Last week, I wrote about how staying engaged helps us feel motivated.
When it comes to getting things done – starting new projects, breaking down huge goals and accomplishing one step at a time, working on this and that, writing books, music, gardening, cooking elaborate dishes from scratch, etc – I can easily get engaged and motivated with the tips I shared with you last week.
The same tips also work for staying motivated when it comes to spiritual, emotional, and mental self-growth.
But when it comes to exercising… I look the other way.
I disengage. I WANT to be active, I WANT to be healthy, and I always wondered why I had such a hard time staying motivated. Without being engaged with it, I’d soon drop my exercise goals/ plan, even though I knew how beneficial it was for me.
The failure to keep going would then make me feel awful about myself and even more discouraged.
Well, I just learned (in my coaching training) that it’s not my fault. 🙂
The way we are put together naturally affects what physical activity is best for us. And not just for our bodies, but what’s best for our minds and spirits.
You might think that’s really obvious, and you are right. I might be a late bloomer, LOL and I’m totally willing to come out as completely clueless in hopes that it might help someone else who’s been guilted and shamed for not enjoying a wrong kind of exercise!
I had worked with several wellness coaches who would advise me to ‘pick up a physical activity that was exciting for me’. But then, posts like ‘if I can run a 5k, so can you’ would make me feel like I was the laziest, most unmotivated person out there. I’d feel discouraged from doing anything at all.
My best friend in Croatia is different and running is her happy place. She also skis, snowboards, and surfs. Not me.
My body, mind, and spirit benefit from different kinds of physical activity, like swimming in a warm pool or doing yoga indoors. I like the slow and long movements of ballet dancing and tennis, because I can enjoy the slow repetitive relays and also strengthen my heart by running after those pesky curved balls. It’s not a competition between us, it’s wellbeing.
So how do we find what physical activity is good for us?
I can’t go into details of all I’m learning (it would be a very long email, lol) but it seems to me it’s all based on self-awareness, mindful observation of your thoughts and emotions, and working with your mind+body+spirit (as opposed to against it).
For example, in the training, the physical activity is not called ‘exercise’ but ‘movement.’
Last week, I wrote about how staying engaged helps us feel motivated.
When it comes to getting things done – starting new projects, breaking down huge goals and accomplishing one step at a time, working on this and that, writing books, music, gardening, cooking elaborate dishes from scratch, etc – I can easily get engaged and motivated with the tips I shared with you last week.
The same tips also work for staying motivated when it comes to spiritual, emotional, and mental self-growth.
But when it comes to exercising… I look the other way.
I disengage. I WANT to be active, I WANT to be healthy, and I always wondered why I had such a hard time staying motivated. Without being engaged with it, I’d soon drop my exercise goals/ plan, even though I knew how beneficial it was for me.
The failure to keep going would then make me feel awful about myself and even more discouraged.
Well, I just learned (in my coaching training) that it’s not my fault. 🙂
The way we are put together naturally affects what physical activity is best for us. And not just for our bodies, but what’s best for our minds and spirits.
You might think that’s really obvious, and you are right. I might be a late bloomer, LOL and I’m totally willing to come out as completely clueless in hopes that it might help someone else who’s been guilted and shamed for not enjoying a wrong kind of exercise!
I had worked with several wellness coaches who would advise me to ‘pick up a physical activity that was exciting for me’. But then, posts like ‘if I can run a 5k, so can you’ would make me feel like I was the laziest, most unmotivated person out there. I’d feel discouraged from doing anything at all.
My best friend in Croatia is different and running is her happy place. She also skis, snowboards, and surfs. Not me.
My body, mind, and spirit benefit from different kinds of physical activity, like swimming in a warm pool or doing yoga indoors. I like the slow and long movements of ballet dancing and tennis, because I can enjoy the slow repetitive relays and also strengthen my heart by running after those pesky curved balls. It’s not a competition between us, it’s wellbeing.
So how do we find what physical activity is good for us?
I can’t go into details of all I’m learning (it would be a very long email, lol) but it seems to me it’s all based on self-awareness, mindful observation of your thoughts and emotions, and working with your mind+body+spirit (as opposed to against it).
For example, in the training, the physical activity is not called ‘exercise’ but ‘movement.’
When I think of exercise, I immediately think of hard work. When I think of movement, I think of dancing and lightness. And feeling good.
“Movement” engages my mind with images that engage my spirit and spark the excitement needed to engage – and motivate me to move my body (I’ll let you know my progress with this… as now I have no excuses for not practicing movement, LOL).
If you are willing, do this little experiment:
- Find a comfortable seat, close your eyes and think of those two words – exercise and movement – and observe what comes up for you. Which one stirs your motivation to get up and move your body and add to your wellbeing?
- Then observe what thoughts of physical activities spark joy, trigger motivation and a sense of lightness, and which ones trigger feelings of heaviness and stress.
- Start doing whatever exercise or movement engages your mind, body and spirit. It can be just a few minutes daily if you haven’t done anything for a while. Eventually, you want to have something that contains all four groups: cardio, strengthening, flexibility, and detox. I walk for cardio and detox (break a sweat) and do yoga or ballet warm ups for strengthening and flexibility.
Movement will activate your digestion and help your body to get rid of toxins. It will clear your mind. And, it just might make you feel less depressed and less anxious (mindful movement does that!)…
When I think of exercise, I immediately think of hard work. When I think of movement, I think of dancing and lightness. And feeling good.
“Movement” engages my mind with images that engage my spirit and spark the excitement needed to engage – and motivate me to move my body (I’ll let you know my progress with this… as now I have no excuses for not practicing movement, LOL).
If you are willing, do this little experiment:
- Find a comfortable seat, close your eyes and think of those two words – exercise and movement – and observe what comes up for you. Which one stirs your motivation to get up and move your body and add to your wellbeing?
- Then observe what thoughts of physical activities spark joy, trigger motivation and a sense of lightness, and which ones trigger feelings of heaviness and stress.
- Start doing whatever exercise or movement engages your mind, body and spirit. It can be just a few minutes daily if you haven’t done anything for a while. Eventually, you want to have something that contains all four groups: cardio, strengthening, flexibility, and detox. I walk for cardio and detox (break a sweat) and do yoga or ballet warm ups for strengthening and flexibility.
Movement will activate your digestion and help your body to get rid of toxins. It will clear your mind. And, it just might make you feel less depressed and less anxious (mindful movement does that!)…
Music
Speaking of moving and hearts, this moved mine so much… I came across this video accidentally (or not… 😉 ) when I was looking for the YouTube link of the Window in the Wall. I had no idea that Olivia Newton John performed at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1974 representing the United Kingdom. She lost to the historic ABBA victory with “Waterloo.”
The song is sweet, and the live orchestra, her beautiful smile and energy and a great performance is just heart-warming and up-lifting. 🙂
Now here is the cool part: both ONJ and I participated at Eurovision. I was four in 1974 – the exact time when I dreamed up my dream of ‘telling stories through music and making our world a little bit better.’
It’s as if some Divine angels were spinning the web just right so that in 2021, Window in the Wall song would happen… and move hearts…
I actually think everything works this way… so much has to happen for each one of us that puts us exactly where we are today. Most of it we will never find out. But when we get a little glimpse of it, it’s powerful, isn’t it?
Speaking of moving and hearts, this moved mine so much… I came across this video accidentally (or not… 😉 ) when I was looking for the YouTube link of the Window in the Wall. I had no idea that Olivia Newton John performed at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1974 representing the United Kingdom. She lost to the historic ABBA victory with “Waterloo.”
The song is sweet, and the live orchestra, her beautiful smile and energy and a great performance is just heart-warming and up-lifting. 🙂
Now here is the cool part: both ONJ and I participated at Eurovision. I was four in 1974 – the exact time when I dreamed up my dream of ‘telling stories through music and making our world a little bit better.’
It’s as if some Divine angels were spinning the web just right so that in 2021, Window in the Wall song would happen… and move hearts…
I actually think everything works this way… so much has to happen for each one of us that puts us exactly where we are today. Most of it we will never find out. But when we get a little glimpse of it, it’s powerful, isn’t it?
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AND live your dream life.
Get weekly emails, exclusive content. special offers and
event updates directly to your inbox.