I’m up to 221 days now of doing Move U movements at least 15 minutes per day. I got through all the level 1 programs, and finished the level 2 program for Back & Core. I decided not to start the next level 2 program after finishing BC because I had a work trip coming up and I knew that I wouldn’t have time to devote to the program exercises during that time.
So for the last two weeks or so, I’ve mostly just been setting my timer for 16 minutes (an extra minute to account for transition time between exercises), and going through a variety of moves in a slow, controlled fashion. I focus a lot on breathing during these “15 minute review” sessions. I believe that breath is one of the keys that I’ve been missing, and I want to integrate it.
While I was in Chicago for a conference, I got to spend some time with my brother. When I brought up breathing to him, it was like listening to myself pre-Move U. He insisted that focusing on breathing didn’t work for him, because he would focus on it too much and forget to breathe at all. I remember feeling the same way. I remember back when I went to Yoga classes at Boise State how I would dread them bringing up breathing and the breath. For whatever reason, I wasn’t connected to breathing, and I chose to believe that meant I had a lack of ability.
Having gone through BC1 in Move U, I now believe that I merely lacked the tools to learn how to properly breathe with my movements. Because I do that now; I can feel how breathing with my movements increases my connection to the movement. I wish I could give my brother the perspective he’d have if he let himself try, but I have to accept that he will (or won’t) come to this on his own.
Of course, my husband has even fewer excuses than my brother for not trying out Move U, considering we live in the same household and he can piggyback off of my membership. Over the weekend, Ambrose and I talked a lot about how he is way more fit than he was 5 years ago, even though he feels himself to be out of shape. I proposed that he felt out of shape because he knew he had the potential to improve, even though he’s improved so much over prior years. I think that Move U could help him improve.
Heck, I think Move U could help just about everyone improve. I wish I could give a membership to all my co-workers and friends, because it has helped me dig into where my body has been burying pain. Over the last 221 days, I’ve found and mostly fixed a pain in my lower right back, and found but not yet fully fixed a pain in my left shoulder blade. I’m glad to have dug up the shoulder blade pain, because until the last month or so, that pain has been expressing itself along my arm, but not showing its origin point.
I’m getting used to sleeping on my back. I might go back to side-sleeping some day, but for now I have bad habits side-sleeping. I tend to overextend both shoulders when side-sleeping, and I won’t be doing it again until I can lay on my side without feeling those overextensions. I have been trying different side positions, but only when I’m awake. One nice thing about sleeping on my back is that I can wear my big dangly wing earrings to sleep – if I sleep on my side, those earrings tend to get caught and pull uncomfortably.
I do think that I’ll start Level 2 of Shoulders and Arms soon, but I won’t be able to complete each week in a row, because of backpacking. I can definitely do my 15 minute reviews out in the woods, but I won’t be bringing equipment out to do the Level 2 exercises. I’m looking forward to what I might discover about my body in SA2.