Blog - The Curious Mover
Panflection - It’s Been (quite) a year
Here we are, a couple weeks, give and take, when the safer at home started for us in 2020. Our jaws dropped in disbelief that moment we realized the reality of the looming collective and growing global situation. This very contagious flu virus was unlike any other was the only information we got, and the scramble for toilet paper began.
Listening - Ear to Body
Going inward to listen is an art form in itself.
Push to your edges but respect the boundaries.
The Boss of You-Taking Ownership
Right now, without moving, what are you doing while you are reading this? Are you sitting? How are you sitting? Are you sitting on one hip more than the other? Is your pelvis square to the front or twisted? Are your feet fully touching the ground comfortably? These questions help raise awareness of habitual patterns we may have that might contribute to pain. These questions are helpful to remember in order to start taking ownership. Ownership of your body.
The Tension of Stillness
In the last two Mover’s, we talked about the Brace and the Torque, which are important concepts while in movement. But what do we do with our bodies in stillness? Sitting, standing, and lying down? Do we torque or brace 20% and hold in our abdominals? The answer is quite simple, but the pathway to get there is surprisingly challenging. It’s a strange dichotomy for stillness to be difficult, but it is a truth we can attempt to answer in many different realms of body and spirit. But one definition for stillness: we do nothing! We TRY to relax, and settle into the stacking of our bones for good posture and alignment without intentionally holding or activating at all. The hard part? We need to have the awareness of where we are holding tension and gripping. It just might be a reason for having pain!
We Can Do Hard Things
I love this line from Glennon Doyle’s book “Untamed”. It has stuck with me, especially during this time of hard things. We just had Yom Kippur, the Jewish high holidays of introspection, among other things. The intention of fasting on Yom Kippur is to “cleanse for our sins” and to slow down our internal rhythms so we can further self reflect, but I do think we can make it mean what we want, and how many sins are we actually committing this year if we have pretty much been at home?!
Measuring Sticks
We’ve been in quarantine for six months. Although it can be hard to stay motivated, keeping up with skills we love or starting a new skill you never had time for can bring us joy. In the habit of sticking with your habit, perhaps there are ways of seeing improvements that act like measuring sticks to our personal development. What have you stuck with during this time that brings you happiness? Are you learning a new skill? Six months later, how can you tell you are better at it? This measurement can assess whether you are creating small (or big) positive changes. Having to eat every meal at home has upped people’s cooking skills and dinner is more delicious. Maybe you have been able to rest more, and you feel better for it. Having a measuring stick during this time can bring us some personal satisfaction and success that can fill our spirit with resolve to keep moving us forward with inspiration.
The Structure of our Days
What do you need in your morning? Is it a meditation practice? Exercise or stretching? Journaling? Think about what you would need to create your best start of the day. Look at what you can cut out time wise in the morning (like phone scrolling (note to self!)), or how you can set yourself up the night before, like going to sleep 15 minutes earlier so you have the time. Decide how long you have so it is doable, and schedule it in your morning menu with 5 dishes only. You would probably make up your mind much faster then say, a saga of a Jerry’s Deli menu.
The Year of Firsts
Father’s day is coming up next weekend. I am lucky, grateful, and thankful to say I had a wonderful, loving relationship with my dad. But this year, it is my first father’s day without one. Out of all the firsts I have experienced this year, his birthday and holidays, father’s day seems like the hardest so far (but I am not quite done with the year of firsts). It is a silly Hallmark holiday, but simply put, it's a day earmarked to celebrate a father, and mine is no longer physically around for the first time.
Word of the year: NOVEL
We hear the word novel so much right now. So the term novelty movement is a term I am starting to love. It means "new movement": movement that is new to your body. Movement you have perhaps never done before. Movement that might feel uncoordinated, ungraceful, and maybe even sloppy (for now). It requires practice and patience until the brain and body understands it. It leads to more strength, mobility, and stronger neural pathways in the brain.