Motion IS Potion!

Not sure who originated this quote, but my friend Angie told me a few months ago when we were discussing the affect getting older has on our bodies...."motion is potion." Some people say "use it or lose it." Either way, those of you in my age bracket probably understand. You know, when you sit for a while at the computer desk, or on the couch, or even in the drivers seat, that first second standing...ouch! It's a constant reminder that we aren't getting younger. It sort of makes you crazy though to realize that even simple things aren't as easy as they once were. And if there's been any sort of trauma to the body, then it's even harder. In my case, after several car accidents, my body's telling me...you better be careful, one more and we're through. Well, not permanently, just through trying to recover in a timely fashion. Once injury or trauma happens, it takes much longer for the muscles, nerves and tissues to heal. In spite of others saying, it's all in your head....its NOT all in your head. It is very real. I'm putting this quote of "motion is potion" to the test. I'm tired of my body hurting, aching, rejecting even the slightest move I want to make. I'm getting into some serious motion.






First, I've been trying yoga. It's really amazing the healing on the body that takes place from just 60 minutes in a class. It's hard at first, but the stretching and the relaxation of the muscles really does help. Yoga in a heated room is even better. It's as if you are wrapped in a heating pad but you're sweating as if in a sauna. It's actually refreshing. Plenty of water is vital.



The first class I took was a Restorative Yoga. Michael came with me. Surprisingly, there were several other guys as well. This restorative yoga worked every muscle in the body, but not to the point of stressing the muscle like weight lifting. It was stretching, stretching, relaxing, and more stretching. The results were amazing. It's also about breathing, being in control of your motions and being intentional about pushing random, wandering thoughts out of your mind. This calming helped me focus on the task at hand, which was dealing with assisting my body to heal.


Other classes have been traditional yoga, very intense and rigorous workouts. Any yoga experts or advanced participants make it look so easy. In the class, it's not about competition, it's about you centering yourself and working through your own issues, physically and emotionally. In one class, as is typical, the instructor was playing background music. A song came on that had many memories attached to it. Right in the middle of class tears came gushing out. There was no stopping them. Apparently this can happen so easily as our muscles release all the tension and stress that they have been holding. Attached to that stress and tension...is emotions. So as one goes, it all goes. Interesting process. Motion is potion, and this is really powerful stuff.




Second, I'm walking/running again. I don't care if it hurts. I'm hoping the long term results and benefits will outweigh the initial onset of pain and agony after which something stronger than Advil is usually required. I'm hoping that the motion of moving rhymically to the tunes like Lady Gaga's Dance or Katy Perry's California Girls will become something that my body becomes addicted to again. My iphone is full of music and it makes the time and distance go by very quickly. Once I stepped outside, I realized how much I needed to be there, it was absolutely perfect weather, so the fresh air was so refreshing, both physically and mentally. Today, I took Maxxie out with me, but that won't happen again. He's just too small to go the distance! I know that running a marathon is out of the question, but training to just do the most and the best I can will be enough for me right now. Motion is potion, so I think it will make getting up from the computer desk much easier in the long run.




Third, one of the things that Michael and I love to do is dance. It's not been as much fun here in the apartment as it was in the log cabin in the woods in Maine. Boy, could we turn up the music out there! Here, not so easy. We're looking forward to moving into our home and having that space for dancing and making a joyful noise. There's something about moving to the music, singing the songs and being with someone you love. It makes you feel like a little kid again, totally uninhibited and free. Many times our songs are worship songs, and that is very meaningful, very special time we share. I just learned that the yoga studio has Tango lessons once a week...that's our next endeavor. We just have to remember that motion is potion. Our bodies will thank us later.


Life is too short to always be thinking that we're sick and tired of being sick and tired. A lot of those feelings come from stress, so moving will help get us out of that cycle. I am so looking forward to the high you get from being in the groove of moving, whether it's running, walking, yoga, or dancing. There is always a point where your body slowly slides into the zone of feeling really good, when everything is warmed up and moving actually feels great. It happens after about 5-10 minutes or about a half mile walking, depending on how fast you are moving. Once you're there, you feel the aches and pains dissolve away. Your body can move better, easier, more fluidly. It feels really good. I love that part, when all things work together for good! Motion is potion seems like a good theory. I'm testing it, and I already know it works. That in itself is enough motivation for me to get back out there tomorrow.