Getting off the Couch with Meditative Movement
How movement helped clear the fog to focus on the present
As we are living in the midst of a Mental Health Crisis, more of us are beginning to recognize the importance of developing healthy self-care practices that promote well-being.
As movement and exercise promote the release of mood-enhancing dopamine, norepinephrine and serotonin, moving our bodies has been proven to be more important than ever. We must start thinking about moving our bodies beyond the physical benefits and start incorporating movement into our daily routine for the benefits of our mental health.
When at my lowest, getting off of my couch was the hardest thing imaginable, going for a run around my neighbourhood was an impossible task. Finding activities like stretching and yoga introduced me to meditative movement and helped my body gain momentum and gave my brain the focus it needed to begin healing.
Meditative movements involve the use of postures or movements in combination with breathing to achieve a state of relaxation. Although Yoga has always been my personal go-to, martial arts practices like Tai-Chi and Qigong have been the focus of many studies, and as they require no equipment, they may be practiced at any time, anywhere.
Meditative Movement is a good place to start if you’re looking for a way to incorporate movement into your self-care, as it focuses on centering your body through mind, movement, breathing and relaxation.
The 4 Principles of Meditative Movement
1. Mind
Practicing Meditative Movement allows our minds to have a direct connection to the body's experience. Connecting our thoughts directly to the large or small movements our bodies are making may help disconnect us from the negative spiral we have been focusing on.
Practicing Meditative Movement allows the brain to focus on the present moment by prioritizing our awareness of the sensations of our body moving, our heart rate, and the flow of our breath.
A 2013 study looking at the effects of meditative movement on depression and anxiety found that regular practices, like tai-chi and yoga, helped decrease the “mind-wandering” part of our brains that can contribute to a significant increase in depression and anxiety.
In fact, the study found that meditative movement could increase the areas of the brain that affected our “cognitive control and attention to the present.” Over time, these regular practices could result in permanent positive changes in our brain.
2. Movement
Movement can have a direct connection with how our mind processes emotions and feelings, in the same way, that our emotions may inhibit our desire for movement. In a 2016 article featured in the Harvard Health Blog, Meditative Movements like yoga and tai-chi practices were proven to reduce symptoms of PTSD and depression. Focusing on your posture, body movements, breathing and relaxation was shown to reduce stress and lower feelings of anxiety.
It is important to note that Meditative movement can be tailored to the individual. This practice may entail a prescribed or spontaneous movement. Prescribed movements like Tai-Chi, Qigong or Hatha Yoga require a structured flow of movement while spontaneous movement allows the individual to move their body in the matter of their choosing. When deciding which type of movement is the best for your own practice, it is important to make a decision based on what allows you to maintain that mind-movement connection.
3. Breathing
As our society is becoming deeply concerned with productivity, our breaths have become shallower and distanced. In meditative movement, breathing is used as the bridge connecting our physical body with our mind. Allowing our thoughts to focus on the inspiratory and expiratory movement of air allows our body to reap the benefits of focused breathing.
Breathing has been a foundational element of conventional, age-old meditation. Intentional attention to our breathing patterns may alter the body's response to stressors in our nervous system and help in heart rate regulation. Practicing mindful, deep breathing exercises, in combination with movement has been proven to calm the mind, allow emotional release and enhance the mind-body connection.
Practicing breathing patterns allows the mind to focus on the flow of air in and out of the body and is used as a mechanism to allow the mind to be present during this intentional movement.
4. Relaxation
When talking about meditative movement, relaxation is not referred to as a state of limpness, but as a state of balance and homeostasis. When practicing meditative movement we are asking our muscles to move with our mind and breathing patterns.
The goal of meditative movement is to reach a state of peace within oneself. When starting, this feeling may only be achievable during the practice, with time, one will leave feeling “ light, free, open, and effortless; but at the same time stable, powerful, and well-rooted.”
Although research has suggested that Meditative Movement may help ease symptoms of anxiety and depression, it is important to note that meditative movement is not a replacement for mental health services.
If you or anyone you know is thinking about harming themselves, please reach out to the resources listed below for help:
CANADA: 1–833–456–4566 or text 45645
USA: 800–273–8255 or text TALK to 741741
More resources at crisisservicescanada.ca and afsp.org
