08/06/2026
Habit is strong. And habit serves. After all, if we had to make choices about every step of putting on our shoes, we might not ever leave the house.
But habit can also get in our way. My recent trip to Alaska gave me opportunities to examine my habits, push against them in small ways, and discover something new. These small new experiences added up to make the vacation a big experience overall.
Here are three examples in support of this idea.
Example 1
My habit: I'm a cat lover. I sometimes joke that I very much like "other people's dogs." (And I do!)
My small new experience: On this trip, I held a calm, warm, soft sled-dog puppy. A little slice of unexpected heaven.
Example 2
My habit: While I love sledding and snowshoeing, I am not even a fair-weather camper. After being outside for a time, I want to go back inside a warm house. So cultures in which people live very close to the land and so fully in the elements are a bit of a mystery to me.
My small new experience: I spent maybe 45 minutes at Ketchikan's Totem Heritage Center. In that short span, I learned a lot about totems and gained new respect for cultures that place high regard on the outdoors and create these highly intentional art pieces.
Example 3
My habit: I'm a lover of writing and dancing but often think my art stops there.
My small new experience: The Alaska vacation offered a chance to take some 30-minute calligraphy classes. The short class length helped me feel safe and ready to learn. I loved the results of my first efforts and am considering pursuing calligraphy further here at home.
As I reflect on these experiences, I realize that the Feldenkrais Method offers people the chance to get more familiar with their habits and—in small doses—try some new things to see what they might find out.
What new thing might you do in a small dose today? Let me know what you discover.
