Using Mindful Movement to Achieve Your Goals
Yoga is a great practice for mindful movement, but not the only one
From marathon running to barre to yoga to power lifting, you’ll find these techniques to be game changers for any type of movement.
What is mindful and intuitive movement?
Mindful and intuitive movement are often used as different approaches, but I believe that we can’t have one without the other.
Mindful Movement: Moving with full awareness and focus on your body and mind. Noticing what it feels like to move in space, and every physical and emotional sensation that comes up.
Intuitive Movement: Moving in a way that feels good to you. Tuning in and listening to exactly what your body and mind are craving and whatever movement would honor you in that moment.
These two go hand in hand. I believe that you can’t gain the benefits of one without the other also being part of your movement practice.
Mindful movement is key for reaching goals in all types of movement including lifting
Why mindful and intuitive movement?
Whether your goal of movement is to build muscle, get a new PR or have an outlet for de-stressing, mindful and intuitive movement will help you get past any blockages to reaching your goals. Becoming completely aware of your body and mind will create conditions that are ideal for your personal success, however that is defined for you.
How do you know this works?
You may know me as more of a yogi, but at heart I am a total fitness junkie who has been around the block when it comes to workout goals! I’ve used these techniques while marathon training, lifting, spinning and with recovery goals such as healing (running) injuries and postpartum recovery (pelvic floor re-building).
Okay, let’s get into it!
I’ve used these techniques for marathon training, hitting running PRs and countless fitness goals
Using Mindful Movement to Achieve Your Goals
1. Tune IN and tune everything else OUT
This is the first and hardest step. You’ve got to stop comparing both to others and yourself. I used to think that the trick was to stop comparing to others and ONLY compare to myself and focus on my progress. Do this in the big picture. Reflect on your fitness goals before and after movement practices. For example, when marathon training- check your times and figure out your goals before or after moving whether that be a sprint exercise or a distance run. For something like yoga, practice NOT looking at other and how they are moving and avoid critiquing yourself in the mirror. I prefer studio spaces that do not have mirrors for this reason.
2. Connect your Breath and Body
Start becoming aware of your inhales and exhales, then see if you can use your breath to enhance your movement. The first step to this is the awareness. It may take time to just become totally focused on observing and learning about how you breathe. Give this time. After a while, you will notice how your breath works with or against your body. For example, when lifting- do you hold your breath? Do you notice you feel better inhaling or exhaling at a certain point? In yoga do you feel good connecting one breath to one movement or do you like to take long, slow inhales and exhales during multiple movements? This will change day to day or throughout your workout. Get used to recommitting to your breath and adjusting to what feels good.
3. Allow Yourself to Feel
We’re conditioned to suppress physical and emotional sensations, so it can feel strange to intentionally allow ourselves to feel. This takes a mindset shift and work. You will have to practice allowing yourself to feel. Do this by initiating frequent self check-ins. How am I feeling right now? What am I feeling right now? What physical sensations are coming up for me? What emotional sensations are coming up for me? No judging! Nothing is good or bad- it’s just data from your body and you’re just here to listen!
Allow yourself to feel and check in: How am I feeling right now? Physically? Emotionally?
4. Respond to Your Needs
Time to use the data you’ve collected in your check ins to respond to your needs. This may take a bit of brain power at first, but will soon become second nature. What did you notice? Are you feeling pain? Time to stop. Pain in running, lifting or yoga will not help you reach your goals- you have to address the pain properly to recover and be able to continue conditioning for your goals. Are you feeling discomfort? Discomfort and pain are different. Discomfort is isn’t a bad thing! We are growing! Time to use your toolbox- use your breath to breathe into the discomfort. Use your awareness and newfound ability to tune in, to tune everything else out and focus on your body, breath and movement.
Mini action plans are also how you adjust to fitness instruction or plans. For your own planned workout- is it serving you in this moment or do you need to adjust the plan? For group fitness classes, is the option the instructor presenting what works for you or is there something else that works better? You’ve already learned to tune everything else out so it doesn’t matter what the other people are doing or what anyone thinks of you! You’re a strong badass and don’t need approval from anyone else.
5. Stay Present
Okay, you’ve go the tools you need now! Staying present is easier said than done, but you’ve learned how to create the conditions to stay present. You have tuned in and tuned everything and everyone else out. You have connected your body and mind to your breath. You are allowing yourself to feel and notice sensations that come up. You are responding to what YOU need in each present moment. You did it! If you are doing all of these things, it is impossible NOT to stay present. But it takes recommitting time and time again. That is totally normal. Just keep gently guiding yourself back to these practices.
Starting to notice the yoga across the room who looks like a pretzel? TUNE HER OUT and tune back in!
Are you hearing a message in your head saying I can’t do this anymore when things get hard? BREATHE through it and take it each breath at a time! You’ve GOT this!
Feeling stuck on your goal and discouraged that you’re not making progress? Stay present! This is ONE day, look at the big picture. Take it each day and moment at a time. You’ll get there but you have to be patient with your body and mind in the process. Use your breath to come back to the moment .
Practice, Practice, Practice
This mind work is just like strengthening a muscle. It takes time and will grow stronger and stronger. This process WILL take dedication. You will have to recommit to it time and time again in a single workout and over time. That is normal and trust me, it will become routine eventually and you won’t have to think about it.
I can’t wait for this shift to help you reach your goals! Whether it helps you to let go of stress and enjoy movement more, reach a personal fitness or recovery goal, I hope this will be an absolute game changer for you just like it has been for me.