Or, what I learned from my cat
Have you ever been stuck in a boring workout routine that isn't working? You drag your butt to the gym but you're not seeing any results. I've been there.
I believe that the best way to lose weight, get toned, and feel sexy is to fully inhabit your body. Well, what does that mean? Check out a cat sometime. When it stretches, it really stretches. It stretches out through every single toe. It stretches luxuriously, revelling in it, taking its time. We humans, especially in our modern cubicle culture, have lost that. Sometimes I feel like my body is nothing but a station wagon driving my brain around, to quote author Douglas Coupland. It's like we don't have time for our bodies. They're so high maintenance, always needing to be cleaned, fed, flossed. We're so busy working, doing errands, and watching tv that we try to disconnect from our bodies. Have you ever suddenly realized that your shoulder hurt like hell, but you had been ignoring it for days?
If we take the time to stay in touch with our bodies, it pays off in terms of health and beauty. If we allow ourselves to feel what's going on in there--grief, joy, anxiety -- instead of distracting ourselves from it to get to some more items on the TO DO list -- our lives can be richer. Have you ever caught sight of yourself in a window on the street, rushing -- and noticed your head and shoulders are ahead of the rest of your self? Been there. Let's stay centered, live in our bodies, and we will find ourselves more graceful.
The first most important way to live fully in our bodies is to breathe properly. Most of us rush through each day breathing very shallowly. We should breathe right down into our feet and fill up our lungs. Our bellies, backs, and sides should expand. If we want to gain energy, we make our inhale longer than our exhale. If we want to mellow out, we make our exhale longer than our inhale. Otherwise, the two should be equal.
Another simple exercise is to simply remind yourself throughout the day to stretch into your body and feel it. Take inventory. Get some energy moving through all of your fingers. Any time you are walking, feel the swinging of your arms. Most importantly, feel all five toes on the ground! Many of us end up clenching our toes as though we're desperately resisting some terrible fate. If possible, find time to walk barefoot, ideally on the bare earth! (but not on wet grass. That's bad for you). Other places we often hold tension are the belly and the jaw. Try to think of dropping your tongue to rest in the bottom of your mouth.
So when we are actually exercising, we should pay attention, instead of watching a tv monitor or reading a magazine. (I find music works really well, though, since it tends to get us in our bodies instead of out of them). Instead of rushing to get through the 20 crunches, we do them slowly, while breathing, with full consciousness. We listen to our bodies; if the exercise is putting strain on our lower back, for example, we need to modify it.
Some of the best exercises are dance (I highly recommend dancing in the living room, with your favorite music cranked up), yoga, and tai chi. Mini-trampolines are great. If you jog, it's important to maintain good form, or you can slowly do damage to your body. Above all, whatever you do, have fun doing it. Breathe fully. Change your routine if it becomes boring. Listen to what your body needs. Do it fully!
0 comments:
Post a Comment