Exercise Mindfully - It's not just for yoga class!
We hear about mindfulness often, and since I’m a certified mindfulness instructor, maybe I’m one of those sources! We often think of mindfulness in terms of stillness and pleasant thoughts. The truth is, though, that we can bring mindful awareness to any situation. Have you considered exercising mindfully? It’s not just for yoga class!
1. Be clear about what you you are doing. As you get ready for your workout think about the aim of your exercise routine, whether it be to destress, work up a sweat or get strong. Take a moment to visualize yourself taking each movement separately, rehearsing the movement.
2. Warm up. Start by connecting to the movement you are taking and to your breath. Move slowly to start, taking your time to feel into each move you take. Note the feel in your body, how your breath changes, your temperature. Notice the changes taking place.
3. Get into the rhythm. As you pick up your pace from the warm up, continue to tune into how the body feels. how the breath changes and how the muscles are feeling. If doing a cardio workout, notice the beat of your heart and your pulse. Notice how your speech is effected.
4. Challenge:. If you’re feeling capable, take it up a notch. Move a little faster, lift a little more weight, squat a bit deeper. Feel what changes in your body as you challenge yourself physically. Notice how your thoughts change as well. What are you telling yourself?
5. Cool down. As you bring your heart rate down and begin to cool, build awareness of the feel of the air on your skin, of your heart beat and your pulse once again. What has changed? Notice the texture of the breath, the sights and sounds around you, the feel of your feet on the floor, body in the water, or whatever environment you are in.
6. Rest: As you come to rest, turn to your thoughts once again and notice what it is like to complete the activity. Do you have a sense of pride? Relief? Something else? Take note of all 5 senses: sight, hearing, touch as the air, the floor and the body, smells in the room. Unpleasant or pleasant, experience it fully without trying to change it. Move into any discomfort and make space or it. Resist the need to change the sensations happening now.
Sometimes it’s easier to bring awareness to the ‘bigger’ things that are happening. The more subtle happenings are tougher to notice. Start with what’s most easy.
Would you like to bring more mindfulness in your everyday life? I have a course starting on March 15, Find out more.