So. I’m subbing for the P.E./dance teacher. I’m watching the 4^th graders play dodge ball and reminiscing about how I as an elementary school student was like several of the youngsters in this group. They are clearly uncomfortable moving in their bodies. It’s so difficult to find kids in this group of about 35-40 who are natural athletes. Just a few are a vision of grace in motion, reacting with total affinity for what is being asked of them. The rest of the reactions range from looking really tense to trying to be invisible. I believe I used to fall into the category of trying to make myself invisible during dodge ball. I was always the last to be chosen for any team. I was also pretty shy. Competition on the sports field is not my thing. Also, as the years passed and I had to take on adult responsibility, I noticed that I held a lot of stress in my body. I had a hard time quieting my mind and un-tensing my muscles. So how did I find a way to feel comfortable in my body and begin moving in natural ways for me? And why is this important?

Physical activity helps us be in the moment. Over the years I’ve found what physical activities resonate with me. I love anything having to do with water: water aerobics, swimming, synchronized swimming, snorkeling, and scuba diving. I took up running for a short time – loving the flow that I felt when stride, arms, and breathing fell into rhythm – but found it hard on the joints after I put on some weight and thus developed a love affair with walking. Since walking on wooded trails away from urban activity = hiking, hiking is one of my current passions. Another of my passions – you’ll probably be shocked by this one – is Salsa dancing. Moving to music makes me feel really connected to my body. However, my biggest score, and the activity that makes me feel most at home in my body, is Yoga. Yoga is, of course, not a complete practice without the breathing and the spiritual part and I’m astonished to find that some people feel that Yoga conflicts with their already existing spiritual or religious practice. To me, the reflections and meditations that have been part of the Yoga I’ve practiced are a complement to any spiritual practice. Learning how to breath is the value-added part of Yoga. Breath is the key to being in flow. I tend not to gravitate toward Yoga classes that create the kind of workout I could get by going to a gym. I don’t want loud, thumping music. I want to be able to concentrate on my poses; I want to lose myself in the flow of feeling the wonderful sensations of engaging every muscle of my body and then relaxing every single muscle.

Here’s where I’m going with this. I love Yoga because it inspires total engagement leading to total relaxation and thus flow. I highly recommend that everyBODY try it! If you have not been the type to get joy out of moving in your body, and you’re not predisposed to try Yoga, try finding the flow in your everyday activities. Notice whether you’re taking your body for granted. Developing wonder, awe, and appreciation for what your body can do is a sure-fire method of getting into flow. We know that getting our hearts pumping and developing some muscle mass is essential for longevity and wellness. If we can enhance the movement we do by relating it to being in flow – being present in the moment – we can contribute to our overall wellness. Let’s focus on using our muscles and skeletons as nature intended and then on the beautiful feeling that comes from the relaxation of mind and body that can follow.

Here’s a possible mindfulness practice. Instead of entering the parking lot at the big box store and vying for the closest parking space, we park at the back of the parking lot and walk as far and as fast as possible – skipping the food court (but that’s another topic!) We feel that we’re contributing to the general wellbeing – instead of punishing ourselves – because we’re leaving a closer parking space for someone who really needs it. When we wheel our cart-full back to the car, we can appreciate our arms for always being by our side as well as our legs for taking us where we need to go. 🙂 Then we can contribute more to the general good by snagging a few stray carts and wrangling them to the cart corral. Again, we can appreciate being able to move our arms and legs, feeling the muscles tense against the bones and release. The more we can feel how the muscles, ligaments, joints, and bones interact as we move, inhaling and exhaling completely, the more we are in flow.

Everyone – well, almost everyone – has heard about taking the stairs instead of the elevator or escalator. (I qualified that statement because, recently, a woman that observed me going up and down stairs and avoiding the elevator went out of her way to show me where the elevator was.) I love really engaging my thigh muscles in an all-out effort on the stairs and then bouncing and relaxing the muscles before continuing with my business. Another way to incorporate mindful movement into our daily routine is to take a break from deskwork by using a chair to do backwards push ups and work the triceps. I also recommend Qigong at intervals during the day as a moving meditation that helps harness energy and release stress. We can also use an exercise ball to work our cores while watching television. If you really get into the flow with this one, you’ll start to practice without turning on the t.v. The key is not just to do these activities, but also to focus on breath and muscle engagement as we do them.

It may be that none of these suggestions for incorporating movement into your life are new to you. You may have heard them all before. What I hope to have inspired in you is the connection between feeling comfortable in your body and being in flow. By finding flow in daily activities, we can strengthen our bodies and relax our minds.