Love to Move!

Remember when ipods were new and they had those fabulous commercials showing people dancing to some fabulous song? One of my guilty pleasures is dance-walking to Mr. Blue Sky by ELO.  And it doesn't matter whether the sky is blue, or whether it's pouring down rain. 

Moshe Feldenkrais taught that "Movement is Life." What challenges us, the older we get, is that we lose our sense of this as our nervous systems are exposed to insults and injuries.  The good news is that we can rediscover the joys of movement by noticing how we move and exploring how we might organize ourselves differently to make things easier. 

What I have gotten out of nearly four years of studying the Method is a newfound appreciation of how movement can be pleasurable!  And how lucky we are to be able to move!!! The guy in the video talks about discovering his Happy Place. What's your Happy Place?  What movement brings you joy?  Swimming? Dancing?  Skiing?  Gardening?  Sweeping the fall leaves?  Ohhh... I'm doing that!  Gonna turn up the tunes and sweep some leaves! 

What will compel you to get up from the computer and really enjoy yourself? 

Are you sitting at a desk right now, and do you have hours of desk work ahead of you? Take a lesson from squirmy kids... use the chair as an opportunity to explore movement!  How many ways can you find to move yourself without standing up?  Try making teeny circles with your right shoulder, then your left shoulder. Then both shoulders. Try circling in opposite directions. Now do the same thing with your hips. Then, could you do both shoulders and hips? And, how about using your sits bones to walk back and forth from the front to the back of your chair? 

Did you know that if you were to get up out of your chair and start skipping, it would lighten your mood?  Don't believe me?  Try it!  Yes, right now, with everyone watching.  I double-dog dare ya!!! 

Feeling really ambitious?  Have some break time coming?  Grab a break buddy, grab an iphone, and plug into this and turn up the volume:

(Bonus points if you can make it all the way through the song hopping or skipping, or busting a great dance move, and make it look so fun that people join you.... How many people will join the fun?..  It doesn't really matter... just move and see what happens!!!) Hours of fun, without ever having to stand up!  Your spine will thank you!!! And then tell us all what happened.  I look forward to your stories!!!