There are two things I've noticed about how we treat movement (as in moving our body)

1. We look at it as work (a task, a workout) instead of life. We want to live and be full of life yet we often try to move as little as possible. When we have to get up for something, we say ugh.

2. When we experience movement limitations, we tend to blame it on aging. It's true, our bodies do change, but not as much as you think in this way.  
    

Today, I'd like to focus on #1 and challenge you to make yourself the most important person in your life.

In doing so, you'll inadvertently make those around you as important as they really are to you, and you’ll question less whether or not you’re making them important. 

While yoga and exercise are important, I care more right now that you embrace moving throughout your normal day to day life. Because if you do yoga or walk for 20 minutes and then sit the rest of your day, you’re treating movement like something to get over with. Do that long enough and your body will align, meaning it will get better at not moving and tantrum when you do move. Instead…

• If you’re sitting home all day at a desk (or couch!), get up frequently to move and stretch. You’ve heard this before, this isn’t new. Take 5 to 15 minutes (set an alarm). Use this as a break to clean up the kitchen and get those dishes back in the higher cabinet shelves, pull out the step stool to put things away, sweep the dog hair off the floor, fold some laundry, water and talk to the plants, drink some water (pull out a lemon, wash it, cut it, add it to the water), move some furniture around, change the towels, clean up after yourself, take the garbage out, and make your bed if you haven’t already. If you’re sitting at an office all day, stand up and stretch often, get some fresh water, go for a walk outside or around the office, eat outside (anywhere but in front of your computer).

  These are much better uses of your gorgeous body than scrolling the internet, and you’ll have the right kind of energy that you’ll need to get back to doing what you were doing, especially since you’ve been both productive and connected with your home.  

• Walk the dog. Switch up the route a bit.

• Use your legs instead of yelling to someone in the other room. Not only will you cut out the “I can’t hear you” back and forth, you’ll move your body and upgrade your communication, reducing quickies like, “on the way back, will you grab the chips?!” 

• When you want to plop down on the couch, meditate instead, especially if it’s the witching hour (between 3 and 6 pm), or after you put your kids to sleep and want to get up to have you time. It’s active stillness, and it strengthens your mind and body. It will move the stress and anxiety through and out instead of deeper into your tissues. Plopping on the couch, scrolling, and zoning out are “muscles” that, with repetitive practice, feel much more relaxing than meditation. That’s because our meditation muscles haven’t had the same practice. Trust me when I say that it will bring you much, much, much more peace and joy.  

• Check to make sure you’re breathing fully. If your breath is locked up, your body will be also, and when your body’s locked up, your mind locks up, movement locks up, and you're going nowhere. 

There’s a lot of intelligence in your body, and it loves on you and communicates with you all day. It tells you when you’re stressed, tired, hungry, thirsty, hurting, desiring, or not using it. It tells you louder when you don’t listen. When you don’t listen long enough, just like your emotions, it breaks down. Love it back. Take care of your needs. Move your body. Move about your space. Live and play as much as you possibly can.  

xoxo, Savitree