activity

Take Advantage of This Moment

by ultrapeg

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There are several people in my life right now who are suffering from serious illnesses.  These conditions seemed to arrive out of nowhere.  In particular, I am thinking of two people who considered themselves healthy and active prior to the sudden onset of illness.  This has caused me to again spend some time reflecting on the fragility of human beings, the impermanence of all things and the sacred nature of time.  Time is a precious commodity.  We don’t understand it, but one thing that is certain is that it only moves in one direction:  forward.  Relentless forward motion.  We can’t stop it and we can’t back it up.  Yet still we waste so much of it dwelling in the past or worrying about the future.  

So it becomes especially important to celebrate each moment.  No matter how much you think you lack or wish things were different from what they are, chances are if you really pay attention to the moment you are in right now – THIS moment – there is almost certainly at least one thing for which you can be grateful.  Consider these questions:  Do you have enough to eat today?  (Maybe too much, but that’s another story!) Do you have a place to sleep tonight that is protected from the weather?  Are you breathing?  Maybe your breathing is labored or difficult, but if you’re on the planet and conscious, chances are you’re breathing.  That’s a miracle right there. Take a moment to just follow your next breath.  Think of how it contributes to your body’s well-being, even if it hurts.  It costs nothing to pay attention to your breath and it will bring you back to the present.  

Reflecting on what’s right in this moment (as opposed to what you think is “wrong”) can help you to focus on the positive aspects of your life. That may be difficult at times, so it helps to develop a practice to bring yourself back to those positives as soon as you recognize that you’ve slipped into negative thinking – that is, lamenting what’s passed or fearing what’s ahead.  Recently I heard a suggestion for an anxiety-relieving practice:  if you’re feeling anxious or fearful try looking around you and making a list of everything you see.  It might help bring you back to the present moment or at least provide a distraction.  If you read this blog you know, I’m a strong advocate of practice of any type. That’s because it works.  The more you practice – anything – the more it becomes part of your life. Pretty soon it is so natural that you can’t imagine being without that practice and you miss it if something keeps you from it.  

Since time is so valuable we all want to maximize that value.  If you have ever been sick you know the value of good health. There are no guarantees, but there are things you can do to feel better and try to maintain good health.  These are not strange new techniques. We all know what to do. Eat healthy food, get enough sleep and keep your body moving to the best of its ability. Even these simple concepts vary from person to person.  There is no “one size fits all”.  We each have to find our own way.  But that means finding a place to start and following through. Even if you stumble, starting is the hardest part.  Once you do that, it’s easy to get up and try again or try something else.

Yoga and Pilates both help us to connect mind and body so that we can begin to understand what each of our bodies requires. Those requirements will change with time, but the more tuned in you are the more you will recognize when change is needed. If these disciplines don’t work for you, find something that does. There are a myriad of ways to support your body and all its complex systems.  Treating your body will also treat your mind. Whatever you choose, adopt it as a practice.  Set a regular schedule that you can stick to. Start as slow as you need to so that you know you can do it.  If you find you can’t stick to it, adjust the schedule.  Make it work for you.  Now is the time to take control of what you can control while you can control it. Take advantage of this moment. It’s the only you have.

Leap of Faith

by ultrapeg

leaplarge

It continues to amaze and sadden me to hear people proclaim certainty about their inability to do yoga or Pilates even though they have never tried.  Or maybe they tried many years ago but are sure that the interim time span has zapped their capacity. The time for these efforts has passed, they reason, it’s pointless to try now.  In the next breath, however, I also commonly hear “but I have to do something!”  Well, there you have it.  You can either spend your time wishing you could do something and lamenting your perceived inability or you could spend that same time actually doing something.  Granted, making the effort takes a leap of faith.  It requires overcoming fear and venturing into the unknown.

One thing that might help is to remember those times in the past when you did manage to overcome your fears and venture into the unknown.  We’ve all had those experiences.  Think of a time when you wanted or needed to do something bad enough that you dropped your resistance and moved into it.  No matter what the outcome, I think it’s safe to assume that you learned something from that experience.  And chances are what actually happened is nothing like what you thought might happen.

Another motivation might be to consider the consequences of doing nothing.  You will continue to feel bad about yourself both emotionally and physically.  That negativity can produce a downward spiral.  The mind-body connection between physical illness and emotional attitude is increasingly well-documented.  Yoga and Pilates both work on strengthening that mind-body connection helping you to focus your mind, get to know how your body works and bring body and mind into better alignment.  Why let yourself sink into a rut when all you have to do is take that first step in a new direction.  The first step is the hardest, but once you take it and begin to move forward your confidence will grow and you may find your attitude changing.  After all, others have done it and you can do it, too!

Finally, all of us have friends or neighbors who are doing those things that we wish we could do.  I don’t mean your children or grandchildren or anyone who is half your age or pictured in a magazine.  But others who are in similar situations to your own.  You know who they are.  Ask them about their journey.  They probably do not have any special powers that you lack.  But somewhere along the line they took that leap of faith and tried something new.  Is it working for them?  Will they support you in your effort to try?  Having a system of support is a huge asset when you are trying to make a change in your life.  That’s why classes can be so helpful.  All the others in the class are working at the same thing.  We all need each other to stay on track. Working in a group with the similar goals is powerful.  Take advantage of that and let the group’s momentum pull you along.

So I would like to challenge you to try again to make that leap of faith.  Take your fear to the limit:  what’s the worst that can happen? If you move slowly and thoughtfully, paying attention only to yourself and how you feel, making movements only in a way that works for your body and stopping when you need to you are unlikely to hurt yourself.  You may even surprise yourself by finding that it feels good. Maybe you won’t like it.  That’s fine.  Everyone has to find the form of movement that works best for then.  But we all need to move, regardless of age or physically limitations.  You’ll never be able to form an opinion until you try.

Hope to see you all in a class soon!