Independence

Categories: Blog, Thoughts, Negative, Independance, Pressing RESET, Movement, #OriginalStrength Jul 03, 2023

It’s Independence Day here in the States, a day of celebrating freedom. I know the purpose is to remember the hard-won freedom from being ruled by England, but I can’t help but think that independence is indeed freedom worth celebrating, especially if one has the freedom of movement. 

Being able to move as you want to in your body, having physical independence to live your life free from weakness, injury, and degradation - that is cause for celebrating. Movement is freedom, not just in our bodies but also in our minds and souls. 

When we can’t move the way we want when our bodies are limited in some way, our minds become limited, and our emotions become “smaller.” Think about it. If you are injured, in pain, weak, or lost function due to age or illness, your world shrinks. 

When you can’t move the way you want, your thoughts become negative, your emotions become negative; it’s harder to smile or be kind. This is because when we get bound up in our own body, our body gets all our attention. We start internally focusing on our issues or getting down about the things we can no longer do. Our limitations begin to consume us. 

And when we are consumed with ourselves, we become a black hole, and we can’t give ourselves away. We can’t see others, and we can’t listen to others - it gets harder to Love others. Our ability to move is more than our freedom and independence; it’s our compassionate expressions. When we move well, our movement gives us the independence to contribute to the world around us, to allow the world to depend on us. 

Our freedom, our independence, leads to dependence. Think about it. The very best version of yourself is the You that the world can depend on. The You that makes the world safer. The You that makes the world brighter. The You that makes the world more joyful. The world's greatest good is created in part by your ability to move, feel, and be well. 

This is why it is so important to have a daily movement routine. It’s not to obsess about your body but to keep your body in good working order so you can be free in your body, which leads to freedom in your mind and your world. Keeping a daily movement routine is an act of Love for yourself and the world around you. It leads to a joyful freedom that can only be known through experience. 

Conversely, the absence of a daily movement routine can lead to a depressed prison, a tortuous mind that sucks joy out of the world. If you’ve ever been limited in your ability to move, if you are limited, you know what I mean. 

I should mention that some people, through horrific injuries, accidents, or diseases, don’t have the freedom to move their bodies. They can find joy and give light into the world, and there is no question about that. But it may take them a while, and they may have to approach it through their mind. But, if they can move at all, if they can breathe - if you can breathe, there is freedom to be found in that movement. Even just exploring the freedom of your breath can lead to freedom in your mind and in your soul.

The point is, if you are here, you’ve been given the gift of movement and the gift of life. Exploring these gifts daily and engaging in them is a great thing. Learning how to move and appreciate your ability to move leads to a wonderful, joyful independence that lets the world, the whole of all things, rest and depend on you. 

Celebrate your independence. Explore your abilities to move daily. Practice and explore breathing. Practice and explore moving on the floor. Practice and explore walking through the world. 

If you do have movement limitations, discover where you can move. Maybe even challenge those limitations. Often limitations can fade away when we explore their boundaries and let the body know in a loving way that we intend to move. 

If nothing else, do this every day:

• Practice filling your lungs up from the bottom to the top for 3 minutes. Breathe in and out through your nose while letting your belly expand. Keep your tongue on the roof of your mouth. How long and slow can you breathe? Can you comfortably breathe six breaths or less per minute?
• Practice moving your eyes and head for 2 minutes. Explore different body positions: Lying on the floor, sitting in a chair, or standing. Look all the way up with your eyes and follow with your head. Look all the way down with your eyes and follow with your head. Look all the way right and follow with your head. Look all the way left and follow with your head. 
• Practice rolling around on the floor for 2 minutes. Roll side to side, roll back and forth. Relax and see how easily you can move from back to belly, from belly to back. And breathe! Don’t hold your breath. 
• Practice rocking back and forth for 2 minutes. Get on your hands and knees, put your eyes and head on the horizon, keep a tall chest, and rock back and forth. If your knees are tender, sit on the edge of a chair, put your eyes and head on the horizon, and rock back and forth under your head. 
• Practiced your gait pattern for 2 minutes. Whether you crawl, cross-crawl, skip, or walk, deliberately practice making your four limbs fluidly flow together. Keep your eyes and head on the horizon, your tongue on the roof of your mouth, and breathe.

Bonus: Take a daily walk, especially after dinner, if possible. Let those shoulders dance in unison with those hips. 

It may seem hard to believe, but something as simple as this routine can lead to your full freedom of expression. It can even make the entire world a better, safer, brighter place. 

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