Do You Have Chicken Claw Hands?

This article was inspired by one of my classmates at Singapore Ballet - Hong Mei. Last Saturday, myself, her and another classmate were in a crowded MRT train on our way to watch The Royal Ballet Gala after our class together. We were talking about the different teachers we've had and the term so far.

"In class, I didn't realise I was holding my hand like this," Hong Mei remarked, holding out her hand, her fingers stiff and gnarled. "I only realised because my friend told me." She paused and added: "Looks like a chicken claw!" We burst out laughing.

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Hong Mei started ballet for the first time this year and enrolled in Beginner level class with us at Singapore Ballet. We have two teachers with quite different teaching styles. One of them is young and teaches at a faster pace. The other is older - and very old-school. We like both of them but Hong Mei found that because of the first teacher's quick pace, her attention would be totally focused on the lower body: getting the footwork and leg movements correct. Whenever the combinations became challenging, her hands tightened and her fingers would curl inwards without her noticing.

The second teacher teaches the footwork at a much slower pace, in greater detail and has us repeat simple sequences multiple times. He is also a lot stricter (and louder), and corrects students frequently - either stopping beside us or pointing to us from the front of the room and pointing out our mistakes in a booming voice.

He gives enough time to for the body to absorb and remember the movement instead of moving quickly from one exercise to the next.

"In his class, I happened to glance at my hands, and saw that they were relaxed on their own. I didn't try to do anything," Hong Mei added. As her confidence grew, her hands had softened on their own.

That made me wonder how many parts of ourselves we stop noticing simply because we're moving too quickly.

We notice what we can see

Most of us think about the body in terms of visible movement.

Walking.

Running.

Exercising.

Working.

Cleaning the house.

Doing something.

If the body isn't visibly moving, it's easy to feel as though nothing important is happening.

But the body doesn't work that way.

Beneath the surface, countless processes are taking place every second.

Your heart continues beating.

Blood is constantly circulating.

Oxygen is being transported to every cell.

Hormones are being released and regulated.

Your kidneys are filtering waste from your blood.

Your digestive system continues moving food through your body.

Your immune system is carrying out work you'll never see.

These processes don't stop because you've stopped moving.

In fact, they continue whether you're exercising, sitting quietly, or asleep.

We rarely think about them because they are invisible.

What Is Essential Is Invisible To The Eye

We spend most of our lives focused on the outside.

The body moving.

The hands working.

The eyes looking.

How often do we appreciate the inner intricate systems, hard at work under our own skin?

Perhaps that's why being still feels uncomfortable.

We mistake visible stillness for inactivity.

What Changes When We Slow Down?

Slowing down is not simply about moving less.

It changes the state your body is operating in.

When you are constantly rushing, multitasking, or under pressure, your sympathetic nervous system becomes more active. This is your body's "fight or flight" response. Heart rate increases. Breathing becomes quicker and shallower. Blood pressure rises. Energy is directed towards immediate action.

That response is essential when you genuinely need it.

The problem is that many of us spend much of the day there.

Periods of genuine rest allow the parasympathetic nervous system — often called the "rest and digest" system — to become more active.

Breathing slows.

Heart rate settles.

Digestion becomes more efficient.

The body shifts away from preparing for the next demand and back towards its ongoing work of regulation, repair, and recovery.

You cannot force this shift,

But you can create the conditions for it.

Your body has been keeping you alive every second of your life.

Slowing down is one way of finally returning the favour.