Redefining Movement Motivation

MOVEMENT BEYOND PHYSICALITY

Helping my clients find a groove with movement and exercise is a major cornerstone of the coaching work I do. Something I’ve picked up on overtime is the binary and limiting beliefs many have adopted about it, so I’m offering up my favorite ways to get closer a deeper why and stay in flow.

First things first, The Trap:

Dysmorphic movement— Staying committed to exercise solely because of the desire to make your body look a specific way.

Imposter syndrome— Feeling as though because you haven’t “been doing it” getting started seems foreign, frivolous, or inevitably pointless.

It’s important to identify these emotional states for what they are, volatile. Neither being life-giving or sustainable, if you view your connection to movement through either lens you will end up missing the generosity and expansiveness of connection with your body.

Movement as a teacher

01— Hold it for two more breaths

Starting with my personal favorite, this one turns physical stamina into spiritual fortification. When you allow your body to reach just beyond what you deem comfortable, staying in the stretch zone of the sprint, pose, or peddle shows you it’s possible to keep going. The saying “hold it for two more breaths” can be literal or metaphorical, but the affirmation shows you are capable of more than your initial stopping points. The benefits of improved stress adaptation and fear-avoidance thinking can be multiplied across your life. You’ve so got it.

02— Emotional regulation

Blood flow to the brain wakes up the limbic system and releases endorphins for improved self regulation, problem solving, and creativity. Movement can serve as mental flossing, strengthening your ability to sort through thoughts and process stuck emotions. Indigenous wisdom honors the power of dance and shaking as a way to move through grief and joy, reminding us the body does, in fact, keep the score.

03 — Creating a container

Life is a blur. If you’re not careful to step away from the to-do list and change your environment, your days can start to feel like one long jumble. Having a pre-determined time of the day to move your body, in any fashion, helps to orient you in space and time. I talk a lot about honing transitional activities throughout the day as a way to create purposeful containers and clarity for what lies ahead. It’s much more likely you’ll make other aligned choices for yourself once you’ve already got the momentum going.

Of course the physical and metabolic benefits of regular exercise are abundant and important, but my goal for you is to expand into your deeper why and connect with yourself in a way you feel called to return to again and again.

O-p-e—n is a breathwork, meditation, and movement app I recommend to my clients in search of a well rounded at-home tool for guided connection to their body.

Explore my offerings below if you’re interested in learning how to uncover your unique routine flow and find confidence through living an embodied life.