When I am not connected to my physical body, I am disconnected from much more. A decade ago, I started practicing yoga regularly, and it began to change my life. 6 years ago I attended my first training with teacher Baron Baptiste, and then my life catapulted into major growth, expansion and discovery. Moving my body is where it’s at for me, physically, mentally, emotionally, even spiritually, I feel so, connected, clear, happy and full of love. Here’s one reason why: Exercise actually makes your brain bigger. It’s scientifically proven that High intensity aerobic exercise stimulates the release of NGF (Nerve Growth Factor) in the brain which stimulates and helps repair, improve, and create new pathways in the brain related to cognitive abilities related to memory, learning, and reasoning. This can be a run or jog, a powerful on the breath Journey Into Power Baptiste Yoga practice, a 30 minute session on your Peloton, or orangetheory, working it out in the gym, at crossfit, or Zumba, laps in the pool even, however you love to sweat and groove to move your body. The point is You Need to Move Your Body, powerfully! And get outside. Breathe fresh air, soak up sunshine, no matter what season, when mother nature offers us sunlight, we need to appreciate it. It’s true that sunshine can help improve your mood, Vitamin D (received in the body through moderate sun exposure) helps to improve bone health, and improved sleep. Adapt this mantra, “Move your body, Change your mind. Change your mind, create your best life.” Action: Realize that your body is in fact your temple, this vessel that you get to travel life in. How important is that?! You can’t trade it in. Get really present to how important and valuable your body is. Everyday write down and say outloud a quality of your physicalness that you are grateful for, write it down in your daily gratitude practice, or with a marker on your mirror. And then, move it. Move your body! Could be taking a 20 minute lap around the building at work on lunch, or on the trail in the evenings. Kickboxing, spin class, yoga, pilates, orangetheory, barre! Y’all, the possibilities are endless. From YouTube videos to your neighborhood YMCA, or go a boutique fitness studio if that’s what lights your fancy. I own a yoga studio and teach classes weekly, and am moved and honored by the community that congregates together in their commitment to health and wholeness. Joining a run club or fitness studio might be the needle that tips the scale and totally alters your path, you won’t know until you try. Allow yourself to discover what is out there, what you enjoy, and see where you feel the most alive in your physicalness. And then, stick to it. The daily reminders you give yourself are affirmation that it is worth it to move your body, and imperative for the longevity and quality of your life.
