We’re developing Movement for Mind to help people feel better by tapping into what it means to be human.
Humans are remarkable – capable of extraordinary feats of physical and mental dexterity. Yet in our recent history, we’ve lost touch with much of what makes us feel human. For 100,000 years, people lived, sang, hunted and ran in groups. Then, around 10,000 years ago, we stopped moving and began farming. Now we’ve built a world so advanced, so complex, that as individuals, we often struggle to connect back to what makes us feel truly human and alive. It’s full of miraculous innovations, but it’s difficult to comprehend. And in our always-on and constantly connected world, we spend so little time in nature and so little time moving, it’s no wonder we feel overwhelmed, stressed and anxious.
Yet while the world around us has evolved, some fundamentals of what it means to be human remain unchanged. Our bodies are the same and we move just as humans always have. Our minds are the same too - perhaps preoccupied in ways our ancestors weren’t, but capable of moments of peace and serenity. The natural world, though diminished, still has the capacity to calm and inspire us. Just by being out there, with other people, pausing, breathing and then moving – running or walking – we have the tools to tap into something essential.
No-one would deny the extraordinary progress humankind has made, but progress has been so rapid, our evolutionary psychology hasn’t had time to catch up. Our minds haven’t evolved as quickly as the world around us. We’re not well adapted to our always-on, speed-and-convenience lifestyles. Trying to reconnect with things our ancestors will have done, albeit in an entirely different world, might just remind us of our origins and help us feel better. In our lives driven by technology, there’s still a way to connect to our evolutionary essence.
Modern science proves what we instinctively know. We’re creatures of nature. Gardens calm us, trees ground us. Our minds, when insulated from our hectic modern world, settle into peace. And our legs carry us forward. Simple things that allow us to step away from the modern world, without judgement, and take a little time just to be human. Like we’ve always been.
So what if we combine all these simple things - being with other people, pausing, breathing, music and movement - to tap back into something essential. How much better might we feel?
Movement for Mind aims to ease the pressure of modern life. While other sports brands tend to add to the pressure of modern life – presenting a level of achievement that’s out of reach for most people – at ASICS, we want to ease that pressure by celebrating and embracing the human spirit in its simplest form to help people to feel better.
