I hate exercise
Do you ever wonder what is the point of exercise??? Like really, what's the freakin' point?!!! Personally, I do not exercise, and I do not teach exercise classes. What I do, and what I encourage all of my students to do is to explore movement. The exploration of movement has proven to be a very effective way to reconnect the soma (body) to the other parts of the self. The physical practice also emulates the mental and spiritual work that is required to move ourselves forward - to grow, to heal - . The other great benefit of approaching physical health in this way is that it is never boring, always challenging and FUN! In the book No Boundaries, by Ken Wilbur, he points out the strange Western habit of referring to our bodies as something separate from ourselves. We refer to it as 'our body' as if at some point we took possession of this thing that we carry from place to place and the 'self' resides within it...somewhere. How strange, right? When did we start thinking that our bodies were in some way separate from who we are? This split in identity plays a big part in the decline of social health. If we are able to think of our bodies as something separate from ourselves than it is easy to trick ourselves into thinking we are functioning well even if the body is not. As the 'self' is made up of the body, the mind, and the knowing-self (commonly called the spirit), if one part is damaged or functioning poorly, than the self is fractured. Imagine, for example, trying to skate with three wheels instead of two, you would be the kid that no one wants to skate with come couple's skate. (NOTE: 80's reference! All readers born after 1992 may have just missed the power in that analogy) Whether I am on the mat, outside running, or hiking with my family, my intention is to reconnect and align the parts of my self : to bring myself back into presence. That is the point of 'exercise'! For my students this underlying philosophy has proven to be a great motivator to continually get off the couch and get moving. They are no longer asking 'why?', but 'when?' and 'how?'. I hope it will do the same for you.
Are you ready to start living in your body?
Lindsey T H Jackson is a Life Coach, movement therapist and storyteller. Contact her at www.lindseythjackson.com for inspiration, list of services and bookings.
