Three years ago I made a video called Holistic. It seemed way better to me at the time because it was when I first started practicing my own video concepts.
But it had a message.
The message was that no matter our differences, we’re always going to need one another in order to thrive. That the whole will always be greater than its individual parts, and by accepting each other we can experience the powerful harmony of society. That sense of collective unity and balance is what led me to the word holistic.
Fortunately for me and the video, my friend and sister Tiana Marie Ford offered a written piece and voiceover. Her piece starts, “If I were to see the world through the lens of an innocent child”.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CCGzz7aHnkz/
Being holistic, from my point of view, is about literally focusing on the whole. The way I train players is by feeling out their entire game.
Certain details in footwork or ball-handling or shooting mechanics might have to be emphasized based on the player, but overall it’s about the entire system connecting to achieve a compatible rhythm.
How your feet move. Your body language. Your breathing. What you’re doing with your eyes. How responsive you are to critique. All of these things connect to produce what your game looks like. If you’ve ever trained with me, you’ve heard these kinds of things a lot.
It’s not just about embracing meditation or positive thinking. It’s not about being religious or perfect and happy all the time. For me, being holistic represents the ability to be your full and true self, which means understanding and embracing the flaws too.
A lot of hoopers can’t find their true game because they’re not being their true selves.
They want to play like someone else or impress someone else, instead of focusing on what works for them.
Being a holistic hooper means being mindful and open to the process of expanding your way of approaching the game, which translates into how you will approach life. It means seeing things through the lens of a child, which can open you up to powerful learning processes that can enhance your mind, body, and soul.
This leads to unlocking abilities that you never could have imagined.
