Plan Saves Money Over the Long-erm,New Study Shows: ScienceDaily (Aug. 20, 2010)

Frank Forencich is an internationally-recognized leaderin health education and perormance training. He earnedhis B.A. at Stanord University in human biology and hasover 30 years teaching experience in martial art, unctionalmovement and health promotion. He is the author oPlayas i Your Lie Depends on It, Exuberant Animaland ChangeYour Body, Change the World.

206-406-5670

[email protected]

frank forencich


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exuberant

anim

al

exuberantanimal com

performance, health and

team-building seminars

revitalize your body, your people

and your organization

Exuberant Animal is an innovative health leadership organi-zation dedicated to perormance and transormation. We oera comprehensive, multi-disciplinary approach thats invigo-rating, liberating and lie-changing. By combining the studyo practical neuroscience with physical movement training,Exuberant Animal provides an experience thats exciting, in-spirational and intensely meaningul.

Exuberant Animal oers experiential training or managers,team-leaders, human resource proessionals, tness trainersand other health advocates. For more inormation, visit

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