Move your body. What rises for you when you read those words? Feel inspired to move? Do you want to dismiss or question the statement? Is there a willingness or wanting to move that “moves” through you? Do you want to rebel against it?

A fun and invitational conversation has been taking place among us teachers at ALTAR. Why move our bodies? This conversation came to the surface after I had a funny yet perhaps profound visual of creating a shirt that simply reads:: MOVE YOUR BODY. On the one hand there is a fun light quality to it. Yet on the other hand it can seem harsh and maybe a bit demanding if you are not aware of the context in which the inspiration arises from. What do you think? Let us know in the comments below.

At the foundation of ALTAR and currently my own teaching and philosophy on life is that in order to cultivate and maintain Whole Self Health, body movement is key. All the body movements! Not just a select few but, a vast spectrum,  moving in as many ways as humanly possible. Insert the “why” behind: move your body. A way to inspire people to just keep moving. 

Just today, I engaged with a 70 year old war veteran and that was his exact advice to me: just keep moving. Yes, yes indeed Sir. I will try to do just that and inspire others to do the same.

As I practice living out this philosophy myself I am recognizing the benefits and the continual learning and adjusting it takes to feel good integrating this. The more I add strengthening movements by loading my body with external weights in a progressive manner, the less aches I feel in my joints. The learning and adjusting to this way of moving is a process. For years Yoga was my primary way of moving my body. The consistency and predictability of the practice eased my mind and became a healthful habit. It was familiar, felt safe, I loved it and practiced so much because I knew what and how to do it. Over the years an aching body became the norm and I did not question my yoga practice as the culprit until some influential teachers brought it to my attention. That maybe all the yoga I was doing could potentially be the cause of what I was experiencing in my body. Hummm…..

So, I studied and continue to do so on all things body, movement, body mechanics, different movement modalities and what the body is capable of. And, my friends, these bodies are miraculous!! When given the opportunity and under the right conditions they can move in so many different ways. It’s astounding. 

But, it’s not an overnight, magic pill situation. We need to be smart about it. We need to give our bodies stimulus’ that it can adapt to over a length of time. We need to ease our way into trying new things. Instead of diving head first, balls to the walls, it’s more of a slow steady yet BIG progress mentality. 

So, here’s the invitation, go move your body! If you haven’t moved in a long while, try a walk around the block. If you are an avid mover, try a sport or movement you have never done. But, even though you may be very fit in some ways, still start at beginner level when trying something new. 

And, seriously, I would love to hear what you think/feel about “move your body.” Yes/No on a shirt?? Tell us your thoughts. 

Supporting you always in your journey towards Whole Self Health! 

With love,

Heather —