I want to introduce you to a concept you may not have heard of- Mindful Movement!
Yes, you read that correctly! Mindful movement.
I’m sure that you have heard about mindfulness and how it can reduce anxiety, lower blood pressure, lessen stress and overall make your life a whole lot more fun!
But did you know that you also can learn how to bring mindfulness to the way that you move?
When you create a mindful movement practice you get all of the benefits of mindfulness plus the advantages of reducing pain and stiffness, improved balance, mobility, and much more!
Here’s the thing. Most of us don’t think about how we move. (In fact, I believe, that most of us only think about our physicality in negative terms such as am I too tall, too short, too fat, too thin etc. But, that is another blog post.)
Learning how to move in a constructive way and paying attention to how you move is a powerful way to bring mindfulness into your life.
This is why I wrote my Amazon bestselling book Agility at Any Age: Discover the Secret to Balance, Mobility, and Confidence.
Even though the universe is abuzz with the mind/body connection it needs to be taken one step further.
Instead of thinking about the mind/body connection, think about mind/ body unity!
You are a unified whole. There is just you, with no distinction between the mind and the body. This is what F.M. Alexander- the creator of the Alexander Technique–called the psycho-physical.
Let me give you an example.
I want you to think of something that terrifies you!
For me, it is public speaking.
Right now as I am writing this article and thinking about getting in front of an audience to speak I am starting to feel anxious. My palms are starting to sweat, I feel a little uncomfortable, my stomach is beginning to clench, my mouth is dry and I feel a little panicky!
Just the thought of getting up in front of an audience puts my body in fight or flight mode. My thoughts about speaking in public are affecting me physically.
The reverse is true as well. You may be anxious and stressed about a situation but may be relieved just by taking a walk or going for a run. The physical act of walking or running calms you down.
As Caesar Milan, The Dog Whisperer once said: “The mental affects the physical and the physical affects the mental.”
So here is an example. The next time that you go to the gym or go for a walk or work out think this one thought. I’m not going to try so hard when I move. Instead, I’m going to think “how can I do this activity with less effort.” Apply this thinking to your workout and let me know how it goes!
Your thinking can change your physicality; this is the power of the psycho-physical.
So let’s start paying attention to how we move! Let’s start a movement revolution where the how you exercise is at least as important as the activity of exercising!
How You Move Matters! You can learn how to move better with my Amazon bestselling book Agility at Any Age: Discover the Secret to Balance, Mobility, and Confidence. My book is illustrated with 40 videos that you access with your iPad or smartphone! You can purchase it here.
