The Tao of Creating a Movement Practice, 1
Enjoy movement like you did when you were a kid.
Don’t overcomplicate things,
especially creating a movement practice.
Most of your “practice” should feel like play.
Start by asking, “what makes me want to move?”
Don’t judge your answer. Don’t analyze its value.
Its value is derived from your enjoyment.
Then ask, “what activities bring me into the flow of the present moment?”
Transcending the illusion of time is when deep healing and change occur.
Finally, ask yourself, “what makes me feel alive?”
Don’t compare your answer to anyone else’s.
Your movement practice is your own personal masterpiece.
Answering these questions will paint most of the picture.
Complete your masterpiece with accent colors
that provide support, balance, and longevity to the things you love.
Digression:
When we were kids we enjoyed moving our bodies for no other reason than it felt good and it was fun. Moving for the sake of exercise is a concept that gets introduced when we become adults and the child in us has been ignored, beaten down or pushed into a corner.
I was blessed as a child to have lived in places that offered an abundance of the outdoors, playmates and safety to roam. We played capture-the-flag in the woods and street hockey in the cul-de-sac. We rode our bikes all over town, jumped on trampolines, climbed trees, and swam in any pool we could get into.
Time melted away; the experience of a moment lasting hours and hours slipping by in a moment. Our only concerns were avoiding older bullies, but even that offered a sense of adventure and excitement. Sometimes we poked the bear because there’s nothing like the feeling of running from something to make you feel alive.
As I let go of my attachments to how I should be training I was able to start enjoying movement like I did when I was a child. For most of my adult life I’ve felt like I needed to do a certain amount of structured strength/mobility/conditioning/bulletproofing before I could get to the things I enjoy. Think about the absurdity of not playing in the game because you have to go to practice!!
Setting that burden down is giving me the freedom to enjoy Life, which for me is greater than any “fitness” benefit.
Will you enjoy life more when you have a better body, can lift more, or do a muscle-up?
Do you hold yourself back from enjoying movement?
Is there a voice in your head, perhaps the avatar of some “fitness influencer”, making you feel guilty about all the exercises and training routines you should be doing?
There will always be a greater achievement just out of reach if you think this way. I know from experience. Having goals to orient your direction are great, however, observe yourself carefully to see if you’ve lost sight of The Now during your perpetual chasing after future phantoms.
Consider enjoying the journey and seeing where it leads. Be fluid with the course you take.
Next time I’ll share my movement practice and Lo’s. Perhaps it will inspire and inform your own. I’ll spend some time explaining how I support and balance what I enjoy with structured training; the accent colors of my personal masterpiece. But, before I tell you what I’m doing I want you to go inward to find your own answers.
Be Strong, Move Beautifully,
Tanner