Despite this year of extraordinary and unprecedented challenges drawing to a close, we can still rise up and be strong and reconnected with ourselves.

We are living through a time that goes against all that makes us human; time to touch, to congregate, to move our bodies, to still our minds to be strong to face our future.

With that thought, use this month to draw on what we can do to face the future, physically stronger with a quieter state of mind. Both are important, vital in fact, but many people are muddling along in the middle ground; exercising to some degree, with the occasional momentary glimpse of a stilled mind.

Let’s rise up and end this year with a firm footing ready to reboot our lives as the vaccine and the opening up of our world, begins to unfurl in 2021.

Powering up!

Jog on the spot slowly and quietly initially, before building up your pace and duration. Listen to your body from your toes, to your torso, from your breathing rate to your heart rate. Become more random and creative with your groovy moves…

Introduce arm punches while your legs have fun underneath you.

Punch upwards, in front of you and out to the sides. Mix it up, never mind your style, or lack of!

Listen to your body, think of all your posture points: strong lower tum, long spine, shoulders dropped, breathing  smoothly in and out and if you have any capacity left, squeeze your pelvic floor! 😉

Moving intuitively, connecting mind and body will help you move more safely, effectively and confidently.  Win win win…

Powering down!

While powering up is vital for strength, fitness agility and confidence, equally so is powering down, to reconnect your mind body and soul. The more connected your are, the easier it is to recognise what your body is telling you, and when it needs what it’s telling you it needs!

Without doubt this is one of my favourite treats.

It feels like a gift to myself. The trick is preparing your mindset for this to be a nourishing, life affirming, mind body reconnection .

The easiest way to achieve this is take a few minutes away from ANY possible interruptions or distractions. You can do this sitting or standing but if you are starting out or have a natural tendency to do this lying down, then do as I do and lie down.

Make sure you are warm and comfortable. Grab a pillow and snuggly rug if this will help you to concentrate.

As with my stick friend here, place your hands on your tum, or breast bone to focus the direction of your breath, as you smoothly and softly breathe in and out with each gentle breath. There is no need to take big deep breathes which can become tiring and uncomfortable after a while.

Once you are ready to move your thoughts away from your breath, begin to visualise a part of your body. With each out breath, connect your thoughts with this area of your body.

Simply ‘observe’ what you notice; perhaps a sense of tension, warmth, coolness, merely the contact with the ground, or maybe ‘a nothingness’.

There is no wrong or right with this activity, only what you find on any given day. It can change from moment to moment and from day to day. The more you practice the more tuned in you will become and in time the more connected you will be, mind-body-soul.

If this all feels too ethereal, too complicated or just too abstract, this may not be for you. There is no one size fits all. However, if you want to find a way to connect with yourself on a deeper level, give this a go.

Begin to move from one body part to another as you become more confident with this technique of

scanning-breathing-reconnecting

for a stiller mind while connecting more intuitively with your body. This is a path along which countless physical and mental health benefits can be achieved.

So dear readers, in preparation for 2021

POWER UP and POWER DOWN 

in readiness for all that awaits.