#intuitive movement

Now I have a desk job most of the time (except when I'm facilitating workshops but that's less an everyday thing), and I SHOULD exercise often but I'm bad at doing things at specific times. I love swimming but getting myself to the class is kind of a drag, and it feels like it takes up all the mental space of my afternoon (ADHD things) and I can't do anything or I'll be late, and since I live in the middle of the city with not one park close by I can't bring myself to "go for a run". I sometimes manage to have a yoga practice, but it lasts a few months at most.

Now I have managed to mostly make peace with food these days. I do get a bit overwhelmed if I've been putting on weight or eating "too much" but I'm much better at not chastizing myself and generally being kind. Removing the shame and the notion of "bad foods" or "forbidden stuff" truly has transformed my approach to feeding myself, also I go with "Fed is best" when in a hurry. Sure I have used lyraglutide for sugar regulation (with an actual specialist doctor supervising it) but I'm at a stage where I don't much need it anymore, and I can feel my satiety and my needs pretty intuitively.

Food is no longer a good or bad thing, and I desperately wish movement/exercise wasn't either.

So anyway how could one apply the principles of Intuitive Eating to movement?

I guess eating when I'm hungry = Move when I'm stiff?

Recognize hunger cues = Be present in my body? HOW?

Eat what you want, when you want, no shame = Maybe not beating myself up when I don't manage to exercise would be a start.

Discover the satisfaction of it = I guess pay attention to your movement and when you are enjoying it?

Honor your health, as in make educated choices about what you eat without ignoring your wants = ??? I'm at loss here

Feel your fullness = ??? Don´t over do it?

60, 100, 140, 150, 160, 170, 180

Had a good day in the gym today. I've wanted to squat 4 plates per side for quite a while, at stages didn't think I'd ever get there.

So, this is cool to hit because to me it somewhat signifies the change I've had in my relationship to exercise and my body. My self esteem is no longer tied to the outcome of every session, I exercise somewhat intuitively and have thoroughly enjoyed the process of getting to this point. I'd happily leave potential strength gains on the table to instead derive joy and energy from each session.

Ecstatic dance is the practice of listening to and trusting the body's purest inclinations through free-form movement to music in a group or individual setting. By embracing the body as a core element of human selfhood, ecstatic dancers have a unique opportunity to learn more about their essential selves and to commune with the divine with every part of their being.

Freeform ecstatic dance is coming back to People House this month on Thursday April 11th, hosted by yours truly! No experience necessary, just bring your body and get ready to boogie. This is a free event, although a donation to People House is suggested. 

Welcome to another episode of This (Word) is Harmful ✨

I know I bring up words and sayings that cause harm fairly often but I think it’s important to be aware of what we say because words matter and they do make a difference. Am I saying that I’m perfect when it comes to not saying words that can stigmatize or harm? Hell no. I’m constantly learning and trying to do better and honestly, I often share what I learn as I go with you.

Before we dive into this post, I want to start off by saying that by therapy I mean psychological therapy and not physical therapy.

When we say that fitness is medicine or therapy, it’s implying that fitness can replace those things and it can’t.

  Exercise can improve your quality of life and improve your health if it’s accessible to you. It can also help you feel better, manage your symptoms and maybe help prevent some illnesses but it can’t do the same work as medicine and counseling. Saying that it does, or implying that fitness is medicine, may encourage some people to stop taking medicine that is saving their life. It might also encourage the false narrative that if you exercise, you can’t get sick.

I’ve never worked with a therapist or counselor (yet) but I can imagine that working out can’t help me work through past traumas and give me tools to set boundaries. I understand that those who are saying it’s their therapy, mean that it helps them with their mental health and that’s great! However, it doesn’t replace going to see a therapist or taking medication that helps with mental health.

Instead, it might be better to say “moving my body helps with my mental health” instead of “exercise is my therapy.”

“Exercise is my medicine” can become “exercise helps me feel good and improve my health.”

As always, I want to point out that I’m not shaming anyone for saying these things because I’m sure I have said something like that in the past too. However, I do believe that being aware of the impact of our words is important.

That’s my take on all of this. I’d love to hear your opinion on this topic!

Please be respectful in the comments.

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