Our evolution as skiers is based on the expansion of our skiing consciousness. Each stage means the recognition of our own potential, a new consciousness of our skills and the relationship with our skiing.
Raising our sensible and perceptual level is raising the level of our consciousness expansion towards all senses, incorporating new forms of sensing and perceiving skiing. As observing is looking with attention, then to develop this expansion we must adopt an investigative attitude towards observing and self-observing, perceiving and self-perceiving. According to Merlau Ponty (1945), all consciousness is perceptive consciousness. Experience is a source of consciousness and this is propagated by new habits and skills. The opposite of expanding consciousness is restricting it, which limits our ability to interpret skiing.
Consciousness and action intentions
Consciousness and actions are related since paying attention is a prerequisite to acting. We are conscious according to how much we can represent our future actions. In our motor intention, consciousness does not work based on the actions we intend to perform but in terms of what we can execute and how we are going to execute them. Usually, we stop evolving when we reach a technical level that we consider appropriate, while if we aim to be outstanding skiers, we will always be conscious at discovering more efficient ways to perform our movements and actions.
Consciousness of practicing
Practice modifies our brain’s structure. Conscious practice is more interesting because we are aware of how we perform, otherwise we would be only conscious of what we perform.
Not only conscious practicing brings benefits; also the practice of consciousness leads to our evolution and this is why it is significant to reach it. The beginner, as he does not know how to do it, does not have a shaped consciousness so he tends to act promoting inefficient habits that induce motor dysfunctions.
Consciousness, knowledge, and evolution
Consciousness is knowledge. The conscious experience reflects not only what is happening but also our prior knowledge and expectation. At the beginning of our evolution, we take consciousness of what we have to do to ski and how to do it (beginner to expert levels). If we want to continue evolving, we should be conscious of why and what for (expert or competition levels) and, eventually, why we teach it (instructor and coach levels).
According to these considerations, you can apply the following recommendations in your own skiing:
- Expand your skiing consciousness by observing and self-observing.
- Be conscious of your actions’ intentions.
- When practicing your technique do it consciously, otherwise, avoid practicing it.
