We got through National Wellness Month’s first week and we’re getting ready for week 2! Or at least, *I* am getting ready for week 2. To be 100% honest with y’all, I did not do great on week one. Like I mentioned previously, the stress of everything is a lot and it’s been so hard to focus on anything and remember what I’m even supposed to be doing from day to day. So I meditated all of twice. But that’s twice more than I meditated the week before, so even though it wasn’t every single day, I’m still calling it a win! And I’m going to try to keep it going for this week, too!
In addition, this week I am ALSO going to try to focus on adding in some physical activity – and I’m inviting you to join me. Now, “physical activity” is intentionally vague. The goal here is to simply move the body, however that works out for you. I am not saying “exercise,” I am not saying “fitness,” I am not saying “breaking a sweat” – you don’t need to do any of these things! We’re just going to move the meat machine – that’s it! I, personally, have an opposition to things that feel like punishment and too often, exercise feels like punishment, so what I need to do for myself is find ways to move the body that feel like fun rewards. I ALREADY know some of these!
The reason this is important for me to do is because I already know my body likes to be moved. I have nerve and pain issues in my knees, all down my arms, and in my back and I have a lot LESS of these issues if I keep my body moving regularly, which I am bad about. I live in a small apartment and I work at a desk and it’s very very hot outside so moving around is not convenient or easy. But I know that I love doing gentle “old turkish lady” yoga (phrase stolen from Havi Brooks, though this is the kind of yoga I grew up with). And I love dancing (I’ve been a belly dancer for 20+ years – professional performer AND teacher). And I love taking walks – quiet, long, thinking walks spent looking inward unraveling things and long walks with my camera that take a lot of time but don’t cover much ground because I’m absorbing all the details around me and how amazing they are. I love these things, but I don’t do them often because I’m too busy with busy work.
But that is why we challenge ourselves! To make sure we do the things that we know are good for us and that we love, because it’s too easy to get stuck doing the things we don’t love so much but feel like we’re obligated to do, and we don’t want to get 40 years down the road and realize that this is how we spent our lives.
And, again, we’re being REAL loosey-goosey and vague about what “physical activity” means here! So if that is just gentle stretching in bed, then so be it. If that’s chair dancing, that’s all good. If that is just play time with your dog, cat, children, or partner, that’s awesome! If that is some private intimate time with just yourself, then go for it. The idea is to wake up the body and spend some time moving it, even if it’s just a little bit. You can absolutely just spend this time in attentive breathing.
Once again, if you decide to join me, please let me know what your plans are and/or how they’re going, and – of course, I’ll be letting you know, too!
