Mindful Movement

Movement has been a priority in my life for a long time, but in the last year I have changed my relationship with it for the better. In the past, I would workout to change my body, to look a certain way. Because this was my mindset going into my workouts, I would often do them to the extreme and find little reward. Exercise is supposed to make you feel good, thats why the term "runner's high" exists. It boosts endorphins. I put a road block in the pathway of my brain that leads to the feeling of reward by setting a negative precedent for fitness. Now, instead of working out to change my body, I workout to feel strong, healthy, and in tune with it. I have never felt more rewarded by movement. Not only that, but I don't over do it. You don't have to spend 3 hours in the gym to get that feeling. All you have to do is slow down and listen to your body. What kind of movement is it craving?

Your energy levels are going to look different everyday, and if you are a woman they will look different based on which phase of your cycle you are on. Instead of pushing against this, work with it. Your body does so much for you, it gets you through your days, it takes you on adventures. The least you can do is listen to it. Remember that movement is movement, it doesn't have to mean spending 2 hours at the gym. Movement looks like:

• stretching

• walking

• running

• yoga

• weight lifting

• pilates

• swimming

• hiking

• kayaking

• snowboarding

• dancing

The list goes on. If your energy levels are low, reward your body with a good stretch or a walk. The benefits are endless, no matter how simple your activity may be. For example, exercise promotes hormone balance, boosts your metabolism, heart function, sleep, bone health, and mental health. I look at sweating like a detox for my mind and body. I am cleansed of any negative energy or anxiety that I was carrying with me. Treating movement as showing my mind and body love has made all the difference, I no longer look at it as a punishment for not being good enough, but rather a reward for being me: in this body, with this mind, that I have the gift of having and getting to take care of.

Take a look at your relationship with movement. Does it benefit you? Does it lift you up?

Living in this day and age, we are fed a perception of what we are "supposed" to look like. If you feel healthy the way you are, you are supposed to look exactly how you do right now. Don't let that societal notion define you. We all live in different bodies, listen to yours and give it the movement and the nourishment it needs to carry you through life.

Love yourself.