Three Ways to Move More Intuitively

Protecting my energy to not feel depleted but rather to feel energized is a huge part of intuitive movement for me and have felt a lot of benefit from this practice. Before, I used to push beyond my limits and I noticed that the rigid way I was moving my body, push harder, no-pain-no-gain mentality was spilling into other areas of my life. I wanted to be more at peace, calm, centered, and feeling good in everything I did, even in my daily movement. Here are my top three tips to start tuning into your body, and moving intuitively. 

Check in with yourself often: when you are working out, or taking a simple walk, check in with yourself to see how you're feeling, how your energy is doing, if you need a rest, if you need hydration, or if you're breathing steadily. It's okay to take the necessary pauses to rest, hydrate, and take care of yourself. 

Know when to say enough is enough: before, when my thighs were burning, or if I couldn't breathe steadily because I was out of breath, or when I felt like I couldn't push anymore, the voice of my inner drill sergeant would say, “Go harder! or “Keep Going!”  instead of really taking into account how I would feel after the workout was over. That would have consequences later of total exhaustion, burning thigh muscles for days where it hurt to even sit or get up, or soreness I was not happy with. I check in with what my body and energy is asking for at that moment, and modify or adapt my movement to what will feel best for me today. 

Move in a way that feels good to you: This can be a challenge, especially if you find it hard to get motivated to move! Check in with how this movement makes you feel. Do you feel dread or unmotivated? If you do, what could you do to make it better for yourself to enjoy that movement more of change it altogether? It's okay to modify it, and it's okay to change your routine, and it's okay to keep trying things out to see how you feel when you do the movement or after. I think the main thing is in order to know if you like a movement or not, sometimes you have to try it out! Treat it like an experiment and try it out for a two weeks, for example. I have been teaching Pilates for 19 years now. In my Pilates for Home Practice sessions, I create an environment where you learn to be more in tune with your body, with mind-body connection, strength training, and stress-reduction.