the basis of my life is freedom, and the purpose of my life is joy.
It’s not uncommon to get stuck in the mindset that the purpose of movement is to burn calories/earn the right to eat/control the way we look. When I say it like that, it’s pretty easy to see how messed up that is, right? But honestly, how often have you thought/heard others around you say, after a big meal, something like:
“I definitely have to go to the gym tomorrow.”
“I shouldn’t have eaten that, I haven’t even worked out today.”
“I feel like I need to go for a run.”
I’ll save my thoughts re: building a healthy relationship with food for another blog post, but regarding movement – what if we gave those guilty thoughts the middle finger and tried moving -gasp- for the joy of it?! What does that even mean, practically speaking, and how can you learn how to do this?
movement: for the joy of it
- become more aware of sensations in your body when you move
- what sensations do you enjoy?
- what sounds fun to you? (going for a walk outside, yoga, dancing, sports, etc)
- how do you feel emotionally when participating in the movement you’ve chosen? does it make you feel stressed out, like you can’t ever do it right or enough – or is there room for exploration, freedom, and curiosity?
- what kind of movement makes you smile, or feel excited to participate?
- examine your motivation for your chosen movement: are you doing what you’re doing out of guilt? shame? fear? are you trying to punish your body, or are you trying to change something about yourself? or have you chosen movement that helps you connect with your body, feel more confident, or feel more alive?
- can you cultivate a sense of gratitude for your body, for not only the ways it allows you to move but also for the sensations it allows you to feel?
Why do you make the choices you make, in movement and otherwise? I realized years ago that I made pretty much all of my choices to somehow please someone else/satisfy an outward source of authority. This realization was the catalyst for a total overhaul & reexamination of all my daily choices, including what I chose to wear, believe, eat, how I chose to move – basically how I was choosing to exist – and the result of this overhaul has been creating a life that is now mine. It’s a life that I’m totally in love with. I now consciously choose only things that bring me joy, things that light me up inside. And guess what? This makes every day feel exciting.
Together, let’s celebrate the joys of being alive and all the amazing experiences our bodies enable us to have!
I can’t wait to move with you!
xoxo,
brittany
