Moving Your Body Actually Helps, That Sucks, I know.

I’m complaining about Winter already. We’re in mid November and leaves are still on trees and yet the second daylight savings kicked in, you could hear me whining about the darkness and cold from a mile away.

I’ve spent the last year in hyper drive, doing alllll of the things that scare me, taking action on things I’ve been marinating on for years, and becoming the version of me that I can be proud of.

But here were are, entering into Holiday Season and I’m rudely reminded that I, unfortunately, cannot run away from feeling the discomfort that comes with this time of the year.

It goes beyond feeling cold and having less daylight, although the lack of Vitamin D from sun exposure certainly contributes to the sadness.

But our energy lives in our bodies and gets stored there. Meaning that this time of year will bring up sadness in me from all of the years before. Grief likes to work overtime during the holidays. And when we aren’t actively acknowledging that things may be hard or sad or lonely, our bodies begin to tell the world for us.

For me this looks like feeling frozen and unable to take action on things I had previously been so excited for.

It means old patterns and outdated beliefs come back to the surface.

It looks like me skipping the self-care rituals I’ve been engaging in that keep my mind & body healthy.

My favorite yoga class of the week that makes me feel grounded and whole suddenly becomes optional because it’s dark outside.

I know on a conscious level that moving my body has become an essential part of my wellness routine, but I discounted the power that comes from showing up when you don’t want to.

The alchemy of dragging your ass to class and allowing yourself to be seen and held as a part of community ~ especially when you don’t want to ~ is where the medicine is.

I skipped a whole week of workouts, citing that I’d exercise at home and that I deserved a break to hibernate from the mere idea of it getting cold, and the next thing I know I’m spiraling in self-pity, feeling helpless & hopeless, sitting myself out on the bench until the sun comes out again.

My friend, this, just ain’t it. And I know we can know that and still not feel compelled to get ourselves up and moving to do the thing that will help.

Not only will moving your body release feel-good endorphins, but it will also change the state you’re currently in, move the energy in your body to allow for stagnant thoughts and emotions to release, and it will give you the personalized data you need so you can feel accountable and in control of your body and your choices by showing up for yourself, especially when it wasn’t the convenient thing to do.

I used to hate exercising on purpose. Never saw myself as a gym girlie or a “fit bitch” and used to think people who ran were doing it to torture themselves.

It sucks to hear this, I know, but movement is essential to feeling your best. Breaking a sweat, getting your heart rate up, and changing the state of your energy will do so much more for you than just work off excess calories or tone your body.

For me, those elements used to be what would make me show up to yoga or learn to lift weights. Movement was a means to an end, an unfortunate route to getting my body to look how I wanted it to. A way to punish myself for having too much or for not doing enough.

But now, movement is about so much more. And for a girlie like me who is predisposed to disordered eating and poor body image, I was only able to get to this place of truly loving and craving exercise when it became about so much more than what my body would look like after.

These days, it’s about showing up. It’s about building trust in myself, allowing myself to get stronger, releasing energy, managing anxiety & sticky emotions, getting present in the moment by focusing on my breath, and showing love and gratitude to my vessel for it’s ability to move and carry me through each day of this beautiful life.

What are your reasons for moving? Do you only do it because you want your body to look a certain way? Or do you allow it to be so much more than that?

I invite you to move today in a way that feels good and safe for you, and I invite you to let go of how your body looks or will look from the action. Let it be a nurturing treat you give yourself from a place of love, instead of a punishment.

Your body, mind, and spirit will thank you for allowing it to move without all that extra pressure.

You got this.

With Love & Gratitude,

Lena