Have you ever thought of how we do exercise “to” our bodies like they are robotic machines? We slave at the gym or mindlessly pave a hole on our treadmill, trying to distract ourselves from the workout with music or TV.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m not knocking gyms, boot camp classes or hard core, kick-butt fitness. For certain women, they are perfect. But there is a whole circle of women they are not ideal for and yet these women are left thinking there is something wrong with them because they do not thrive in that environment.
I’m one of those women. I used to feel bad when I felt faint doing sets of burpees that had me going up and down, up and down and then switching to lifting weights. As much as I was getting a fabulous workout and my ego was proud, everything in my body (and spirit) was saying, “Please don’t do this to me. This doesn’t feel right. It’s not our path to ideal wellness.”
It took me a while. But one day I stopped the fight and began asking my body what it needed.
“Rest and gentle yoga,” it whispered. “More energy movement and less focus on intense power moves.”
So I listened and for two whole months did nothing but light exercise. Aaaah… so much better, particularly during my busy work season.
Then it asked to pick up the pace. So I added some interval training.
Yes… perfect.
Then it offered, “We need more core strength honey. You’ve been sitting too much at your computer. Have you seen your slouch??”
So I began the Fitness Table again.
Brilliant.
See where I’m going with this?
Our bodies are wise. They never lie. They can advise us on what we need better than anyone else — IF WE LISTEN!
That’s the key — active listening. Active listening means you listen, then act on what you hear, if action is required.
If you resonate with what I’m saying, let’s get back to movement that moves our body, but also our soul. Let’s stop pushing our bodies when they are asking us to slow down and love ourselves up.
BODY CONNECTION = FLOW = MAGIC
Love,
Paula
P.S. What is your body telling you she needs more of right now? Please share in the comments below!
