Move Your Body
We live in a fast-paced world, full of obligations, deadlines, and stressors of all sorts. It’s hard not to feel tossed about in a sea of worries. Many of us manage to meet our daily demands, but it is usually at the expense of our spiritual, emotional, mental, and physical bodies. Physiologically, stress can turn into a sort of ‘stuckness’, or what is termed qi stagnation in traditional Chinese medicine.
Shoulder and neck tension, depression, poor breathing habits, and digestive disorders are some common embodiments of stress. Stress-induced qi stagnation can also impede circulation and create constriction where we would like to see suppleness, as in the body’s tissues and organs. The reproductive system (and every other system in the body!) thrives on the healthy circulation of energy and blood. How can we release constriction and encourage the free-flow of energy and blood? That’s right, by moving our bodies!
We all have our preferred brands of exercise and movement, and it is true that we have different bodily makeups and requirements. What is most important is for us to pay close attention to what feels good and brings us back into balance. A varied exercise regimen can do wonders in keeping us healthy in body and mind...and how effective it is in lifting the spirit (it is not easy to ride a bike or dance the tango without experiencing even the smallest shift in mood for the better)!
We encourage you to discuss exercise regimen with your practitioner. Exercise can keep you in sync with your body’s natural rhythms. Variation can be important, especially when working on regulating the different phases of the menstrual cycle.
It is easy to get lost in the shadow of life’s worries and demands, but let’s not forget that this life is meant to be savored and enjoyed! Go have a spin in the garden or a swim in the pool, and, when you return to them, your daily chores might be just that much easier to accomplish (they may even have lost a little bit of their urgency and importance in the process!).