Therapy Toolkit- Day 3
“Gayatri, I feel so low these days. I don’t know why”, a client messaged me.
“How much do you move during the day?” I asked.
“Move…? I do workout on weekends. Weekdays it is tough. I work for 12 to 14 hours”, the client replied.
And this is the case for most of us, isn’t it?
I sit in front of the laptop for 6- 8 hours and when I’m not sitting, I’m standing in the kitchen- cooking, chopping vegetables or washing the utensils. I do my workout in the morning and then I usually sit, stand or lie down.
Where is the movement?
Day 3 of the Therapy Toolkit is about Movement.
Human bodies were designed to move, to jump, climb, run and walk. However, we have reduced this movement. And this continuous sitting or standing with a poor posture could lead to mood swings, emotional ups and downs and other disturbing thoughts.
The mind and the body are part of an inter-linked system and many a times when the body doesn’t move, the mind can feel stuck. So, to open out the mental or emotional blocks, begin practicing movement.
Here are few ways I practice gentle movement throughout the day.
· I’ve set an hourly alarm on my phone. When the alarm rings, I get up and move my body. It could be spot jumping, stretching or a free flow movement to music.
· I’ve set-up visual cues for myself like a post-it on the cupboard to remind me of movement.
· Every day I practice one movement routine from Feldenkrais by Stewart Hamblin.
I’ve noticed that as I move my body gently, I feel a sense of deep connection with myself and I feel better. If I’m feeling any unpleasant emotions, movement allows me to pause, slow down and reflect.
Today I invite you to gently move your body and notice what emerges for you.
Love & Light,
Gayatri Aptekar
