I ran a workshop several years ago called "Creating a Work-In vs a Work-Out". I started the workshop with the general health history of the obvious health and injury issues we need to know for our baseline before we start any kind of exercise program. We then regressed into injuries from childhood writing all bumps and bruises or mishaps. The exercise took a while as I stressed not to disqualify anything and to write down everything they could remember. One childhood injury for me were the pebbles stuck in my knee from jumping off a swing on it's highest moment. Another, I was riding my bike and got thrown off by the neck from a rope I couldn't see tied between two trees. A red and blue rope becomes invisible against brick red apartments. It left a pretty nasty rope burn. Fun walking around with that as a kid! Fortunately, it was nothing serious, yet an injury. You get the point.
When finished, I had them look at what they wrote from the eyes of a stranger with pure compassion about how much a body actually endures to bring one to today. I remember seeing their faces with total surprise, sadness and a sense of pain where many of their boo-boo's big and small were not kissed. Each gave themselves a big hug and said thank you to their own bodies for all it has endured which included patting their knees, kissing their arms and love themselves completely.
The energy of the room changed. They were no longer looking for tips and hacks to fix their physical bodies. They were now one with their bodies looking to be kind and supporting to them. We took the evening into a place of imagination and dreams of what they always wanted to do or be as a kid.
One wanted to explore and hike all the national parks. Another to sail at sea for days and the third to work with hot air balloons. We explored what movements happen in each of these activities. As it turned out they were able to create many of the exercises needed to fulfill their childhood dreams. The dreams I hope they can complete before their time here on earth subsides. In the meantime by doing the exercises they created, their bodies will be living the dream everyday in the movement and their minds having fun in the spirit of play.
May you love your body and all it has done for you.
May you live your dream a little bit every day. It's training!
And, wouldn't be nice to say "I'M READY!"
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