Ways to Include Movement in Our Lives
To be in movement in winter is never easy. Because we are cold, our body resists letting itself move, it wants to cover itself, it wants to wrap itself up, and that fog cloud called laziness finds right to to circulate around our body. We walk less on the street, swim less, get fresh air less, stay at home more and continue to live this way by knowing that being inactive tires us even more.
Addition to that, When we experience events that are heavy on us in life, this combination makes us heavier while we're inactive. As a result of our era, I see that in daily human life and in many people I work with, they have difficulty in starting to move. And once they have started and managed to continue, i see that if they, at one point, give a small break they even have difficulty in returning what the've started. Except for people who work professionally in fields such as movement, dance, sports or yoga instructors - and even for these people, movement has changed its form with the pandemic - it seems very difficult to people to integrate movement into their daily life. Especially if they're engaged in another job.
You will become not-lazy to live.
Is it ever possible to be lazy to live?
So what makes movement so difficult for us?
We think that we are traveling here and there with the world we hold in our hands, through visual stimuli and the mind, and we are actually traveling at the cognitive level.
We read ideas, we watch images, we hear sounds, we hear sounds as much as the tools can transmit to us. Because we are so distracted, we don't even realize from where we sit that this much of mental movement actually tires our organism. As we continue to live like this, we forget the fact that we live in a body and continue to bombard our minds with stimuli. Unfortunately, when we spend a day like this, we do not feel well. And it is not possible for us to feel good like this anyway.
How do I invite myself to action?
I divide movement into two types:
1) Yin: Movement performed to get closer to our body and take care of our needs.
2) Yang: Movement performed as a purely physical action without much thought.
In the courses I hold, I prioritise the first and create combinations of the two.
However, I realize that some does not always want to get closer to oneself and doesn't want to encounter the release of some emotions in the movement. They show great resilience, especially when it comes to doing this alone. For this reason, I do not direct anyone, especially those who have not taken classes or do not belong to a certain group, to studies that can open highly sensory and therefore emotional doors to get closer to them.
I find it more functional to apply the second option when we are alone. Because patiently weaving the paths to oneself, stitch by stitch, is sometimes a difficult path to travel alone. We can experience this more easily on our own by meditating, reading and thinking, but by its nature, dance emulates "togetherness" and in order to deepen in dance, we need an other who accompanies us, inside or outside ourselves.
How do I incorporate movement into my life?
As sub-branches of the second option, you can perform the following:
-Don't overwhelm yourself with moving. Don't set big goals like "I'm going to dance for 45 minutes now". Don't impose this on yourself as if it were an obligation.
-Research what kind of music you like and make a music list from them. If this music makes you want to let go of your body or stand up and take a few steps, don't stop it, stay and watch what happens.
-Watch dance videos that make you feel emotions when you watch them. This can be any video/image that awakens your desire for dance/movement. Instead of constantly doing digital readings, use visual messages that invite you to action.
-If you are someone who likes to learn from recorded lessons, find action content posts that appeal to you on digital platforms. Try to do the movements offered by an instructor for 10-15, maybe 20 minutes. This way, you can just act without having to think too much.
-If you have the opportunity, join a movement-oriented training group. This could be a studio nearby or an outdoor sports group. If you love dancing, sign up for dance training and just follow the schedule of the training. That's all you have to do; To continue.
-No matter what the weather is, spend at least 15 minutes a day outdoors, walk, jump while walking, run a little. Lean against a tree or rest your arms and legs wherever you find it, and stretch spontaneously. You don't need to stay long and serious in a pose. Think as if you're a child who went to the park, connect with the place.
-Whenever you feel very inactive and passive, remember that the will and the solution are in your hands. Remember that excuses will disappear even right after you get up and dance for 10 or maybe 5 minutes. If you have danced before, convince your mind by recalling it from your memories.
Remember, movement is abundance. Movement begets movement, inactivity begets inactivity. Whenever you find yourself slumped into passivity and inactivity, invite your body to a dance without pushing it. Sway to some music or open a class and do the exercises there.
As you move, your body will want to move more.
As your body desires to move more, your awareness of life's vitality will grow.
You will become not-lazy to live.
Is it ever possible to be lazy to live?