pottery class

my pottery class this morning was very rewarding. there is a technique used to center the clay and remove air pockets from the clay called coning. i ignored this technique for many years as i never learned how to do it properly. today i learned . as with many practices the energy, strength required comes from the core not from the shoulders, back and arms. what a revelation! once i engaged my core, the stomach/solar plexus area, i was astonished how easily my hands were able to manipulate the clay to achieve the centering of and the removal of air pockets in the clay. once again i spent the better part of the class in the beloved zone.as a result i was able to make two lovely shaped bowls. i also noticed that during the process of pulling and shaping the walls my eyes became unfocused in the same way required to see 3d pictures. this unfocusing seemed to free up my mind and allow my muscle memory to come to the fore and simply do what was required to produce the desired effects on the clay spinning beneath my hands. oh my but i do love throwing pots.