I love the sound of these 3 words inspired by my now favorite yoga teacher in Austin named Brett who teaches at Black Swan Yoga. She is what I would refer to as a mindfulness yogi. She speaks with intention and encourages us to move mindfully.
Whenever she says 'move like you' in class, I feel lighter and a sense of joy because I interpret these words to mean 'be your own person' and 'move your body with your breath in a way that feels good for you'.
Brett voices that movement is medicine and when I hear her say it, I think about how our body, our brain, and our emotions need movement in order to function and work in the ways we need them to. Just as much as we need movement, we also need stillness. It's the yin and yang of life; what keeps us in balance.
I like to recommend to my clients the daily practice of SEN + M before looking for other ways to manage their depression and anxiety, particularly if they are considering taking medication.
S- sleep; we all need a minimum of 8 hours to feel our very best
E- exercise; move in whatever way feels good for you to get your heart rate up
N- nutrition; eat whole foods that nourish the body and brain
+
M- meditation; sit still in silence as you focus on one thing such as your breath or a mantra for at least 5 to 10 minutes
The words 'move like you' also bring to mind the recent move I made back to Austin after having lived in Portland for 2 years. A move is always hard on the mind, body, spirit, and emotions. It's a change that requires emotional resilience and flexibility. I like to define mindfulness as a practice of being curious, open, and flexible. The move back to Austin has definitely been nudging me to practice what I preach about mindfulness such as: acceptance of what is without judgement and being present to where I am now.
Coming back to my new/old life has its pros and cons. In moments where I wonder if I made the right decision to leave the beautiful Pacific Northwest, I remind myself to feel gratitude about having Austin be my home base where I feel truly loved and supported by the people that care for me who I have been able to sustain relationships with for 20+ years.
It's been a long while since I wrote a blog entry. I've been preoccupied and challenged in ways I did not expect. My intention for coming back to Austin was to grow my vision of what I want Root&Connect to become. As I figure things out, I remind myself often to be mindful of all the ways in which I am being taken care of so that I can continue learning more on how to help others learn to take care of themselves.
Please stay tuned to the magic that I believe will soon begin to unfold as I push my fears aside to turn my dreams into reality.