If you could have one super power…
“If you could have one super -power, what would it be?”…
most of us have been asked that question in their lifetime and the answers are often endless and hilarious. One often contemplates a special power they would choose if given the chance. For me, that power has always been the ability to pause time. It's a whimsical desire that I've carried since childhood—a curiosity about the frozen moments and the freedom they could offer. Imagining the world suspended, I wondered about the profound stillness and the untouched possibilities: the places I could explore, the improbable feats I could accomplish (maybe even a cheeky bank heist!) or perhaps my perpetual but unknown need and want to slow down. Yet, beneath the fanciful musings lay deeper questions: would time's halt freeze aging, halt growth, arrest the sun's course, and silence the bustling dynamics of life?
This fascination persisted into adulthood, influencing my academic writings at university and even my creative pursuits Inspired by Michael Ende's "Momo," my hand made candles—MimiMomo Candles—that symbolized the essence of time reclaimed. Each candle, adorned with a compass charm, served as a reminder to cherish every moment while it burns. Created during the solitude of lockdown, these candles became a poignant reflection of our collective pause, a time to reclaim what's sacred, even as production eventually ceased. But the essence of MimiMomo persists, awaiting its resurgence.
As an intuitive practitioner of body-based arts like Pilates and Biodynamic massage, I've found that true richness emerges when we honor time's natural flow. In sessions, I've learned not to rush the process, allowing space for subtle shifts and deep revelations. Sometimes, in our haste, we unintentionally disrupt this natural unfolding, caught up in the modern frenzy of time. When this happens in sessions, I return to a place of presence—after a redirecting talk with myself I start reconnecting with my breath and attuning to my client's rhythm. This return allows the session to unfold organically, honoring each individual's unique journey within the boundless expanse of time.
One of my favorite concepts of time, not surprisingly, comes from the Japanese with their concept of MA, which is a pause in time, an interval or emptiness in space. Ma is the time and space life needs to breathe, to feel, and to connect. If we have no time, if our space is restricted, we cannot grow. This universal principle applies to every aspect of life and the natural world. I often aim to bring this concept into my work within Pilates, massage, and movement.
In the context of body-based practices, freezing time within a time-space mirrors the biodynamic approach to the vasomotoric cycle* and the autonomic nervous system. Just as pausing time externally brings everything to a halt, freezing in breath or within the nervous system interrupts the flow of growth and movement within the body. It is a reminder that our physiological processes require uninterrupted cycles to maintain health and vitality. When we freeze these cycles, we impede natural progress and transformation.
*The vasomotoric cycle is a term that comes from biodynamic psychology. Gerda Boyesen identified that energy moves through cycles and our ability to complete the cycle represents healthy self regulation. The cycle has four phases; charging, action/expression, winding down and relaxation.
