In my younger years, I used to participate in a dance form called contact improvisation that involves full weight exchange between partner(s). One of the foundation techniques is learning how to fall to the floor without hurting oneself, through various methods, including Aikido rolls. As I intentionally fell to the floor over and over again, I never realized I was learning a valuable life lesson, with many levels of application.

On a practical level, it is unlikely that I will hurt myself when I fall down, which has, uncharacteristically, been happening alot lately. I noticed it a few weeks ago when I was dancing around my living room. I leapt into the air, and came down wrong on my foot and before I knew it I was sprawled on the floor, uninjured. My body knew not to put weight on that oddly positioned foot. It would have been seriously injured if I did. Instead, all my joints collapsed and there I was, on the floor... in a heap but unhurt. My body was not afraid of falling.

This has happened several times while hiking on icy trails. I even had a banana peel both-legs-in-the-air fall while hiking down a long slippery slope and managed to land on my side and forearm, NOT my tailbone or elbow, thank goodness. My right shoulder girdle was achy for a few days, but easily recovered.

My body knows how to fall.

My self is still learning that one.

It is inevitable that we will fall, and often, on our journey through life. No matter what our intentions are, no one is ever perfect. At this time of year when many people make New Year’s resolutions, I think it is important to remember that failing, or falling, is also part of the journey, in which many a valuable lesson can be learned.

I have been working hard at keeping avoids out of my diet. But on those times when an avoid does somehow creep in, I ALWAYS learn something through the experience that I didn’t know before. Sometimes it is a new awareness, association, reaction, or even a new sensation. The experience of ‘falling’ from my goal becomes a valuable experience in and of itself.

So no matter what your intentions of betterment are for yourself on the BTD, whether it is committing to exercise, eating the right proportions of all the food groups, getting closer to the lofty goal of 100% compliance, or even just eliminating a favorite avoid, please give yourself permission (without guilt) for falling.

You might just learn something valuable about yourself on the way down.