Discover the counterintuitive "do the easy side badly" strategy that transforms movement without forcing change. Learn why intentionally making your easy side feel difficult helps your challenging side improve naturally through neuroplasticity and contrast learning.
Have you ever noticed that one side of your body moves more smoothly than the other? Maybe your right leg slides effortlessly while your left feels sticky, or you turn more easily in one direction than the other. Your horses and dogs have these asymmetries, too.
Most people try to fix the "harder" side by pushing, stretching, and straining. But renowned movement expert Mary Debono reveals a revolutionary approach that flips this conventional wisdom on its head.
Key Takeaways
The Core Strategy: Instead of working harder on your challenging side, intentionally make your easy side more difficult through playful variations, then return to the challenging side—it will feel dramatically easier.
Why It Works: Your nervous system learns through contrast. By giving your brain information about what doesn't work (through temporary variations), it better understands what does work and naturally improves coordination.
The Pressure Problem: Trying to fix, stretch, or force improvements creates anxiety in the nervous system and often reinforces the original problem through defensive restrictions.
Mindset Shift: Change from asking "How do I fix this?" to "What can I learn from what's already easy?" This transforms your entire approach from correction to exploration.
Natural Learning: Your nervous system wants to move toward health and wholeness. When you create the right environment with curiosity and contrast, improvement happens organically without force.
Resources:
Get your free videos on Connected Breathing and Rhythm Circles with your horse. 🐎https://tinyurl.com/equine-videos
Grab your FREE videos on Connected Breathing and Rhythm Circles to help your dog. 🐕 https://www.marydebono.com/lovedog 💥
Get Mary’s bestselling, award-winning book, “Grow Young with Your Dog,” for a super low price at: https://tinyurl.com/growyoungwithyourdog. Demonstration videos are included at no extra cost.
Want to sit in a more balanced, secure way? Click here for all the details on our Feldenkrais series:
Effortless, Balanced Sitting: A FeldenkraisⓇ Movement Series
All information is for general educational purposes ONLY and does not constitute medical or veterinary advice or professional training advice. Please consult a qualified healthcare provider if you, your horse, or your dog are unwell or injured. Always use extreme caution when interacting with horses and dogs.
Email mary@marydebono.com
#Feldenkrais Method #Debono Moves #somatic learning #mindset #horses #dogs
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Ruthie's Table 4
For more than 30 years The River Cafe in London, has been the home-from-home of artists, architects, designers, actors, collectors, writers, activists, and politicians. Michael Caine, Glenn Close, JJ Abrams, Steve McQueen, Victoria and David Beckham, and Lily Allen, are just some of the people who love to call The River Cafe home. On River Cafe Table 4, Rogers sits down with her customers—who have become friends—to talk about food memories. Table 4 explores how food impacts every aspect of our lives. “Foods is politics, food is cultural, food is how you express love, food is about your heritage, it defines who you and who you want to be,” says Rogers. Each week, Rogers invites her guest to reminisce about family suppers and first dates, what they cook, how they eat when performing, the restaurants they choose, and what food they seek when they need comfort. And to punctuate each episode of Table 4, guests such as Ralph Fiennes, Emily Blunt, and Alfonso Cuarón, read their favourite recipe from one of the best-selling River Cafe cookbooks. Table 4 itself, is situated near The River Cafe’s open kitchen, close to the bright pink wood-fired oven and next to the glossy yellow pass, where Ruthie oversees the restaurant. You are invited to take a seat at this intimate table and join the conversation. For more information, recipes, and ingredients, go to https://shoptherivercafe.co.uk/ Web: https://rivercafe.co.uk/ Instagram: www.instagram.com/therivercafelondon/ Facebook: https://en-gb.facebook.com/therivercafelondon/ For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iheartradio app, apple podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com