Move Like Water – A Natural Approach to Exercise
As vital as it is to drink clean water, it is just as valuable to move the water within.
The fluid in your body is in your 600 muscles, the synovial fluid of your joints, within the seamless and integrated web of connective tissue, and the cerebrospinal fluid that bathes your brain and spinal cord. Amazingly, you can even stand up and move around in the world! Your body is essentially an ocean walking on the Earth.
Reflect on when you held an infant or hugged a small child. They are delightfully squishy! Their muscles are free from tension and too young to carry the weight of the world on their shoulders (we hope). They naturally bend at their hips instead of their waist and don’t think too hard about getting up off the floor. We all started like this, and although aging happens, we don’t have to lose our natural fluid state completely. Be free and move link water.
3 WAYS TO CONNECT WITH YOUR INNER OCEAN:
1. Visit a body of water
See the ebb and flow of the water, perhaps from the tide, a boat, or a breeze. Notice the various ways water moves. There are no straight lines and your body works in the same way. We tend to move our body in linear patterns (back and forth, up and down); however, the natural design includes circles and spirals, just like water.
2. Consciously Drink Water
Grab a glass of that clean water and take a sip. Feel the liquid in your mouth and notice if you can sense that it travels down your throat and into your belly in a circular pattern. Imagine that as it enters your body, the fluidity is immersing itself into your 50 trillion cells.
3. Flow your Fingers.
Begin by making a fist and then releasing it, expanding your palm wide. Imagine your hand is a wave, The contraction, and release of your fist slows down, you engage your wrist a bit, and you feel your way through all the joints in your fingers. You may want to pretend that your standing waist-high in your favorite body of water, and your hand is caressing the top of it. Don’t overthink this; your body already knows how to do this.
Allow me to repeat that last phrase; your body already knows how to do this—moving like water puts us back in touch with movement aligned with our natural fluid design. This practice can expand physical activity possibilities beyond traditional linear, repetitive, and (sometimes) boring exercises. Our body needs all kinds of movement, and when we can dip back into the water within, we can express ourselves more fully.
For more resources, check out this 8+ minute introduction on moving like water as well as a tip to reduce shoulder tension: https://youtu.be/N1I_lwVSFyA
For information on ongoing Fluid Movement Freedom virtual classes, feel free to contact me here or visit: http://www.soulisticarts.com/classes.
Lisa Medley, MA, CMT believes as we create more love in the body, we create more love in the world. She serves as an Embodiment Mentor and has over 20 years’ experience in the healing arts including a MA in Expressive Therapy, life and wellness coaching, therapeutic massage and bodywork, somatics, energy medicine, and conscious movement & dance. Lisa is energetically sensitive that blesses her with a strong divine connection and challenges her to stay centered in an overwhelming world. She has discovered that honoring body wisdom is the key to sustaining wellbeing and soul evolution with more ease and grace. Learn more http://www.soulisticarts.com