I’ve blown myself away.
Has that ever happened to you? You take a next step, aim for a new height - and completely crush it. You’re solid. Strong. Feel beyond capable. Powerful. And amazed and in awe of what you can do because you had no idea that you had reached this level - despite all the foundation laying you’d been doing.
I’m swimming in this a bit at the moment. I KNOW that how I approach, practice and see movement works to reduce pain, improve mobility, settle out the nervous system, and increase one’s overall awareness of how they are showing up in life physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually (the benefits of this being much too long to list).
Intellectually I’ve known that this foundational work will also support next level physical activities. And to be honest, I’ve been more than hesitant to try this one on in my own body. Too much overuse a decade ago, having babies, and the simple fact of getting older and needing longer recoveries post an injury have kept me happily in my bubble of "just the foundation work please" for a few years now… which I’ve loved! My body and mind have felt soooo g o o d, and it’s been the catalyst for big emotional growth.
Recently, however, I noticed I was feeling a need for something a little different. Variety is necessary for keeping us strong and healthy, and I could feel a need for just. a bit. more. from my practice. So I began exploring what it was like to layer in a more traditional Western style yoga practice with my other work. And holy cannoli it’s been f a s c i n a t i n g to observe and feel the steadiness in my body. To be in a position like downward dog or on hands and knees and not feel pain in my elbows. To feel the connection and support between my ribs and pelvis in a variety of positions, and especially plank. Coming back to this variation of yoga after so long away, and after taking the time (years!) to improve how my body functions, has been another piece of validation that this work WORKS. What I can now do with integrity and without pain knocks my socks off.
And so I’d love to encourage you to n o t i c e how you show up in your movement practices - yoga, running, hiking, strength training, cycling - whatever it is that you love! - and to n o t i c e how those practices show up for you. What do you want from your practice? Are you getting those results? The more intentional you can be around what you need, the more likely you are to get it. And contrary to our culture, this doesn’t have to be rushed. It doesn’t have to happen yesterday. My children are 6 and 8 and I’m still experiencing healing of my diastasis. Change is always possible. And if you need a guide on your journey, find one.
“Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished” -Lao Tzu
Give yourself the time to accomplish your goals, and step by step, bit by bit, if you stick with it you’ll crush them.