Life gets busy, and as the Education Program Coordinator at Balanced Body, I often find myself on a plane, away from home, or lacking in consistency. Movement is one of the MOST important parts of daily living, and I hope that these thoughts inspire you and also share accountability from someone who “does” this for a living!
On maintaining a daily physical practice of movement.
Many of us have very busy schedules, hopefully filled with things we enjoy! Over the last 2 or so years, I have noticed the lack of consistency in my movement practice. And, I don’t just mean Pilates (because of my profession), but I mean the act of DAILY movement for the well-being of my body, mind, and soul. I have practiced Pilates, yoga, dance, and different sports over the years to ‘exercise’ that energy exchange. I fear I was taking the physical and mental health of a daily practice for granted. Or, maybe I was just better at prioritizing it before the weight of my career took hold. Either way, I let it slip. My physical body started to suffer (which also diminished my mental resilience, as many of us are well aware of)!
For the last several months, by MAKING SPACE for daily movement to be a priority, I noticed 2 things.
1) Life/work/etc. will continue. I can take 30 minutes a day, for goodness’ sake! BUT I had to practice that to really learn it.
2) Showing up for myself is enough, but it almost always leads to more. In other words, if I just tell myself, “Take a 10-minute break and go for a walk,” it 99% of the time turns into 20, 30, or more minutes.
Allowing myself to take a moment, consciously, in my body, leads to so much more kindness and wellness than I ever realized when I was younger.
My most recent inspiration, however, came from my dear friend, Portia Page. Her dedication to herself, prioritizing a physical practice (with no expectations of quality, because it’s all good!), showed me that I will continually improve if I maintain consistency.
That doesn’t mean perfect movement, but better self-love and kindness towards how my body supports me. Portia and I travel a LOT (and luckily sometimes together), so this inspiration came at a pivotal time to tell myself, “You can do 5 minutes of movement ANYWHERE!” Allowing myself to recognize the value of those 15 minutes, even in the last month, has been pivotal to my approach to daily physical practice going forward.
With this year coming to its end, it would be easy for me to think about the things I didn’t get to “check off my list,” but one thing I am proud of is taking time for my body. To move, strengthen, and challenge. It’s a practice, but not a linear one, and I look forward to how it helps me feel, grow, and stay consistent with many aspects of the rest of my life daily.
I ask you. How will YOU move today?
Christine started her movement education path in college achieving a Bachelor’s of Science in Kinesiology from CSU Sacramento (2011), as well as a Minor in Dance. Her combined interest of those brought her to Pilates, receiving her comprehensive training with BASI Pilates (2013). Building on knowledge from experience in physical therapy clinics, Pilates studios, and educational conferences, Christine then became a Pilates Master Instructor for Balanced Body Education (2019). In maintaining a continuous goal of expanding movement knowledge, she utilizes her mechanical and kinesiological understanding along with innovations of contemporary, Pilates-informed movement. To put it simply, she strives to help every body find their most balanced quality of movement, and feel good doing it!
