In all the years that I have been a Figure Skater, there is one move and skill that I have received more praise from my coaches than any other- I fall well. It sounds like a funny skill to be proud of, but its probably the most important on ice skill that I have. Knowing how to fall correctly allows me to practice jumps and spins with little fear, and few to no (exception being when I am sick and skate then I fall wrong) fall related injuries.
Most of my skating injuries have been due to stupidity, I mean not being careful when my skates are newly sharpened, or when they are getting dull.
On my mission, many of my companions were also highly impressed with my abilities to fall correctly, and they asked me to teach them by demonstration many times. OK that may have been just because it was hilarious to watch me fall repeatedly in the snow, but if followed my falling tips could save them broken wrists, and banged heads from falls.
Today I was telling my counselor about this amazing falling ability I had, and he agreed that its very very important to know how to fall properly, not just physically, but also emotionally, and mentally. Maybe even to a degree, I would add spiritually. You can't learn unless you make mistakes, on the ice, or in life. You can't grow if you don't learn. If you learn to make mistakes in a way that minimizes damage to self and others, to testimony, or to relationships or anything else, then you can learn from life without destroying yours and others lives and having to rebuild them constantly.
Learning to do this is something everyone has to figure out to some degree by themselves, but over the past year I think some tips for life in general could be:
1. Always be painfully and completely honest with yourself
2. Set Boundaries
3. take some time for you, and take some time to serve others. keep them in balance.
4. Read your scriptures, pray, and meditate daily, even if its one verse in the scriptures, and a quick prayer on the way to work.
5. Unplug from technology for at least a half hour every day.
6. Eat healthy, exercise, and get enough sleep as regularly as you can.
7. every now and then, take a vacation.
8. Talk to someone, connect, get things out
That's what I've come up with for now. Add to it if you think of something, but If I feel my life starting to get out of control, that is what has helped me.
As for regular falling, here are my tips on that:
1. Tuck your head.
2. don't catch yourself with your hands, you risk breaking something. Tuck your arms, and try to land on the softer meatier part of your upper arms
3. Tuck and roll. (after the aforementioned tucking, roll out of the fall. It will take some of the momentum and energy out of the impact, so you wont hit as hard as if you just come straight down.
4. if you are coming down hard on your legs, bend your knees, and try to land on your toes rather than smacking your feet flat, and then if you are still going to fall after you land, tuck and roll.
Good luck, and keep your stick on the ice.
Most of my skating injuries have been due to stupidity, I mean not being careful when my skates are newly sharpened, or when they are getting dull.
On my mission, many of my companions were also highly impressed with my abilities to fall correctly, and they asked me to teach them by demonstration many times. OK that may have been just because it was hilarious to watch me fall repeatedly in the snow, but if followed my falling tips could save them broken wrists, and banged heads from falls.
Today I was telling my counselor about this amazing falling ability I had, and he agreed that its very very important to know how to fall properly, not just physically, but also emotionally, and mentally. Maybe even to a degree, I would add spiritually. You can't learn unless you make mistakes, on the ice, or in life. You can't grow if you don't learn. If you learn to make mistakes in a way that minimizes damage to self and others, to testimony, or to relationships or anything else, then you can learn from life without destroying yours and others lives and having to rebuild them constantly.
Learning to do this is something everyone has to figure out to some degree by themselves, but over the past year I think some tips for life in general could be:
1. Always be painfully and completely honest with yourself
2. Set Boundaries
3. take some time for you, and take some time to serve others. keep them in balance.
4. Read your scriptures, pray, and meditate daily, even if its one verse in the scriptures, and a quick prayer on the way to work.
5. Unplug from technology for at least a half hour every day.
6. Eat healthy, exercise, and get enough sleep as regularly as you can.
7. every now and then, take a vacation.
8. Talk to someone, connect, get things out
That's what I've come up with for now. Add to it if you think of something, but If I feel my life starting to get out of control, that is what has helped me.
As for regular falling, here are my tips on that:
1. Tuck your head.
2. don't catch yourself with your hands, you risk breaking something. Tuck your arms, and try to land on the softer meatier part of your upper arms
3. Tuck and roll. (after the aforementioned tucking, roll out of the fall. It will take some of the momentum and energy out of the impact, so you wont hit as hard as if you just come straight down.
4. if you are coming down hard on your legs, bend your knees, and try to land on your toes rather than smacking your feet flat, and then if you are still going to fall after you land, tuck and roll.
Good luck, and keep your stick on the ice.
No comments:
Post a Comment