Oh to be Curious
During our open house in September, which included free yoga classes and demos from practitioners, we had a bunch of people who checked out the studio for the first time. I’m sure many of you have passed True North Yoga & Wellness (the blue building on MacArthur) on your way to The Mill, Demi’s, Mi Jalisco or Stir Crazy and wondered what was inside. You were curious, maybe curious enough to pop in to ask questions or attend an open house?
A couple weeks ago, I found myself stopping into Walker & Son (jewelry store near Dots Back Inn) and realized how little I knew about the jewelry making process. With that, EJ and Richmond (master jewelry maker and apprentice) were on the receiving end of my barrage of questions. They were great teachers. I learned so much from them and secretly was looking into what type of supplies I would need to melt down silver at 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit.
NPR featured an article about curiosity a few years back explaining the correlation between being curious and retention of information. When curiosity is piqued, there is an increase in activity in the hippocampus, which is connected to the creation of memories. Hence, the more curious you are, the more you learn. In some ways this is the philosophy behind Montessori education – cultivating student curiosity through self-guided activities and work. Finding what you like and learning more about it.
Curiosity is such an amazing characteristic of humans (and animals). It is what entices us to explore, experiment, learn new skills, travel, and discover new things. It’s how kids learn and constantly ask the question, “why?” It’s why we pick up a book, listen to Ted Talks, or find ourselves late night down a google rabbit hole… I love this about our minds – the constant desire to learn more, understand more, which ultimately helps us grow.
So, never stop asking questions, trying new things, and fostering the curiosity in you…
…Oh and if you’re curious about what’s going on at True North, there are regular yoga and meditation classes, a host of body relaxing and energy services, and also some fun workshops this fall and winter – making your own herbal tea, learning about yoga, and eating with the season. Curious? You can find these and more at www.truenorthrva.com.
