We all feel out of sorts at times and to varying degrees. Sometimes these moments can turn into days, months and years. How do we restore balance? Body-based practices are some of the quickest ways to restore balance. Why is this? This is because there are more messages that go from the body to the brain than from the brain to the body.
Conscious movement is one of the best ways to restore balance. The reason for this is conscious movement involves the whole body, mind, and breath. Yoga, martial arts, and qi gong are common types of conscious movement practices, but really any movement you do with full awareness on the body, the complete attention of the mind and in conjunction of the breath, is conscious movement, or a body based meditation.
The type of movement you choose will depend on your temperament and needs. Some people may find that big, fast and complex movements help them restore balance. Others may find that small, slow and simple movements give them what they need and others may discover that a combination works best for them.
The key is to tune in rather than tune out and escape. The more connected we are to our body and with the breath the calmer the our mind becomes. No matter what is going on for us we can still keep our awareness on our body and with the breath. This sends the message to the brain that we are listening, that we are tuning in and by doing so balance is being restored.
Want to develop your own personalized movement routine to meet your specific needs? Schedule a yoga therapy session by emailing onetooneyoga@gmail.com.