Falling on Purpose

One of my least favorite taekwondo drills is the one where we have to purposely fall down on the mat. We practice falling.
There is a right and a wrong way to fall down. The right way involves a type of rolling motion, minimizing pain and injury, and bringing a fighter to her feet again as soon as possible. The wrong way could result in injury or even death.
So we have to practice it. I roll to the floor, practicing the technique, always feeling a degree of pain, because it hurts to fall. My teammates and I hope that we will never fall, but because that is unrealistic to expect in a fight, we practice for it. By practicing, we find out the ways that falling can hurt less, the ways we can recover from the slip more quickly.
My clients with eating disorders do much better when they plan for a potential fall. Sometimes referred to as “relapse prevention,” clients use the practice falls they’ve endured as part of the recovery process to learn the most effective ways to get back up and minimize the damage done.
We all need to be aware of our vulnerabilities, and ready for a fall. When we pressure ourselves into a place where we believe we’re above falling, that is when the fall is most likely to occur. So by planning for it, we remain ready, we accept our vulnerabilities, and we minimize the negative effects of it for ourselves and those we love.
Falls happen, but we can all get back up and keep fighting for what is most important to us.