Morning stretches:
When I was young, I could just leap out of bed and begin the day. Now that I am about to turn 50, I find that I benefit greatly from doing some morning stretches. My stretches have evolved over the past few years, until I came up with the perfect routine for me. It only takes 10 minutes, and I feel energized and ready to face the day after stretching. When I started these stretches, I just sat on the floor and moved in ways that felt good, and then later I added various yoga moves. This is a great way to begin your day with a bit of self-love, focus and lasting energy.
I recently added a couple of small twists to my routine to make it even more beneficial:
-As I stretch, I think about how lucky I am to have a flexible body that works well, and I feel gratitude for it.
-When I finish, I start at my toes and run my hands all the way up my body while saying “Thank you, I love you” over and over.
Stretching is also a great way to obtain more energy anytime of day. When I spend a lot of time at the computer, it really helps to get up and stretch every hour. I get so into what I am doing that I often forget to do this simple thing. My new self-loving approach is this: Whenever I notice I am feeling stiff, I stretch and move my body until I feel flexible again.
Or sometimes I just put on a tune I love and just dance a quick jig! This is one of my favorites from James Taylor's 1979 album called “One Dog Man,” perhaps one of the greatest vinyl treasures I've unearthed in the stacks for a buck. This tune is fun to jig to, and yes, the chainsaw is meant to be there. I like the extra layer that it adds to the tune, turning it into a collage of sorts. I also love the evangelistic feeling I get from this tune, like it would be a home in one of those Baptist churches down south where everyone dances wildly during the hymns. It's called “Little David.” I hope you will do a little jig when you hear it!
When you are doing a lot of writing, you are very much in your head. I sometimes forget I have a body, I get so lost in my love of writing. But remembering I have a body and taking a bit of time to regularly stretch and move it is self love. When I am taking care of myself and loving myself, my writing is better.
Case in point: Word count 5453!
Yeehaw!
I think I will do a celebratory jig now!