Our body is always speaking to us

Ayurveda and Movement

As we explore the tip of the teachings of Ayurveda each week, we have learned that first and foremost the purpose of Ayurveda is to bring our body back to its natural state of wholeness and healing.

This is also the #1 job of our body – to restore balance within itself.

Ayurveda is an ancient healing system that gives us the tools and the knowledge to help us bring balance back into our body, our mind and our Soul.

This requires us to open our mind and be willing to try new and different experiences and to be willing to see our world around us and within us with a new set of eyes.

Last week we allowed ourselves to see food differently and maybe we experimented with food in this new way. Having the knowledge and tools is one thing, applying them into our life with the choices we make in our everyday life, is another.

We all deserve to feel good.

Once we know and believe this…

we will make good choices.

This week we open our minds to movement

Particularly 3 forms of movement

1. Exercise
2. Breath awareness
3. Chakra balancing

Our bodies are meant to move.

Our bodies thrive on movement.

Our bodies are not meant to hold onto pain (emotional or physical)

When our body experiences pain, if we are in balance, the body and mind use an intelligence and wisdom deep within to process, move and heal this pain.

when our body hurts it is speaking to us and it is asking for our minds attention.

If we (the mind) ignore and deny our body the attention it needs to move this imposter of pain out of our body – then the injuries, emotional trauma and illnesses will stay stuck in the body, eventually manifesting into disease and/or chronic health issues.

Our body wants to communicate with us though and when we begin to understand the intelligence of the internal wisdom of our body and all that it does do for us, we realize that our body deserves our attention and our respect.

Our body knows how to heal itself – it just needs our mind to listen, co-operate and take proper action.

Taking conscious steps to bring balance into our body with movement is a great place to start this communication between our mind and our body.

Movement is the first step to building this healing relationship.

Our body deserves our attention.

Our body deserves to be a top priority.

Becoming aware of how our everyday choices FEEL in our body is the attention our body requires.

Movement, of course plays a critical role in our overall health and the benefits of regular physical activity are numerous – here are just a few;

• Increased muscle mass, bone density, aerobic capacity and strength
• Keeps us young
• Balances our mental mind, decreases stress
• Helps us to lose and maintain a healthy balanced weight.
• Exercise is an amazing anti-inflammatory WHEN it is done in balance – meaning we are balancing the 3 aspects of exercise.

What are the 3 aspects of exercise;

1. Flexibility
2. Cardio
3. Strength

There are so many forms of exercise and the best ones for you are the ones you enjoy doing! It is important to experiment with different forms of exercise to find the activities you enjoy the most and then do those activities regularly.

It always comes down to balance

Creating balance in our activities is key to moving unwanted energy out of the body

• We can exercise too much – too much exercise will create an imbalance
• We can exercise too little – not enough exercise will create an imbalance
• We can focus on one aspect of exercise more than another – finding our balance in the 3 aspects (flexibility, cardio & strength) is the key.
• Knowing how our body feels and learning what it needs will help us find this balance.
• Mindful movement will help us understand how our body feels and what it needs
• Mindful movement strengthens the communication between our body and our mind.
• In mindful movements the mind listens to the body. 

Mindful Movement

The most important part of any exercise activity is that while we are engaged in it we are paying attention to the physical and emotional sensations in our body.  This means noticing how the movements we are doing feels in our body.

In each moment – we tune into how our body is feeling.

In each moment – we tune into what our body is needing.

This is mindful awareness.

Mindful movement is a practice and it becomes easier as we practice

Mindful movement benefits us by;

• tuning us into what our body needs while we are moving. 
• adjusting, shifting or choosing a different movement, if we are experiencing pain or discomfort.
• tuning us into what exercises we are enjoying and are most beneficial for us.

When we pay attention to the way any exercise makes us feel, both physically and emotionally we can better choose the right exercise for us.

When we recognize the immediate benefit it brings to our life, we will begin to enjoy the process so much more.

Movement is in every breath we take

Exercise is not the only form of movement. Movement in the energy that moves within and all around our body. Mindfulness of all of these movements is crucial to our well-being. The communication between our body and our mind becomes stronger and more effective when we practice the mindful movement of our breath.

Which is another form of mindful movement that is important to work into our day. Breath awareness! When we take the time to breathe consciously and deeply connect in with each breath – we move oxygen (vital life force energy or prana) throughout our system. Each conscious inhalation brings new oxygen & new energy into our body to circulate and replace old oxygen & energy and every conscious exhalation moves that old energy out of the body, allowing us to release and let go of any tension and stress that we are holding onto in our body.

Try it right now

Consciously moving our breath is a practice we can do anytime and anywhere.

Wherever you are in this moment – take a few moments to feel your breath move fully into your body – feel your body expand as you deeply inhale and then slowly exhale that breath, allowing a softening of your eyes, your jaw, your shoulders and your belly as you release the breath out. Let go of the tension with every exhalation. Practice this for a few moments. Practice this often. The more often you practice mindful movement of our breath – the more effectively tension and stress can release out of our body.

The benefits of Yoga

Yoga is an activity that bridges not only the awareness of our movement with our breath, but keeps us mindful of each movement of the practice. This allows the space to check in with ourselves to see how we feel and what our body needs. Certain yoga practices can incorporate all 3 aspects of exercise into it (flexibility, cardio and strength), some yoga practices incorporate the relaxation response in the body and all yoga practices activate the intelligence of the healing energy within the body, which we all have and that leads us to the 3^rd form of mindful movement.

Chakra Energy and Balancing

The 3^rd form of mindful movement that creates balance in our body, mind and soul is what happens when we regularly practice the first 2 together – like in a yoga practice – it is the movement and balancing of our energy system – otherwise known as our chakra system.

Our chakra’s hold all our emotions, experiences, fears, patterns, habit and behaviors and when our chakra’s are out of balance – we are out of balance, physically, mentally and emotionally.

Movement, breath awareness, incorporating all 3 aspects of physical activity into our day is the best way to balance our chakra’s. This doesn’t require a lot of time, unless you want it to. It does require that we stay aware of what we are feeling and needing during our movement practices.

When we stay aware during our movement practices it strengthens our awareness muscles and as our awareness muscles strengthen, our awareness in all aspects of our life heightens. Meaning we learn to respond to life’s challenges instead of react. We learn to take a deep breath in the midst of chaos and we learn to look at things differently.

Let’s start our practice of mindful movement today. This is about listening to our body and learning to understand its needs. Take the time everyday check in with your body and ask yourself;

1. How do I feel? How does my body feel?
2. What do I need? What does my body need?

Does your body need;

• A workout
• Yoga
• A walk in nature
• A few deep breaths
• Rest
• Energy work

In Ayurveda – Opposites balance

1. If we are feeling heavy and sluggish – a vigorous workout or heating yoga practice will balance that out.
2. If we are feeling anxious or antsy – a mindful walk in nature or relaxing yoga practice will ground our energy, to create balance.
3. If we are feeling overworked, overstressed or over-reactive – taking a break and breathing consciously for 10 minutes will balance the heat of “over-doing”.  

This Week’s Intention

This week, we check in with our body. Whether it is the beginning of our day, a random moment in our day, or during a session of exercise – we check in and pay attention to how we are feeling and what we are needing.

1. Today, I notice what my body is feeling.
2. Today, I notice what my body is needing.
3. Today, I take action to bring balance to my body by honoring what it is feeling and needing.

Know that we get to experiment with different movements to create our balance. Being aware of how we feel before, during and after our movement of choice is key. Journal your experience.

Don’t assume your mind knows what you want and need.

FEEL into your body for the answers.

Our mind comes to conclusions based on patterns, opinions of others and insecurities and fears – most of which are not even true.

Our body knows the truth, our body feels the truth.

Experiment.

Journal your experiences.

The truth will unfold from there.

We all deserve to be feel good.

Our bodies all deserve our attention and our respect.

If you are interested in fitness or yoga classes – I offers many forms and types of classes with options that will be sure to get your awareness muscles stronger. Live on-line zoom classes and access to over 50 recordings – all with the teachings of mindful awareness of what your body is feeling and needing is incorporated into each class. Practicing awareness of what our body is feeling and needing is available in each class, with options to modify if the body needs less and the option to intensify if the body needs more. Private coaching sessions with me are also available to help you understand the needs of your body.  

Contact me (Leslie) to find out which option is best for you

Call or text at 780 722-3442 or email leslie@wellnessdefined.ca