Filmmaker Fitness

November 17, 2022November 21, 2022

Finding Flow and Forging New Neural Pathways

Flow and Forging New Neural Pathways - Filmmaker Fitness

Fire props are where I started my exploration of neuroscience and flow states.

FIRE AND FLOW STATES

It’s been a few years since I was able to turn my attention back to this blog. Losing all the blog posts due to a pandemic technical debacle was a bit of a blow. Now I arise from the fire of the phoenix and it’s time to renew again. Speaking of fire, fire props are where I started my exploration of neuroscience and flow states (“The Science of Peak Human Perfromance”, Time Magazine), a happy accident directing Treeman’s documentary “A DocumenTree”.

One of the greatest joys of juggle jogging is the expression on peoples faces, especially kids.

EXPLORING FLOW THROUGH CIRCUS

I explore flow states through circus arts via my documentary in the making “A DocumenTree”, directing commercials for The 7 Fingers “Dear San Francisco” show at Club Fugazi and in my own personal pursuit of physical and mental health. Working with circus arts professionals is beyond inspiring and now deep into my juggling journey (2 years this month, thank you pandemic), I am addicted to juggle jogging the hills of San Francisco. One of the greatest joys of juggle jogging is the expression on peoples faces, especially kids.

Making lots of mistakes is the path toward mastery, that and time, see ya in couple years 😉

CIGAR BOX JUGGLING

In other explorations of circus arts and flow, thanks to Cody Tudor The Inverted Gentleman, I’ve started experimenting with cigar box juggling, . Making lots of mistakes is the path toward mastery, that and time, see ya in couple years 😉 If you want to see the impossible made possible, check out super human cigar box juggler Eric Bates @cigarboxjuggler

CIRCUS SATURDAYS

Treeman’s and “A DocumenTree” are on a mission to help us reconnect our bodies to nature and each other. North Beach Circus Arts Flow “Circus Saturdays” is an extension of that mission, a weekly skill share and circus arts flow jam where people can come to learn new skills and train together in a “social circus” environment. I teach juggling to about 20 people a week to juggle, plus others step in to teach /share other circus arts like acro balancing, acrobatics and even aerials.

Circus arts flow jam where people can come to learn new skills and train together in a “social circus” environment.

PSYCHOLOGY OR KINESIOLOGY?

It’s a powerful experience watching anxiety drift away from a perfect stranger’s face when I explain that I teach juggling via concepts of flow and they do not need to perform for others, low stakes, no youtube mechanics, human interaction. Together we explore the relationship between our bodies and the environment around us, improvising with the trajectories of foreign objects, distracting ourselves from all the anxieties in our lives, while building new and exciting neural pathways. Psychology or kinesiology? You be the judge, I argue both.

We Are All Reflections of Nature — We are all reflections of nature and each other, Do something good and it’s reflected back to you.

MIRROR NEURONS

Mirror neurons are powerful, (“How the Brain’s Mirror Neurons Affect Empathy”, Psychology Today) and I get a lot out of sharing circus arts and flow with strangers, because of the joy THEY receive. No one asks who you voted for, whether you are vegan or carnivore, you are simply a fellow human and it’s time to explore our creative body movement together. We are all reflections of nature and EACH OTHER. Very “A DocumenTree” and Treeman.

NURTURE YOUR NATURE

Circus arts and flow arts jams like North Beach Circus Arts Flow “Circus Saturdays” exist all over the planet. Our bodies were not designed to stare at a screen 10+ hours a day, or sit on a park bench looking at our phones ignoring the sky, the wind and the trees. Technology isn’t going anywhere, so why not explore ways we can use circus arts and flow to reconnect our bodies to nature and each other?

Filmmaker Fitness

PS Sending much gratitude to @BubblesByKurth for volunteering his time and talents to our Circus Saturdays events

October 18, 2021November 21, 2022

Mental Health, Circus Arts and Flow

Filmmaker Fitness is connected to a much larger mission than fitness. In 2012, I befriended Lionel Powell, the Treeman, a man experiencing homelessness who dresses like a tree, on a mission to unite humanity. I began making a documentary about Lionel and his Treeman character’s incredible ability to connect with strangers. This part of his story led me to neuroscience of flow, the circus arts, flow arts and many other body movement practices. Flow is key to optimum human performance, whether you’re a Navy Seal, a yoga practitioner, juggler, musician, writer or a human tree on stilts. There are huge mental health benefits to body movement flow and this is especially beneficial for the developing minds and bodies of children whose are so often glued passively to their digital devices.

To learn more, check out Treeman’s documentary in progress “A DocumenTree” and visit the “Circus Arts Flow” page. To help your kids find flow, consider enrolling them in Circus Arts classes and if you are in the bay area join us every Saturday in Washington Square Park North Beach San Francisco for Circus Saturdays. To learn more join the Facebook group North Beach Circus Arts Flow and follow NBCAF on instagram at @NorthBeachCAF #circusartsheals #flowartsheals

October 15, 2021November 21, 2022

Welcome

Staying fit in the Digital Age is no easy task. Whether it’s working long days at a computer, spending countless hours hunched over our mobile devices designed to addict us, or simply binge watching an entire series in one sitting on Netflix, the odds are against us. Working in film and television, the hours can be particularly intense. 17+ hour work days with no breaks are not uncommon. Over the years, I’ve explored many tools and practices in an attempt to maintain physical, mental and emotional health.

I can’t claim mastery, but hopefully Filmmaker Fitness can be a resource for us to explore some of these techniques together and exchange ideas. I am not a doctor nor do I play one on TV. Please read at your own risk and review the Health and Fitness Information Disclaimer to learn more about your responsibility when visiting this website.

Follow Filmmaker Fitness on Instagram @filmmakerfitness, Twitter @filmmakerfitnes and Facebook at Facebook.com/filmmakerfitness. You can also explore circus arts and other related events, including Circus Saturdays in North Beach San Francisco, by joining the Facebook group North Beach Circus Arts Flow and following NBCAF on instagram at @NorthBeachCAF

— Filmmaker Fitness