Movement is medicine
This is my intention for the month: to keep on moving; moving away from what feels familiar, and moving towards the actions that take me out of my comfort.
On the first day of May, I woke up in a foul mood. I wasn’t satisfied with my external world and it was starting to weigh me down. It was a challenging time for me. There have been a lot of twists and unexpected turns. I’ve had to shift in places I thought I wasn’t ready for and I’ve become aware of many unhealed parts within myself.
I woke up confronted with emotional turmoil and felt overwhelmed by all of it. So I started my day just like any other day, with yoga which usually get’s me out of my head and into my body. Side note: My boyfriend once said that doing yoga/meditation is my medicine. And it’s true if I don’t do any of the two, I’m not a grounded person on that particular day. So, that morning, I turned to my go-to girl, Adriene on YouTube, and found an appropriate sequence to get me out of my funk. The routine was titled, “Movement is Medicine”.
I felt better after my practice but inside these heavy emotions lingered on in my body, and my self-talk took a turn. Recognizing this was unsettling, to say the least, but it forced me to take action. I needed to change up my routine and nurture my body even more. Thankfully, I had the day off and I was able to take the necessary actions, so I decided to go on a hike.
I walked for 4 hours. For the first three hours, I could still feel the tension in my body. I was in agony. Then I realized that I needed to stop trying to feel good. I finally became aware that I was under no obligation to feel positive emotions that day. In the third hour, I started to accept what I was feeling and that’s when my perception began to shift. I was able to consciously speak to myself again. This time I spoke to myself differently and consciously changed the narrative in my mind:” Don’t worry. You are going to be okay. This will pass”.
I continued walking and I started coaching myself as I felt my body becoming more receptive to positive messages. At this point, I was doing breathwork and began to feel present.
I kept on treading my feet, grounding myself onto the earth. I started to slow my pace as I stood hidden amidst the pine trees that dimmed the light as I walked in the middle of the forest. My face was covered with a gentle breeze, a peace that washed over me. In my mind's eye, I saw myself conquering everything I previously saw as an obstacle on my path.
I felt all trees staring at me and surrounding me with nurturing love. I opened up myself to this awareness and sensed that I was guided to be among trees to learn an important lesson: surrender to growth and you will be supported.
I drove back home that day with a new perception and the day continued to surprise me as I showed up. I ended up going to the beach with a good friend. It may sound odd that I ended up at a dance party, but it was all part of the bigger lesson that I had to learn: “Movement is medicine”.
Dance reminded me that while growth and change are uncomfortable, we can approach it differently; with playfulness and curiosity, or resistance and pain. The choice is entirely up to us.
I decided to dance with the flow of change that day. I ended up dancing for hours in the eye-view of the ocean. It was bliss. I felt like a kid. I stopped thinking entirely. I was too preoccupied with the joy I was feeling.
Nature is truly my wisest teacher.
The most difficult days have profound lessons. When these days occur and they will; don’t stay in bed. Fight for your happiness. Seek Novelty. Do something you haven’t tried before. Seek the company that will feed your soul with the nourishment it needs. Open your perception to find the answers you seek.
But don’t be passive. Do the inner work that will make you feel whole again. Move your body. Be silly. Get your body in nature and out of your head.
The world needs those who take their healing seriously. It’s not easy but life on the other side of healing is worth fighting for. Don’t give up on yourself. Everything is temporary. You are stronger than you think.
There is always room for transformation. You are never alone.
Movement is medicine ♥️
For more support, join me on a yoga journey with Adriene. She has thirty-day free yoga sequences and other videos that are tailored to meet you where you are at.
Movement is Medicine has been a grounding principle that has carried me through the month. What has helped you deal with challenging seasons in your life? I’ll be waiting for you in the comment section. Let’s have a chat
Stay grounded,
Robyn
https://yogawithadriene.com/free-yoga-videos/true-30-day-yoga-journey/