Curiosity, Conversation, and Connection Through Movement

"Movement is the only way you have of affecting the world around you." (Daniel Wolpert)

Movement is always there. See movement less as a certainty. It has no interest in conviction. See movement as a curiosity and a connecting conversation with mind, body, and soul.

I’ve never been one to call my shot. Especially on matters of the body. I rarely stand convicted. Any time I have been expressed conviction about anything related to movement, strength, fitness, and general health it comes from a place of deep insecurity masquerading as a “knowing” arrogance.

I believe and I truly feel that the body, mind, and soul are not well understood and our abilities are truly unknown. That it is all connnected. Even though we have mountains of evidence-based science, I am sure my great friends kinesiology, psychology, and other related fields can relate to this idea.

I believe our nervous system not only extends through us but through every living thing. Some call it Energy. Some call it God. Some may call it Crazy.

For me, movement reflects the rhythm and direction of our lives. It’s a direct line to the soul. Yet some things, maybe most things in our lives, are spiritual disrupters. And they are definitely movement disrupters.

Concern for money, for our jobs, self-doubt, comparison leading to envy and jealousy, posturing to impress to our audience or prove our worth to someone else who “knows” with conviction and certainty.

Many of us do not possess the tools to understand how to tap into the connection of mind, body, and soul. We can change our physiology and psychology by changing our internal environment. We don’t have to travel. We don’t need to run somewhere else or to someone else to change. Sure, being in nature helps. It is an easy access point to calm you and bring you back to L.I.V.I.N, but We, Us, I am Nature. With movement and breath and posing questions and listening to what our bodies are telling us, we can change our rhythm rather rapidly. We can get in tune.

Life has been a bit harder and heavier than I imagined it would be this year and the stress and overwhelm associated with very big changes had me feeling locked up in my mind and body. Breathing was harder. My ribs and diaphram weren’t expanding.

So I spoke to my rib cage recently. And, yes, I recognize that may sound silly to some. But we are silly to think our bodies don’t have something to say. My body has been holding something. You can call it trauma. I don’t think it needs a name. I can associate it with words like angst, loss, heartache, abandonment, and fear of the next steps. Thoughts and feelings and emotions repressing creativity. I call them selfish as they are concerned for past and future and pull from being here now.

Through a conscious decision to speak to my ribs (especially on the left side) and my my somatic therapist’s slight, gentle touch around the front and back side of my body, I found that I was far safer and more supported than I “thought”. That I had permission to breathe and be open and free to accept that this next phase of life will bring unknown, immeasurable growth and love as I care my father following two devastating strokes rendering him unable to speak (though words are starting to come) and move his right side. My professional life, my career, and my business must take a back seat as I take the wheel driving a route without a map.

Maybe it brings more clarity and alignment with self, those I serve, and those I love. To let my essence shine through without worry for past and future. To move with curiosity. To continue asking questions, listening, and blocking out certainty and conviction since this wild life is wonderfully chaotic and unpredictable. To be present. And one thing I do know is that when I am present I’m truly here with me and you and loving me and you. When I’m not, well…