Picked up a random poetry book From the crowded shelf. Quick easy hour read: Delight and wonder. Then, Found…
12 Days of Mindful Tips + Resources: Day 9 “Ladies Dancing”
Happy Terrific Thursday + Day 9!
Question for you:
“What are 5 things I could do to take better care of myself daily?” (Strever).
Please consider this as you continue reading today’s post. I will ask you to come back to the question at the end.
During the past eight days, we have focused on:
- Eight Maids a Milking=Finding purpose for each day.
- Seven Swans a Swimming=Self-transformation or Making Positive Changes
- Six Geese a Laying=6 Pillars of Self-Esteem (Mission Statement)
- Five Golden Rings=Promises/Goals for yourself (SMART Goals)
- Four=Identifying a Life Line Person
- Three French Hens=Heart, Mind, Soul
- Two Turtle Doves=Discovering Needs vs Wants
- One Partridge in a Pear Tree=Hope
Today is all about movement: “On the ninth day of Christmas,/ My true love sent to me/ Nine ladies dancing,” (The 12 Days of Christmas lyrics © Walt Disney Music Company).
Nine Ladies Dancing? We go somehow from “Maids a milking” to “ladies dancing”… I would rather be dancing myself, but like I said yesterday, sometimes we have to do the menial tasks in order to achieve our goals.
I find it amazing how when I have been tense, stressed, or anxious, just going outside for a quick walk does wonders for my whole self. Movement is an incredible gift we have to not only get us from one place to another, but it additionally gives us renewed peace within ourselves. “As humans, we move our bodies to express our wants, needs, emotions, thoughts, and ideas,” says Krista Scott-Dixon, “Ultimately, how well we move — and how much we move — determines how well we engage with the world and establish our larger purpose in life.”
Here’s a surprising fact: you do not have to join a fitness class, lift weights, or even diet to feel better in your mind, body, and soul. All you have to do is move! Dixon offers these facts:
- “Movement helps us connect and build relationships with others.”
- “Movement helps us think, learn, and remember.”
- “Movement affects how we feel physically and emotionally.”
Dixon further points out that what works for one person may not be the best for someone else, so “Find out what ‘healthy movement’ looks like for you.”
Whether you do dance, yoga, martial arts, or just walk around your neighborhood, you will improve your ability to be centered in your hope by moving on a regular basis.
Fun Moving Activities:
- Dancing is an ancient tradition from most cultures around our world.
Different types of dancing include: Ballroom, Jazz, Ballet, Belly Dancing, Hip Hop, Salsa, and Square dancing.
- You can choose to join a local dance group or class, say at your local YMCA, or perhaps, you like to dance at home on your Wii or Playstation. I used to do JUST Dance with my daughters on our old Wii. I lost around five pounds in a month just by putting it on a couple times a week.
- Dancing can be done alone, with a partner, or in a group.
- Yoga is an amazing form of exercise and meditation for your mind, body,
and soul. Yoga is all about finding a center within yourself; it is so much more than just Feng-Shui mumbo-jumbo as some might think of it. Dietician and author, Rachel Link, shares, “Multiple studies have confirmed the many mental and physical benefits of yoga. Incorporating it into your routine can help enhance your health, increase strength and flexibility and reduce symptoms of stress, depression and anxiety. Finding the time to practice yoga just a few times per week may be enough to make a noticeable
difference when it comes to your health.”
- This week I am writing an article for a local magazine about a Yoga Festival happening in my town in March. The organizers inspired me to try it out and invited me to be their guest at the festival (thank you #YogafortFest!). Some of their inspiring adjectives they used to describe yoga are sanctuary, refuge, transformation, and inspiration. These are all words that equally describe your path to self-discovery and personal growth.
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Hiking or Walking are great ways to get outside. The more you walk the more your mind, body, and heart are strengthened. The Mental Health America website suggest, “For your mood, aim for 30 to 60 minutes of aerobic exercise or a combination of aerobic exercise and muscle-strengthening three to five days a week. Some research shows that even lower levels of activity may offer mental health benefits, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,“ (“Get Physically Active How Exercise Helps”).
- For a change of pace, find some nearby mountains, beach, or mountain bike trails to go hiking and refresh your soul. Being in nature amongst the serene landscape, trees, flowers, animals, birds, and open sky is therapy for your heart, mind, and soul.
Day 9 Assignment:
Task #1– Now in your journal, answer the question, “What are 5 things I could do to take better care of myself daily?” (Strever). Is being physically active one of them?
Task #2– Today I challenge you to do some form of movement, such as dance, yoga, or walking, for the next three days.
- Keep a record for how you feel before and after the activity. You can go alone or with a friend. The point is to get up and help yourself feel more positive.
- Schedule activities 2-3 times a week on your calendar you started yesterday. Part of achieving your long term goals is to be physically and mentally fit enough to accomplish them.
*For example, on my calendar I have a mixed martial arts + cardio class that I go to at least once a week at my local YMCA. I also make a point to walk instead of drive to the tutoring center where I work part time. Determine which days and what activity you will incorporate into your weekly schedules.
Task #3– Reflect on the past eight days by reviewing your hope, your goals vs. needs, your lifeline (call this person up and share with them what we have been doing together), your SMART Goals, and your mission statement. Have you noticed a positive difference in your overall mental health? Why or why not?
Task #4– Send me a comment with your feedback for this series. What has been helpful? What has not? What suggestions can you offer me so I can better support you?
See you tomorrow for day 10, “Ten Lords a Leaping.”
Check out Amazon.com for this useful Yoga Starter Kit:
P.S. Here is a fun dance video I found by the group HyperSquad:
References:
“Get Physically Active How Exercise Helps”. (n.d.). Mental Health America. Retrieved from: http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/get-physically-active.
Link, Rachel. (2017, August 30). “13 Benefits of Yoga That Are Supported by Science.” Healthline Red. Retrieved from: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/13-benefits-of-yoga.
Scott-Dixon, Krista. (n.d.). “The real (and surprising) reasons healthy movement matters”. Precision Nutrition. Retrieved from: https://www.precisionnutrition.com/healthy-movement.
Strever, Rachel. (2018, February 11). “30 DAY JOURNAL PROMPTS FOR SELF-DISCOVERY“. Retrieved from: https://lovingthyself.net/30-day-journal-prompts-self-discovery/.