My Story – visual field and regaining joy of hands-on work
How the Be Activated approach helped me rediscover the joy of hands-on work.
Like so many others who have had the honour of experiencing the results of the Be Activated approach, I have long wanted to share my story on the “3000 Stories” platform. Apparently, the phrase “easier said than done” also applies to us “Be Activators.”
There are countless moments I could share from my journey with Be Activated, but today I’d like to focus on an experience from my first live course in May 2022. This was my first in-person course after COVID, a period that came with its fair share of challenges, but also provided opportunities for learning and valuable insights. It was during the pandemic that I stumbled upon the Be Activated approach while searching for a more effective way to self-treat the psoas muscle. I quickly realised that this approach offered far more than just a psoas technique.
The philosophy of viewing ourselves as facilitators of untapped potential rather than mere practitioners, the principle of test-retest and its immediate feedback, and the emphasis on stories, mindset, and breathing for meaningful change – all of this resonated deeply with me after a decade as a physiotherapist and physical trainer in professional football. There’s so much I could say, but to keep it to the story, by May 2022, I was more than ready to see the Be Activated concept in action.
The first day of the course was quite different from what I had expected. We spent most of the day sharing stories in the room and creating a safe learning environment. In hindsight, this proved to be time well spent. Days 2 and 3 were intense, filled with learning, activation techniques, and powerful experiences of change for many participants. Personally, I felt my body was stronger and moved more efficiently than I could ever remember. So, at the end of Day 3, I headed back to my hotel feeling excited, even though I could still feel Doug’s thumbs in my VMOs from Day 2!
On my way back to the hotel, I noticed a white stone on the pavement. Curious, I picked it up and saw it had an unusual indentation that resembled a fingerprint. Out of curiosity, I placed my thumb on the indentation, and to my surprise, it felt like my thumb melted into the stone! I brought the stone back to the hotel, took a few photos of it (see photo), and fell asleep thinking about fingerprints and the marks we leave on the world. Little did I know the impact the next day would have on the mark I would leave on life.
Day 4 began with expansion techniques and ended with “visual field” work. I had only a superficial understanding of this technique, so I was intrigued when Doug chose me to select the first person for the demonstration. I was astonished to see how much stressors in the visual field affected my chosen partner’s nervous system when triggered from a distance. After some testing, it turned out that I, on the other hand, was triggered by proximity. Doug therefore decided to demonstrate this reset technique on me as well in front of the group.
What happened next was extraordinary. Following some particularly painful glute activations, my entire system seemed to shift. My visual field was no longer blurry up close, and according to Doug and the others in the room, my pupils visibly changed! I went to the bathroom to check, and yes, they definitely looked darker. Doug likely noticed my bewilderment and encouraged me to go outside to test my “new” eyes in the real world.
The first thing I noticed was how much clearer everything seemed. It was as if I’d been given a major HD upgrade, seeing everything in far greater detail. A childlike curiosity filled me, and I studied the leaves on a nearby tree as if I’d never seen anything like them before. While gazing at the greenest leaf I’d ever seen, a memory of my grandmother suddenly surfaced. I recalled her sharing how, in the last year of her life, she’d become captivated by the mountain she had seen every day for decades. She described how it had transformed into something far more dynamic – a never-ending dance of changes in shape and colour depending on the light and weather.
In that moment, I deeply understood what she had meant. For the first time, I truly felt the enormity of the little things and the extraordinary in the ordinary – not just intellectually, but in my entire being.
As if that weren’t enough, another profound experience followed shortly after. While taking in this newfound HD reality, two children ran towards me. I felt an unfamiliar sense of calm and a genuine desire to welcome them closer. The smile I gave them felt unusually sincere, making me realise how much energy I had previously spent maintaining a façade of comfort with closeness. This was a powerful realisation and a huge relief! It highlighted just how much I didn’t know I didn’t know, and the profound implications this unknown can have on our lives and how we experience the world. I don’t know how many “floors” of my nervous system I descended in that moment, but it had been a long time since I had felt so grounded and calm in the world.
The physical changes lasted for at least two weeks. Even those closest to me described me as the same, yet somehow different. Everything I experienced felt more vivid, and my ability to connect with others through hands-on work reached a whole new level. The joy and effectiveness of hands-on work became greater than ever.
Even today, two and a half years later, I consider myself a completely different therapist and facilitator, still finding immense joy in hands-on work. While that same calm and strength isn’t present every day, I now know it resides within me – often just a look, a press and a sigh away.
For me, these processes – the non-judgemental exploration and facilitation of the untapped potential within us – are the most inspiring aspects of this approach. It never ceases to amaze me how much we don’t know we don’t know, and it never ceases to amaze me how much power we all have within us, especially when we can connect our stories, bodies, and breath, in meaningful ways.
Such changes are not an everyday occurrence, but they show what is possible when we are open for it, do the necessary work and align the pieces of the puzzle.
This story turned out far longer than planned, but I hope it inspires and resonates with many of you. Writing it down has certainly been valuable for me as I chart a new course for how I want to contribute to others and leave my mark on the world.
I’ll end this story with a photo of me and Doug after Day 4, fittingly with “dropping down the staircase” in the background.
Thank you and wishing you all the best!
Stay curious, keep learning, open up and enjoy your walk of life!