Move Freely

"Mobility is nobility"-Timothy Leary 

Don't just sit there. Move!

You've heard of use it or loose it, but I say, move it or get stuck. It is really easy these days to forget you are just sitting there. We are so enthralled with our devices. Well, they are getting easy to move around with.

Or maybe you have 'work station'. Does it feel a bit like a straight jacket, especially if you work at a constraining, restraining set up that your body must conform to and perform for, instead of the other way around?

I try to find lots of physical chores to sprinkle into my day and I fidget constantly. A motion to get up is always in order. However I recently began a large fiber art project requiring a lot of tedious, close, hand-eye coordinated, tension creating work.  I notice if I focus a lot of tension in a narrow area of the body like that, after a while I get stuck! When I try to move again, it hurts, creaks or pops.

This leads to a discovery. I can move if I do so very, very, slowly. I begin by sending my attention in, moving very slowly, and then slowing down even more. I do random slow things: really slowly, imperceptibly almost, raising one arm. Sitting up straighter, slowly twisting one way, then another. Slowly relaxing the belly. Pushing down on the feet as if to get up, only to go back down... The possibilities are endless.  For variety, just stop at random intervals and just listen and look. Add in a few relaxings too.

Try it, and soon you may be attracting attention with your new way of moving through the world. This is a fun thing for sharing! Soon everybody will shimmy and shee bop around the office. (More office fun:)

Of course, this is a little distracting, which is another benefit! We go way too fast, we are way too efficient. Life is passing us by in the now as we rush from goalpost to goalpost.

Indeed, another benefit is a deeper understanding and more balanced perspective, on whatever we are doing that we are assuming is so darn important.