how to love movement, part 1

becoming friends with your body

My dear friend in that wonderful body, how are you? I mean, like, really. How are you? How do you come to arrive in this place at this time reading this little note with those wonderful eyes?

Three guesses.

1. Mothers and fathers!? Yes. And thank you to them. They did a mighty thing in the creation and rearing of you. If you’re anything like me— with a lifelong tradition of rebeling and pushing all the buttons, often all at once— then God bless those parents of yours as well.

2. Universal forces that elude our comprehension? Yes! Those, too. Let’s pause together in wonder at the 13 billion years and change that have somehow filtered through the hourglass to eventuate you, me, and everyone we know. So many of us like to sit back and rest with the rather passive notion that the universe is this randomly deteriorating mass of chaos in which we randomly and chaotically happen to become. Think again, dear universal gemstone, and maybe another thank you and bless you is in order, because this wonderful universe of ours consistently seems to have our back— cosmologically and metaphysically!

3. (In a small, unsure voice…) This body of mine? Yes! You have arrived here because this body of yours somehow (thank you, again, mom, dad, universe, and all the forces each has offered us) formed, developed, expanded, found requisite coordination and power, and meandered through all kinds of experiences toward today. It’s not unlike the story of the universe, eh? A little structure here, a little efficiency there, a little protection overhead and underfoot, a lot of energy everywhere and ouila! Body is here.

Thank you body. And bless this body, too. You may not realize it, but it’s a friend to cherish. The better you treat it, the better it treats you. Long may it last as a mover through this existence.

Shall we consider its movement?

In our sedentary society, it’s easy to miss the insult and injury we do to our bodies by keeping our seats. The norm for most is long hours in a chair or on a couch— for too many, upwards of half our waking time. We think of injury as the acute trauma inflicted by an accident but what harms us more, for longer, and in more profound ways is a lifestyle on the bum.

It impedes our digestion, interrupts our elimination, impacts our sleep, diminishes our cardiac health, weakens our respiratory health, and upsets our emotional resilience. In other words, the less we move, the less our physiology and psychology move. We get heavy— physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

These bodies are made to move. And they operate optimally when they do, not too much and not too little, but in good amounts throughout the day— daily.

So maybe you’ll hear me out when I suggest a few simple ways you strengthen a friendship with your body. Sure, these days there are tons of hacks about movement… park far away, stand while folding laundry, pace while streaming Netflix. Sure, fine, I guess.

But how about we’re a little more intentional about our friendship? Sure, we might think watching TV together is intimate but I think we can do better. I think our bodies— and every other friend we have— would prefer a little more undivided attention when we make the time to share it. We don’t tell our friends we’d love to see them, then ignore them over coffee. Or, maybe we do. Again, we can do better.

Here’s a start.

• Intend. Stand up for a moment and set an intention to listen carefully to what’s happening in this body of yours. What’s present for you in your body? Are you willing to listen?

• Inquire. Ask your body what it wants: What loving movement can I offer you that is purely for your moving pleasure? A morning walk? A midday stretch? An evening dance? What simple movement excites you? How would you like to feel at the end of every day?

• Choose. Decide what you’re willing to offer your body.

• Commit. Tell your body what you’ll do for it, how often, and why.

• Feel. Discover the effect of your commitment on your body. How does it feel in there to have chosen to prioritize this friendship?

I’m pretty sure that our body feels good when we give it ample opportunity to do what it’s meant to do— to move. Not with ridiculous force and not to excess. Just enjoyable movement. I like to add in ample love… like this, ‘thank you, dear body… you really are a wonder!’ and ‘I love you, precious body. I will always do my best with you and appreciate your forgiveness when I mess up and forget.’

Find your own kind words. See what happens.

Next time, I’ll share some simple, pleasant movement patterns you can incorporate into your routines. And for those of you whose bodies are asking for a little stretch, I’ve included a little video below. Consider it a gift… from my body to yours.

Please let me know what you hear from your body. And if it isn’t immediately responsive, well, go easy on it. Sometimes, our dearest friends need a little time to return our calls.

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Friends, next month, I’ll be adding a donation component to this little effort. Everything I post will remain free but if you find that your resources are secure and looking to flow in small, interesting ways (that aren’t a pumpkin spice latte), I’d appreciate your contribution. If this feels good to you and your body, please consider making a pledge. (You can do this by clicking the button that says ‘subscribed.’ It will take you to a pledge page.)

This is my way of supporting the work I share with students, some of whom are unable at present to pay my hourly rate. I do my best to maintain a policy of ‘pay what your heart allows.’ Your donation to substack will allow my heart to maintain this policy.

Over time, my intention is to keep all the posts free and provide additional fun to those who subscribe… perhaps monthly meditations and quarterly calls. You let me know what you might like and we’ll have fun together.

Thank you for being you— in all your beautiful ways.