Entity Vs. Incremental Theory

The entity theory is something that can be applied to a lot of activities in my life, but I wouldn’t consider it something that’s always a constant way of thinking, per say. I think I apply this theory in physical activity the most, where there are more biological limitations that inhibit me from doing certain activities. Like my size, for example, wouldn’t permit me to lift anything ridiculously heavy or the fact my height doesn’t allow me to jump very high. I’m not much of a long-distance runner and I honestly think no matter how hard I trained, that I could never become one. And even though I try not to be this way in academia, I sometimes find that I compare myself to how other people did, or except that I didn’t do well but not actually look as to why. I think these are a kind of coping mechanism to make myself feel better in the face of failure, but it does qualify as an entity way of thinking.

The incremental theory is something that I much more often apply to my mental abilities. I think knowledge is something that everyone has the capability of gaining and biological factors play a small role on how quickly we can learn. But nonetheless, we all have the ability to do so. There are some physical activities that I consider myself more of an incremental theorist in such as gymnastics, yoga, and flexibility. These are all activities that I have had the ability to excel in and therefore I know that I can continue to improve for however hard that I work at it. Another skill that I am more of an incremental thinker in is music, specifically playing the guitar. From the time I began, I knew that the more I practiced the better I got.

As I listed all of the occupations where either an incremental or entity theory applies, I realized that I based many of my occupational choices on the incremental theory, which I also attribute to both success and meaning. I feel like when I experience some sort of failure or inability to do something easily, I apply the entity theory to it. And when I have success or the ability to do something comes naturally, I relate it to the incremental theory. These successes and ease in ability become the occupations that are most meaningful to me and ultimately a part of my becoming. Wilcock (1998), as cited in Hasselkus (2011), stated that becoming is a term that “holds the notions of potential and growth, of transformation and self-actualization.” The occupations that I feel I have the potential to be successful and have the ability to grow in, are the occupations that make me feel like I am “becoming,” which I then inevitably apply the incremental theory to most.

As I mentioned previously, yoga is an occupation in which I apply the incremental theory too, thus giving me a mindset that I have the capability to both grow and improve as I continue to practice. I have had success thus far and therefore the entity theory as a coping mechanism has yet to be applied to my new occupation. However, as I continue to advance my skills, I don’t think that the entity theory will ever be a way of thinking for me in this occupation because I know that I am capable. If I ever reach a new pose that I cannot do, I think my incremental mindset will prosper knowing that if I continue to work at it I will be able to do it eventually.

Flow

My aerial yoga instructor was sick this week so unfortunately class was cancelled. L However, the last few weeks I have also been attending Liz H.’s restorative yoga class, so I figured I could blog about that this week! I really enjoy this kind of yoga because it’s totally on the opposite end of the spectrum compared to my aerial yoga class, allowing me to get the best of both yoga worlds! This class is a lot more slow-paced and a time for lots of reflective thinking. It’s a great way to end a busy/stressful week!

I learned about the concept of flow in a previous psychology course and because I liked the thought of it, I have tried to be mindful of the concept ever since. I feel like I experience flow often (mostly with school work), but it’s always with things that require being a bit artsy and creative though- like making a poster board or sometimes if I really enjoy the topic it happens when writing papers. I feel like flow is a lot like spirituality in that it’s very subjective and therefore hard to determine what exactly constitutes the “feeling” of flow. The only reason I question this is because in the reading it talked about how many people claim they have never actually experienced flow at all, which seems so strange to me because I feel like at some point everyone has had to! Even though I understand what flow is, I begin to wonder if maybe I don’t experience flow as much as I think I do because it seems to be that uncommon? Or maybe other people experience flow and just don’t realize it?

Part of the reason that I chose aerial yoga is because it really peaked my interest and I felt like it’s something that I would naturally be really good at. Due to the fact it’s something that I already have the basic skills for, I believe it’s the perfect amount of challenge for me. Each new pose is innately scary just because falling out of the silk is always a possibility! However, I have yet to see a pose that I feel like I don’t have the skills to accomplish. For that reason, I think it’s definitely something I could experience flow doing. The class does go by quick, but I don’t feel like I have really experienced flow yet because of the overall nature of the class. It’s open to conversation and somewhat slow paced, which isn’t an ideal flow environment for me.

Even though I was aware that I’d experienced flow before, after reading the Nakamura & Csikszentmihalyi article, I realize that I fit the characteristics of an autotelic personality pretty well, which is kind of cool! I have always felt like a very intrinsically motivated person and I enjoy doing things simply for the reward that I get it done. It’s something that I’ve always felt, especially in school. Because I enjoy high challenge, high skill situations I like to choose occupations that are challenging for me because I find that I get bored otherwise. However, if something is too challenging, then I get frustrated and discouraged. That’s why I chose aerial yoga- something that I had the skills for, but still challenging enough to keep me interested and motivated!

Space and Place

Each week proceeds to get better and become more enjoyable as I continue my journey into the world of aerial yoga. I’m starting to figure out the “routine” that occurs in each class and although we try new poses each week, I have realized we essentially start and finish the same way. It makes me feel like I’m getting the hang of things! I have decided that each week I will choose a pose that I found to be most relaxing and one that I found to be most challenging during the class. We did the fig again, which I love, but a new pose that I found to be equally relaxing that also stretches the body is called baddhakonasana. Of course the one pose that has the most ridiculous name to remember (thanks for helping me remember and spell it Liz H)! The pose that I found most challenging was called the chandelier and although it was fun, it was kind of scary! I did it though, so I was pretty excited!

A place that I would consider to be a “container of my experiences” is my old gymnastics center. I spent a good amount of my time there growing up and working up to practice 4-5 days a week for 2 hours a day. When I first started at age 7, I had class once a week. As a gradually improved, the amount of practice increased to 4-5 days and I did that for about 5 years. It was definitely a gradual process but I know that it became a significant place in my life because every time I would go back I would get a happy feeling and all sorts of memories would come back to me. Because I did gymnastics from the age of  7 to 17, I experienced a lot of memories there both good and bad. Learning new tricks, acquiring lots of injuries, making new friends, and because I was around so much, I felt I sort of gained a second family! It was a place field with many wonderful experiences and was a big part of my childhood.

This chapter of space and place talked a lot about how a room can feel “right” and is one kind of “being in place.” This includes elements such as size, color, design, décor, location, source of light, and temperature. Because my new occupation is all about relaxation, you can assume that the room is meant to feel relaxing, and it does! The room is a perfect size as it is not too small or too large and makes it feel somewhat cozy. The walls are a calming green and the floor is a dark wood with pillars that go from the floor to the ceiling that are covered in small but colorful tiles. There is a wall of mirrors to allow you to see yourself as you work out and the light is bright enough to be able to see clearly, but dim enough that it’s calming and relaxing. The room is also kept a comfortable temperature since we are not actually breaking a sweat, it has to be kept somewhat warm to avoid getting cold! In occupation’s such as yoga, I think atmosphere is just as (if not more) important and influential as the yoga itself. If a person were to feel any sort of discomfort about their environment, it essentially defeats the purpose of doing yoga altogether. In order to further one’s relaxation, it’s crucial to feel a sense of comfort to begin with. I feel this yoga studio did an excellent job of providing that calming and comforting atmosphere!