Mindful Movement: Combining Exercise and Mind-Body Connection

Happy New Year, friends! I can't think of a better way to start out than talking about ways to find your center and keep your positivity to start the new year off right! We've talked about Holistic Healing recently, and Mindful Movement is just another form of it; it's a common form of healing present across various types of medicine, from Western to Eastern to Holistic.

While most people will believe that those three types of medicine have nothing in common, that's actually quite the opposite. If you have ever had to go to Physical Therapy due to surgery or a recovering injury then, congratulations, you have participated in Mindful Movement to help heal. Let's look into exactly what Mindful Movement is before we get into how something like Physical Therapy falls under it.

What is Mindful Movement?

Mindful Movement involves bringing a heightened sense of awareness and consciousness to your physical activities. It's about being fully present in the moment, paying attention to the sensations in your body, and connecting with your breath. In the context of exercise, including activities like dancing, mindful movement emphasizes the integration of the mind and body. When combining mindful movement with exercise, it entails focusing on what your body is doing and how it feels during each activity. You must remember the importance of tuning into physical sensations, body posture, and movements.

When we talk about tuning into physical sensations, we mean paying attention to what your body is experiencing during exercise. This involves being mindful of sensations like the contraction and relaxation of muscles, the rhythm of your breath, the feeling of your feet making contact with the ground, and any other sensory feedback your body provides. Be mindful of your breathing; try to synchronize it with your movements.

In high school, or even college, if you ever noticed when the Marching Band stands at "attention" their backs are ramrod straight. A lot of people who were in band were taught the importance of standing perfectly straight in order to get a good flow of air through their lungs which helps as they are playing an instrument as they march. My high school band director liked to remind us to "crack the walnut" when we stood at attention; in other words, while we stood perfectly straight, we also were told to clench our butt cheeks to help with our balance. It may sound amusing, but clenching our butt cheeks actually helped improve balance, a critical aspect of our performance.

The movement part of this is being mindful that your movement extends to the actual execution of exercises or physical activities. It involves moving with intention and awareness, understanding how each movement feels, and staying attuned to the quality of those movements. Whether you're lifting weights, stretching, or dancing, paying attention to the nuances of each movement fosters a deeper mind-body connection.

What can be considered a Mindful Movement Exercise?

The answer to this is almost anything! Remember how I mentioned that Physical Therapy is a part of this? Here's where I'll explain how. We're going to use the example of being post surgery, as it's also a personal example. I have had knee surgery on my right knee, and spent a good three months in Physical Therapy afterwards. The reason for this was because I had to restore the mobility of my knee due to the fact that my surgeon literally scraped out old scar tissue. It also helped prevent new scar tissue that could be detrimental to my movements and healing from forming. There are many other reason why PT is helpful, but the main focus is what takes place while you are doing PT.

When you go through the exercises, it puts a strain on you as you are helping the healing process which is completely normal and is the equivalent of pushing yourself while exercising in general. Due to this, you will find yourself centering your mind on the moment that you are in and what you are doing; that focus will cause you to focus on your breathing as well. Your body and mind come together to focus on the movements that are going to make your body stronger, and healthier.

Think of it as a medical equivalent to doing Yoga. When you practice yoga, you are stretching your muscles and working them, while also breathing rhythmically and focusing on your movements. You lose yourself to the moment and the movement of your body, therefore giving over to the mindful movement and pushing the stress of your busy mind away. Remember my theory of Occlumency from Harry Potter? This is a perfect opportunity to strengthen these walls.

That opportunity doesn't just stop with doing yoga or PT! You can do it whenever you practice Mindful Movement. Some people will go to the gym and take to the treadmill, talking a walk through nature, or go running on a trail like what you would do in Cross Country Sports. Others even accomplish it during strength training, as they get into a rhythm while lifting weights and can go into their own form of trance.

I am a dancer, myself, and I lose myself to my music very often. When I begin to fully feel the beat, my body just sort of moves on its own and my focus shifts to my breathing and reinforcing my own shields. The concept of Mindful Movement and dancing aligns well with the idea of expressing emotions through movement. Mindful Movement in dance might involve being fully present and engaged with the dance, feeling the rhythm, connecting with the music, and being aware of the subtle nuances of your body's movements.

If you've ever watched Ballroom Dancing, you can see in their faces when the music starts how they relax and fully embrace the music around them. The trust the put into their partner is also evident by the way the they go from two people dancing, into looking like one person. The same can also be said of Figure Skaters, as well.

The most important part when it comes to Mindful Exercise, as I call it, is to make it a judgement free zone. Don't judge yourself, and don't let others thoughts or judgements in. Have you ever noticed someone who is listening to music and just dancing down the street? How absolutely free they look? It's because they let go of what others would say to them; similar to listening to your music in your car as a loud volume and not caring if someone in the car next to you doesn't like it because it relaxes you.

Ultimately, you can turn just about anything into Mindful Movement and Mindful Exercise. Like everything in life, we all do it differently. Your friend may go for long runs, but you choose to do yoga; but you both come out with the same peace of mind and fantastic body strength. Embrace the transformative power of Mindful Movement in your daily activities, stay safe, and stay hydrated on your journey to a healthier, more mindful you!