I have lately observed that there are certain times when my exercise rhythm is off or non-existent, and when I get so caught up in the ‘busyness’ of my day and the many things that I feel I’m responsible for or that need completing (ie. work, family etc.), that my exercise routine seems to be one of the first things that gets neglected.
I noticed that the busier I was, the more I was neglecting my exercise rhythm and routine… and the longer the gaps were between exercising. To add to this, I was also feeling more tired – which seemed to exacerbate the desire to even do any exercise in the first place, even if I did have time!
I was recently offered the opportunity to join a 4 week online exercise program offered by Danielle Pirera (Re-Connect Exercise), and even though I’ve enjoyed attending these classes in the past, my first response was “I haven’t got time!” There was no pressure to commit either way, however I was presented with the possibility that the exercise classes would actually be an opportunity to support me with everything else I was doing. I could feel that deep down this was absolutely true and that neglecting my exercise rhythm was neither feeling right nor supporting me in my day, so it became an easy choice to join the online program and make a specific commitment to completing one 45 min exercise group class each week.
What I have found most supportive is that the exercise program is presented in a way that encourages connection with my body – feeling how I want to exercise on each particular day – which I’ve found varies from week to week.
The exercise program has not been about doing the exercises a certain way, at a certain pace or level of intensity or how many reps or even doing the exercise the same way as Danielle, the presenter. In fact I’ve felt encouraged to simply feel my body moving, and to feel what’s right in every exercise. Led by example, the focus has not been on the technique of the exercise, but simply staying connected to my body and the quality of the movements.
In this, I’m learning more and more that exercise is not about what I do or how many or for how long, but ‘how’ I do it. And the other thing I’m learning is to not make my exercise routine so serious (!) …. to keep it light and playful.
With each exercise group I’ve felt how important it is to do what feels right for me in that particular session. By being encouraged to focus on this and committing to the exercise group every week, I’ve also found that my exercise rhythm outside of the classes is much more accessible and realistic. For example, if I had felt pressured or an expectation that I had to do ½ hour’s exercise every day, I would probably consider skipping exercise altogether! However for me, committing to 10-15 minutes, 2 times a week is something that is manageable and a great place for me to start.
This has also helped me realise that it’s the commitment and connection to myself that’s important as the foundation for exercise, not necessarily the amount of time spent.
I have found these exercise groups provide a true inspiration of a connected way of exercising, supported by the fact that they are taught by example. For example, it’s not uncommon for Danielle to express that her body feels a bit stiff and sore on that particular day and that she is going to move a little slower or not stretch so high, while at the same time providing support and suggestions for others to move faster or make their movements larger if that’s what they feel in their body.
In moments like these, I am being offered the opportunity and inspiration to honour my own body in exactly the same way, whether it’s to take the exercise more gently or increase to an intensity I feel is right for me. Exercising this way is a totally different way of exercising than I have ever experienced before. To have a fitness trainer teach and present this way – in a way that honours her own body – is not only unheard of, but is deeply inspiring as a true way to exercise.
I am still establishing the depth of the connection with my body, but am now starting to feel more of a quality and presence in my exercise routine and exercise rhythm.
With each exercise class I am learning how important it is to honour what I feel in my body, and not to exercise according to a set structure, technique or time frame or with an outcome of achieving a set result.
As I commit to my exercise rhythm I am experiencing more and more how this supports me in all of the other things I need to do in a day. I have more energy and am feeling less tired, supported by my exercise routine that is teaching me to connect to my body and be more present with Me.
By Angela Perin, aged 48, Brisbane
567 Comments
An exercise class that focuses on the quality of the movement is an inspiration to be aware of the quality of every movement.
Committing to an exercise regular basis, supports me to be more present and commited to life. My body feels its activation and responds generously with more flexibility, joy and willingness in the development of my daily activities. As I’m more connected to my body, I can notice clearer about its limits and being more caring with it. It’s really nurturing to have a loving exercise routine..
Honouring what we feel in our bodies and ditching the pictures about how exercise should look is revealing and very freeing. It supports me to be more committed to exercise for me but I am still shocked about how my commitment can waver when I allow myself to get taken over with thinking that other things are more important despite knowing that exercise supports me in everything else that I am doing in my day.
Building a regular exercise rhythm is such a simple and practical thing that supports us in so many areas: better connection with our body = better connection to ourselves, what and how we feel, and better able to deal with, accept and embrace everything in life that comes towards us.
Whats been amazing to note is that ‘regular’ does not determine the length or intensity of the exercise. From experience regular gentle exercise is more supportive than regular crushing exercise.
The thing I love about exercise is it really helps me focus, I’ve been experimenting a lot recently with it and tend to exercise just before bed (it’s the only free time), even when I’m tired it refocuses and re-energises me ready for the next day. Plus I love the feeling of my body building and becoming stronger.
For me it is pretty simple to keep up a rhythm going to the gym, because fitness is one of the key things that helps me to get more connected to my body, which makes me feel yummy and confident. On the prerequisite that I don’t indulge in the TV’s and the music which are everywhere.
Having recently re-committed to the gym, I’m already feeling the benefits – more connected to my body, more ‘in’ and ‘with’ my body instead of off in my head day-dreaming. This has led to feeling more present with myself and others – more open and confident, and more aware of how I’m feeling, moment to moment. I find myself better able to make decisions because I can feel more acutely the exactness of what to do and when/how to do it, instead of relying on the pre-programmed ‘should dos’.
This Is lovely to read Bryony, and I am sure is connected to how you are when you exercise, being connected with your body, honouring yourself, and the quality with which you exercise in.
Yes, it is the commitment and connection to self that is important, along with feeling and honouring our body all the time, ‘In fact I’ve felt encouraged to simply feel my body moving, and to feel what’s right in every exercise. Led by example, the focus has not been on the technique of the exercise, but simply staying connected to my body and the quality of the movements.’
Rhythm is everything, and when we feel the rhythm in our movements and when we do our movements, our lifestyles flow in a different way
Excercise and self care are the quickest things to drop when I get busy- the thoughts of ‘I don’t have time for this!’ flood in as I work harder and faster to keep up. But what’s been shown to me lately, repeatedly by my own body, is that this disregarding way of working is impossible to sustain. I get tired and cranky and end up doing less work than before because I’m reacting so much to how terrible I feel! So basic self care has to still be part of my day, moment to moment, not defined by any picture of what this looks like but simply feeling what’s needed at any moment, and listening to that.
I love coming back to this blog as it offers us a very real reminder that; without the vitality and well-being of our body and a loving connection to our body, it is not possible to be part of life with the fullness of who we are as such to be able to bring our all with quality presence to all we do.
it is so different when we listen to our body, and then respond, and then exercise rather than to feel the effects of just going with what we think we should do.
Yes when we allow the body to lead the way then we let go of having a goal that we have to achieve.
It really is extraordinary how we can neglect that which we know supports us so deeply
It is interesting the resistance we can feel to things that truly support us. When we are going for something that is comfort seeking nothing will get in our way, yet when we go for that which nurtures or builds us there can at times be many reasons that limit us from going there.
” however I was presented with the possibility that the exercise classes would actually be an opportunity to support me with everything else I was doing. ”
I have fond this to be true that excise is required by the body to maintain gentleness , suppleness and harmonious flow in the body which supports everyday activity.
Keeping my exercise light and playful has certainly supported me in all sorts of ways, and certainly makes the prospect of it less daunting and more inspirational.
This morning I was feeling how tight and ‘wound up’ my body was and so I started to do some stretches and it provided an amazing way to feel more energy and release blockages and areas of stagnation in my body.
You refer to Danielle as a presenter and not an instructor and this says it all to me as it removes the imposition of being told what to do and places the responsibility with the one receiving the presentation.
What a gorgeous difference to connect to the body during exercise. I have always been taught to focus on something else and push through the session. It was about how long and hard we exercised not how our bodies felt. What a joy to explore how this can feel in a loving way that does not push our bodies but actually supports them.
This is a great point HM, for it’s true that we generally are taught to be focused on the outcome when we exercise – the body we ‘want’ to have or look like. With this we totally negate our connection our body and the joy it is to feel the delicious sexiness when we move with this connection.
I know that when I exercise with my body it loves the movement. However I still let the routine drop off the planet if I neglect myself in either areas of life. For example I become tired from not expressing how I feel at work, hit the snooze button, no time to exercise as I rush to get ready for work. It makes it harder the next morning to recommit. Even if I did do 10-15 minutes twice a week rather than expecting and pushing myself to do it every day I know my body would love to move.
So great to read this again and be reminded of how supportive it is to our whole day the simple movement and honouring of our bodies.
Exercise I have made a simple routine for me also – it sets a foundation to work from. When I find I’m busy I commit to 2 x sessions of 15mins (same as Angela as suggested). It’s very attainable. Starting from this simple rhythm and how it supports my connection to my body keeps me committed. As Angela confirms – “This has also helped me realise that it’s the commitment and connection to myself that’s important as the foundation for exercise, not necessarily the amount of time spent.”
I recently did a stretching exercise class where the instructor supported me to let go of the tensions in my body and really open up, it was amazing to feel how much taller and expanded I felt after the class, I didn’t come out exhausted but more connected and more open in my body, it was amazing.
It does make sense that on different days we need different things. Its like each day we may need different food, this is no different. The way we exercise can be determined by how we feel in that moment. Some days I like to go for a fast walk, other days I need a slower walk.
Connecting to my body and feeling what would support it at that time takes responsibility to a whole new level whilst being so much more fun as I focus on the quality and not the quantity and enjoy exploring my relationship with my body and exercise.
Thank you for the pertinent reminder that it is always about the quality that we are exercising in. I have committed to doing certain exercises every day to support myself at home and at work and have been shocked at how hard I have found it to stop and do them at work which is really exposing how often I put other things before my own well being to the detriment of all.
Connecting with ourselves, knowing how we feel knowing our bodies.. all essential steps to truly knowing ourselves
When I stop doing exercises, which I did, I feel so much weaker as if I am not capable any longer to do my job and all other things in life. In a way I say to myself I cannot cope with the world, I quit. The moment I make a new commitment to support my body in exercising in a rhythm, I feel more connected and less tired. I am rebuilding this rhythm at the moment and that’s truly something to appreciate and to feel the differences not only in my body but in life in general
What stands out is that no matter our current relationship with exercise it can certainly be deepend, expanded upon and done in a way that supports our body from a deep caring and not only a need to get fit or bulk up or loose weight.
I’ve recently started exercising again regularly and I’m quite surprised I found it unnecessary to exercise for so long previous to that! I love that every week I’m feeling stronger in my body and more and more committed to my life and to my work, and I know I’m preparing my body to be able to do everything it needs to – it’s a great feeling.
When it comes to exercise, we can easily either under or over do it – listening to our body helps bring it into balance.
I love how exercise is a continually new experience, and that understanding the purpose of exercise has changed for me over time. Even yesterday I could feel the benefit in just gently getting oxygen flowing through my system and how this lightened and opened up my muscles and connective tissue. Incredible to break down my old beliefs where I used to push myself to achieve faster, stronger fitter. I now recognise the importance of exercise at the level I feel everyday.
Thank you Angela, for re-defining how exercise can support us and our connection to our bodies, and how choosing to exercise with this intention is actually foundational for establishing our self-caring and self-loving rhythm.
Our bodies love to move and when we stop, feel and connect to our every movement we begin to see how we have our own natural flow and rhythm that feels supportive for us. I too enjoy making the space to have an exercise program that not only is adaptable to how I feel but also truly supportive for my life and how I live it.
It really is a different feeling when we let go of any and all driven-ness in our exercise, and just let ourselves be present as we work out.
It’s become startlingly clear to me that regular exercise is a non-negotiable part of my life. For a year or so I was incredibly consistent, 3 days a week – my health and strength improved out of sight, and then as things got ‘intense’ I let the exercise go, planning to pick it up again when things got ‘slow’. Guess what? That time never came, there was no relaxed rainy day and I just found my strength and vitality draining away. Then it starts to seem it’s ‘too hard’ to resume what you were doing before – but as you show Angela it’s simply not true. There’s always an opportunity to return to Loving your body and you.
I know how important 10 minutes of exercise is a day and the development of what your body needs to support its activity for the day, I always walk first thing in the morning but plateaued on that before starting exercising about 2 years ago, and I am yet to commit to consistently doing exercise which is just very interesting to note. What I have noticed is that for me it seems to be about becoming comfortable and at ease with feeling very strong and powerful, it is this that stops me from unequivocally committing to exercise of just 10mins a day. I see it, I can name it now it is time to renounce it!
Realising that it is movement and a way to move my body rather than a ‘to do’ exercise changes how I feel while I move.
What a relief it actually is, to be presented with a way of exercising that is about you and your relationship with your own body first and foremost – not about ‘handing your body over’ to be the slave of endless ‘more’, ‘not enough’, ‘push harder’, ‘and then yet harder’…
We as a society have created exercise to be a self-abusive paradigm – that as you’ve shared here Angela, will OF COURSE put many, many people off going anywhere near it. Thus robbing us of the great benefits and needed deep care for our bodies and wellbeing that exercise can indeed bring to us, when founded in a way that is as honouring as you describe.
Great work here by Danielle Pirera in forging this way forward for us all.
A great blog for me to read today as some how along the way I have forgotten to exercise, I attended Danielle’s classes sometime ago and really loved the freedom to explore my body and how it felt with no pushing or goal reaching whatsoever, so here I go back to my exercise routine, I know I will love it.
Great article- I’m off for a walk
For 10 years now I have been doing Daniels exercises every day… They have become a part of me… I had become a part of me and I am incredibly grateful… I have no idea if I would even be able to walk now if it was not for this ongoing reconnection with myself
Connection is a completely different way to look at exercise. No other exercise class or gym instructor or personal trainer I’ve had has ever made it about connection to the body. It’s always been about pushing the body to make it be what you want it to be. And, what that want is, is usually a picture or image about what health and fitness should look like. But is that really the goal for the body?
I have been finding that more that I commit to exercise, and gentle exercise, the more I deepen my relationship with my body, I have a deeper whole body intelligence. I do not force it, push it, but invite it and work with it and this brings a deeper relationship that supports the whole of my life.
Ah Angela I can absolutely relate. It’s a vicious cycle we can get into, we stop what supports us in life and then feel worse, and so like quicksand it can feel like the only way forward is to give up more. If we see our exercise as just a check-in to have fun, to experiment with our body, it takes away the ideas that you need to ‘get somewhere’. This leaves us free to play and have fun and enjoy moving, stretching, pulling and lifting. I’m off to the gym right now so what a great blog to read. Thank you.
I am realising too that it is the quality that I bring to everything I do that counts.
understanding and experiencing the importance of rhythm and ritual in our lives is deeply healing and can profoundly change and enhance our lives
Great to read this today as my exercise programme has fallen away and I am also more tired these days. You have reminded me that gentle exercise can be very nurturing to the body and actually revitalise it. Well worth bringing back especially at christmas where there is a huge consciousness of over indulgence and checking out.
Angela I totally agree, it never worked for me trying to be too dictatorial about setting aside time for training, because for me if that time past and I didn’t manage to make the exact time I thought I would, by trying to fit it in later it become a half-hearted effort. I totally get what you mean by connecting to your body, as it’s not about how much you do, it is about how your body feels.
“In this, I’m learning more and more that exercise is not about what I do or how many or for how long, but ‘how’ I do it” This is huge Angela and completely turns everything we know about exercise on its head.
“I noticed that the busier I was, the more I was neglecting my exercise rhythm and routine…” This is the same for me. Time to resurrect my daily playful exercising….. And stop using busy-ness as an excuse.
Very cool Angela. I’ve recently bought a yearly swim pass at my local pool. There were a few options to go with, either pay per visit (which I felt was way too expensive), get a membership that made financial sense if I went a min of 3 times a week, or buy a 60 pass card, which meant each visit was at quite a reduced rate, and there were 18 months with which I had to use it up in. This last option was definitely the best one for me. In the past I would have gone for the membership and then pushed myself to go a minimum of 3 times a week and then aim for 4 to get my money’s worth – ultimately setting myself up to fail due to the pressure I would have put on myself.
It’s so awesome to get to know yourself and realise that all this pressure we create is our own doing. I feel so much more relaxed about going for a swim now and not making it about something I ‘have’ to do, but rather something that will support me in my day and week.
Whatever exercise we partake in, walking, stretching, or regular exercise the key I am finding is to stay connected to our body and honour what it is lovingly communicating with us all the time. If one day I walk a bit too far, or for too long my body takes a few days to recover from this, while this may seem extreme for many, it is where my body is at and important that I honour this.
There is no doubt that my body appreciates the commitment I bring with a walk each morning, it sets the day as I see so many loving confirmations along the way. Now I also know my body would like to do some weight bearing exercise, but for some reason going to the gym is an obsticle I have put before me, when in truth I could do the 10min twice a week easily. It appears I am avoiding more than the gym which is a game I have used for a long time, as I know the joy I feel in connecting and committing to my body.
My exercise routine has recently slipped for the same reason you describe Angela. I have got caught up in the busyness of my working day and feel there is no time to squeeze in exercise. The fact is I know it supports my body in so many ways and that I actually feel more vital when I make it a part of my routine. I’m not waiting to go to the gym. You have inspired me to do some exercise right here at home this morning.
As a ‘structured exercise’ avoider, whilst knowing how much my body longed for it, I was so surprised at how much I enjoyed Danielles program. This was because of the space she allows for you to establish a deep connection with your body first and from there, an awareness of your body and therefore the freedom to take the exercise in whichever way you feel is right for you at the time. It is never regimented and often very playful which is why I enjoy it.
Danielle Pirera introduced to me a series of exercises that have been the foundation of my morning ritual for many years now… These exercises set me up for the day and I’m deeply grateful that she continues to offer this awareness of reconnecting with the body to the world.
Love this Angela,
I have recently had a baby and felt to stop exercising a month before I had her. She is now 3 months old and my body is itching to exercise once more. So i have been doing gentle exercise each morning and it feels great especially when needing to handle a baby all day. I’ve loved just doing exercise from listening to my body rather than forcing myself to do so.
Thank you Angela for inspiring and prompting me to recommit to a gentle and regular exercise rhythm.
I can absolutely relate to pushing exercising aside when the diary overflows and yet cannot deny the repercussions of such an unloving choice. It is indeed deeply supportive to make the time as part of a consistent rhythm, especially when life gets busy.
You’ve reminded me how much pressure I put on myself when it comes to exercise. Never do I consider that perhaps starting out with 10 mins twice a week could be the beginning of a foundation that I can then build from. I have this idea that exercise means a minimum of 30 mins and a standard time of 60 minutes. No wonder I fail at my own game, because I’m setting a target, some sort of end goal, which then ultimately leads to failure. Perhaps it’s not about an end goal. Perhaps it’s about ongoing support for my body that will never ever end and therefore the pressure to do things a certain way is actually not realistic and or necessary.
Oh dear Angela! The first 2 paragraphs describes EXACTLY how my inconsistency with exercise develops everytime. It’s amazing how one thing leads to another.
Often the hardest thing about exercising is getting started, I find once I commit to it that it tends to flow quite nicely, and having a structure is also important for me as it allows me to follow on from one exercise to the next. I can feel to keep developing the power of exercising is to be constantly building that awareness of how the body is in every movement. And as Angela shares not needing to be doing more of going faster or bigger, but accepting that each day my body may feel differently and need a slightly different approach.
Connection and commitment, and exercise whilst honouring our bodies are wonderful foundations upon which to build our lives.
I am building a consistent exercise program into my rhythm everyday, some days I only have 10 mins or so to exercise or stretch but I have noticed how this commitment supports my body and energy levels.
I only have a few words to say here, first SIGN ME UP and second thank you for taking the time out of your day to share such a detailed account of what this program offers. I feel so inspired to get back on the exercise train, which I always feel to busy to ride.
‘This has also helped me realise that it’s the commitment and connection to myself that’s important as the foundation for exercise, not necessarily the amount of time spent.’ Time – that really traps me. But the thought of committing to 10-15 minutes just a couple of times a week seems so amazingly simple and so easy to build from once I feel it’s time. Rather than being trapped into believing I need to spend 45minutes per day – then I just get overwhelmed and dissapointed when I don’t achieve that goal.
I haven’t even finished reading the article yet because this line is summing up my experience, repeated experience ‘…and the longer the gaps were between exercising. To add to this, I was also feeling more tired – which seemed to exacerbate the desire to even do any exercise in the first place,…’
I have had the same story, it’s just an endless cycle of off again on again.
There has been an obvious lack of commitment to me as I offer all my energy to things happening outside of me, such as work, which as a result often means that I am also being inconsistant at work, because when I lack exercise, I like energy and so up down like a yoyo I go.
Some great exercising tips here that anyone can follow – stay connected to your body and focus on the how of what you’re doing. In other words, the quality of the movement, not the body as machine or automaton, but holding it in respect and exercising with it in partnership.
Danielle doesn’t just tune into your body and help you reconfigure, she tunes into the deeper levels of you that YOU didn’t even know about, helping you to unravel old paradigms of self image and self worth that are there to sabotage all our attempts at reconnecting to our bodies.
Awesome blog Angela. I was drawn to reading this because I have been feeling to exercise more but finding it difficult to commit to regular exercise. This I realise is because I am making this into a bigger deal than it is, similar to you I tend to go into thinking I don’t have the time but by me thinking too much about it I have already wasted so much time. It feels so lovely to exercise when I feel to instead of thinking I should. You’ve inspired me to take a different approach to exercise, thank you Angela.
Angela thank you for the inspiration on exercising , it means different things to different people. For myself gentle stretches and walking most mornings help me with my day! Exercise can be done at anytime of the day by just taking a few minutes to stretch our legs and arm , shoulders and neck.
The body loves movement even though there are times when the need is to go slowly. Everything feel so open and full once I have warmed up with some gentle exercise. Thanks Angela for the gentle nudge to commit my body to quality rather than quantity.
What you share about exercise Angela can easily apply to so much else. It is fascinating to me that there are these things in life we know harm us, but we consistently and regularly do, and there are those things we know help us, which we let go of and drop at the merest upset. It is taken me a while to understand how these approaches play out in my life and hold my hand in both scenarios to stay with what I know is true. Thanks for the inspiration today to keep exercising my choice to connect. This is where I find true strength.
I love your sharing Angela of making exercise light and playful.
I have always approached exercise with a goal, wanting to get to an end result of a smaller bottom, stomach muscles or lean arms, and I would take that goal into each class and use it to drive me through.
I did not see exercise as a regular support but a chore to meet my expectations of how society wanted me to look.
I didn’t want to see how draining this was on my body. Everything was measured and controlled, when in fact this is the last thing my body responds too. I am recently pregnant and mixing up my exercise each day based on how I feel not what boxes I have to tick, and it has changed my relationship with exercise dramatically. Even though I am not controlling or pushing my body, I’ve noticed my body is actually relaxing and opening up. That I am not as tense and that I let go of the idea that if i didn’t push myself then I would somehow get very fat. None of this is true and my body actually responds better to exercise that is felt from the body not the head. Makes sense I know, but for so many years my head tried to block that relationship that has always been there, waiting to blossom.
Reconnection with ourselves in any form is always extremely beneficial, and building a relationship with our body a rhythm of daily gentle exercise is something that nurture us for the rest of our lives.
Thanks Angela for the reminder to take notice of my body and the messages it is sending me each and every time I am exercising. As I exercise these days I have been making a strong commitment to staying as present as possible with my body and to feel what each movement does – is it pulling and straining or does it feel like there is a flow with the way my body naturally wants to move. I find it hard to keep focused as I am used to my mind wanting to run off with a million other unrelated thoughts but it is becoming more consistent over time.
“This has also helped me realise that it’s the commitment and connection to myself that’s important as the foundation for exercise, not necessarily the amount of time spent.” This line is true for me too Angela, as I recently started an exercise program for myself and that is exactly true for me. I am finding that I am listening to my body more and how it feels, rather than just wanting to do repetitions to get it done. The quality that I am in even for just one exercise far outweighs doing the whole series with no presence or true feel of my body.
“This has also helped me realise that it’s the commitment and connection to myself that’s important as the foundation for exercise, not necessarily the amount of time spent.” This has been a real revelation for me in terms of how I approach exercise. Committing to anything provides a truly beautiful foundation for life and that is wonderful to feel. Thank you Angela.
Angela I love how you shared that ” it’s the commitment and connection to myself that’s important as the foundation for exercise, not necessarily the amount of time spent.” This has been the focus on my exercise routine. Making it part of my foundation just like, resting, sleeping and eating is what allows me time to spend quality time with me. Your blog has shown that there is another way to approach exercise that is not driven by looking a certain way or weight loss.
Well said Sue and when anything is made simple it is far more do-able and as a consequence the quality of all we do naturally goes up.
I have also found that nothing supports me more than a regular exercise routine, for me it has nothing to do with number of reps it is all about building a connection with my body and that means quality of movement and posture as I move, the support this gives me throughout the day is tremendous. Thank you Angela.
I agree Angela, for me the first thing that goes is exercise as well when I get very busy. For a long time this was fine but a couple of days ago I felt impulsed to start exercising again. It feels amazing and it is totally different again from how I exercised a month ago, it is way more playful and I fully enjoy it – making it playful and finding moves my body likes to is the reason for all this joy. Another reason for the joy is that I am feeling so much more at ease with myself and I find exercise really reflects the way I have been with myself.
Well well beautiful said and brought from your own experience. You brought to the table: that exercise is fun, that it is no drag or serious business, that our body knows what it needs and can and can not do, that it is not about ‘ticking boxes’, that it is not about a result etc etc. This is real tangible stuff, not only does it makes sense when you shared these factors, but actually it made me feel more able to breathe and give myself ‘space’ to feel what exercise actually means to me, and how I have been playing it down. Or actually how I have been playing down that my own body needs to exercise! Thank you Danielle.
I’m still breaking through the wall in my mind that exercises are there to shape the body. There’s a deep resistance against this consciousness – knowing in fact how good I feel when having taken myself the space to let my body exercise. I have had many accidents and that had caused a lot of pain doing any form of sport. The beauty of the movement coming from the inside – just to strengthen and stretch where and what’s needed: that’s true movement for my body. And my work is to simply keep claiming this strength. That’s the part that needs the workout 🙂
committing to any sort of supported rhythm in our lives is essential for building a foundation of reconnection with who we truly are… It is so easy to drive and push our bodies… Imagine if we put the way our body was feeling first and worked around this, and built up rhythms and exercises accordingly
I havent been to the gym in a while so your blog is a good reminder of the importance of regular exercise and I like you Angela have thouroughly enjoyed Danielles exercise classes
Thank you Angela, I really enjoyed reading your blog, and I am inspired to take up exercise once again, I have loved Danielle’s classes, and how she is so intone with what her body needs at any time. I love this line.
“This has also helped me realise that it’s the commitment and connection to myself that’s important as the foundation for exercise, not necessarily the amount”
Yes Angela its like we have our relationship with exercise upside down. I can completely relate to this cycle of feeling ‘too tired’ for exercise, yet when I exercise gently there’s a feeling that comes of being vital and alive. What if, what we do in our exercise classes is not the key but the choice to offer ourselves this connection to our body and how we are feeling is the main thing? Living this way exercises our power to make all of life’s events a healing session.
Honouring how we feel is an essential building block or foundation of self love, and it is upon this that we can evolve, or come to realize who we truly are, and what we are meant to be doing in this world.
Just the perfect moment to read this blog. I have been really busy last two weeks and the first thing that I skipped was going to the gym. Yesterday I could really feel in my body how much I missed this and I also felt a bit slobby. So I committed again and went to the gym. It felt wonderful. I have committed myself for the next two weeks to go regularty to the gym, even if it is for 20 minutes. Like you say, it is not in the amount of time, but in the quality.
Thank you Angela for sharing your experience, you have reminded me, of how lovely it is to exercise in a way that honours where my body is at, on any given day. I have done Danielle’s classes and found them amazing. Your blog has prompted me to again start exercising and really enjoy being with my body that this way of exercising brings.
It is so true that as soon as the rhythm or order in one’s day gets messed up, exercise can be the first thing to be let go of. The drive to get something done means disconnecting from one’s body and therefore its needs are not acknowledged or attended to. The natural urge to exercise regularly gets covered over. Over exercising can also cover over this natural urge, which is always to be gentle in exercise as a way to care for the body. I have found the way back is not to try to force exercise back into place in my life, but to use the fact that I am not doing it regularly as a signal that I have disconnected and chosen to not feel what is going on for me for some reason. So it is a time to re-connect, check in and acknowledge what is going on – seek help to feel it if not clear for myself, at which time Universal medicine healing sessions have been so supportive. The point is, the natural urge that has been buried, needs to be re-established so when I do go back to exercise, it is from that urge and not from my head.
What is also clear for me, that I need a body with some strength and fitness to hold the love I am developing. Feels like a strong pilar.
To move simply for the joy of moving, giving the body what it loves, not what we think it wants, having that relationship with our body as if its our best friend. I’m learning I can be my body’s best friend. Danielle was for me too, pivotal support in my re-connection to this knowing I’d long ago shoved in my back pocket.
This is a great reminder of the power of exercising in a way that goes against the ‘push it till it hurts’ mentality and focuses on gentle connected movements in honour of what feels true for you and your body at that time. Getting to know your body in this way is very supportive and a great way to build a steady quality and presence in ourselves to take out into our day.
Angela, I so agree with you when you say “is not about what I do or how many or for how long, but ‘how’ I do it”. I also had the opportunity to attend classes with an esoteric practitioner. I learned that my body does feel different on certain days, that it is ok to go slower sometimes, that my body dictates what I should do, not the instructor, that it is all about feeling what I really need. I now have a very different exercise routine than a few years back, one that pays attention to my body and a body that enjoys the care given to it.
Your exercise class Angela sounds like a perfect way to tune into what the body wants each day , and at the same time feels like the body responds just as well to this way of exercising, if not better, than being pushed or managed by numbers and goals. Thank you for your sharing.
Thank you Danielle for this powerful piece of writing. You have exposed an addiction that indeed dominates our society. How from a young age we learn how to ‘de-form’ ourselves to gain recognition, to fit in, to be identified. I am constantly learning and observing how this plays out when we leave who we are, as we then create who we are not only to fill the emptiness from leaving ourselves in the first place. When we are honest with ourselves about our need to be recognised we will begin to return to who we truly are and be our already beautiful selves.
Moving from sporadic exercise to a well established daily rhythm has been a profound shift for me that was facilitated by Danielle Pirera, for which I an my body are forever grateful