A regular old forest-yogi... All forms of exercise (from now on known as movement) involve a particular form, a technique that determines ones efficacy in performing the required tasks. Whether it be weightlifting, running, or a more factor-complex sport such as football or rugby, there are a million things that are consciously and subconsciously coursing through your mind as you perform each action.
Being completely 'within' your body is naturally a good place to be while performing your daily movement - whether that be turning out for Manchester United or jogging it up on the treadmill. We perform these physical actions with explicit goals in mind - fitness, health, flexibility, outperforming an opponent or our previous best, and in some cases even to deepen our sense of spirituality. When we allow competing thoughts and distractions to detract from our focus, we quickly move away from these goals. Instead of finely honed technique, we display a clumsy, pale, blurred version of the effort that we strive for.
Apart from the momentary losses of focus that can cause us to drop the ball, kick a wild one or injure ourselves, there is a greater lack of focus that can hinder us on a wider level. General struggles outside of the movement practice have an immense impact on our motivation and functionality when we do hit the gym or strap the boots on.
Mindfulness and meditation aim to deal with both of these difficulties, both on the momentary attention and broader well-being side of things. Being mindful can literally be the key to taking your movement to the next level. Deepening your awareness of how your body feels and responds will heighten your ability to adapt your movement and focus your mind during the motions. So aside from all the greater medical benefits of meditation, you can literally sharpen your skills by sharpening your awareness.
So next time you decide to sweat it out, immerse yourself in these few exercises!
Dean
Being completely 'within' your body is naturally a good place to be while performing your daily movement - whether that be turning out for Manchester United or jogging it up on the treadmill. We perform these physical actions with explicit goals in mind - fitness, health, flexibility, outperforming an opponent or our previous best, and in some cases even to deepen our sense of spirituality. When we allow competing thoughts and distractions to detract from our focus, we quickly move away from these goals. Instead of finely honed technique, we display a clumsy, pale, blurred version of the effort that we strive for.
Apart from the momentary losses of focus that can cause us to drop the ball, kick a wild one or injure ourselves, there is a greater lack of focus that can hinder us on a wider level. General struggles outside of the movement practice have an immense impact on our motivation and functionality when we do hit the gym or strap the boots on.
Mindfulness and meditation aim to deal with both of these difficulties, both on the momentary attention and broader well-being side of things. Being mindful can literally be the key to taking your movement to the next level. Deepening your awareness of how your body feels and responds will heighten your ability to adapt your movement and focus your mind during the motions. So aside from all the greater medical benefits of meditation, you can literally sharpen your skills by sharpening your awareness.
So next time you decide to sweat it out, immerse yourself in these few exercises!
Dean
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