Among the queries I have received in this first week of noahmoves.com/education I have seen similar threads which will be the topic of today’s entry.
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Before the pandemic, I more commonly heard the story of “I don’t have the time.” A predicament I usually remedy with the implementation of a schedule:
Are you a morning person? Long lunch breaks? A job that allows for calm and restorative evenings?
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What does your life look like now and what would be the easiest time to consistently stick to? If your current daily schedule is consistent, seek to keep consistency in your physical practice. If you experience many changing variables throughout a standard week, which hours experience the most consistency day to day.
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Even if you have a complicated job. children, a spouse, or multiple other important commitments that are integral to your life and well-being it may be possible to integrate your physical practice into these “ways” of moving through the world. Stand at your desk and take breaks once an hour to walk around the block/office, squat to play with your kids, have sex with your partner instead of binge watching television. With humanity’s current shared predicament (covid-19 quarantine), many of us see at least the commuting commitments being stripped away and with this change I’ve observed a shift to expressions of very honest and vulnerable challenges containing similar sentiments of lacking “motivation” or “discipline.”
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With very little paid-work, due to the covid-19 quarantine my own physical practice schedule is more organic than ever before, but if I were implementing a change in this moment I would (as encouraged before) schedule it. I may immediately get out of bed and do the thing, or perhaps I would allow myself the ritual of the first cup of coffee proceeding the “workout” or the “breathing” or whatever flavor of practice you personally need to move energy in your body. If you finish the coffee, or perhaps even a full day of work and you still can’t bare to schedule your (or stick to your scheduled) physical practice:
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Start with a journalling practice that includes the following:
How is my life improved by this change I wish to see manifest?
Maybe your life wouldn’t be improved by this change or perhaps more likely, your seeking the wrong practice in this moment.
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My teacher Nevine Michaan, has a teaching she recites periodically:
“It’s a bad idea to meditate in a house on fire.”
If one is feeling anxiety at flames rising around them, the solution is not to “find one’s breath” or “sit with the feeling”
I use her aphorism to illustrate the importance of knowing “why” you are scheduling a new commitment into your life at all. Is the intended practice solving your query or only distracting you from work that would create real change. Many of you have likely had to finish a project and found yourself instead tending to an unrelated task such as cleaning the house; The above is a productive procrastination no doubt, but cleaning will not bring us closer to finishing the original project.
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In the pursuit of health and self-development one may find their “physical” compass is pointing in a different goal than their intended direction. An individual may be attempting to lose weight, or put on muscle, or chase a runners high, or become more flexible. All of the above are valid places to set one’s personal compass, but does the intention align with the path?
And most importantly: Be honest!
If you want a “six pack” don’t try to elevate the goal into running a half marathon… To reiterate, these two destinations are not found by following the same road; and you will quickly grow disinterested in following a set schedule since the goal was disingenuous.
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The material I have thus far posted to www.noahmoves.com/education is applicable to just about any goal (as it is largely geared toward beginners and individuals without a personal/non-class practice). As we progress with the material, we will find a need for more specificity and thus individual practices will deviate. Even when the goal is months or years away, progress should be trackable and with the knowledge that you are truly on your desired path: things such as motivation and discipline are far easier qualities to recognize in one’s self when it feels like the work we are doing is for something more than displaying a militant sense of discipline.
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With your goal declared, check in each day/week, is this still your goal? How much of your time and energy is worth and can be allocated toward that end?
Since one needs a certain amount of recovery, start with reasonable adjustments. 15-30 mins is both a good start and suitable as an increment of increase for those already working with that amount of time daily.
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I hope the above provides some insight and actionable change. Please ask questions that arise for you I will look to add a part 2 in the coming weeks as we flush out how to best cope with establishing consistency in your physical practice.
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