Remember that scene from the movie “Network” where Peter Finch is standing by the window and pounding his fists while yelling,
“I’m mad and I’m not going to take it anymore”?
Have you ever gotten to that point when faced with another “been there done that” workout routine?
I get to that point sometimes.
When you simply cannot not stand one more workout on the treadmill, or on your bike or whatever, it’s time to shake things up a bit.
Or should I say, “Why don’t you just SKIP it altogether?”
I was out for a run.
The run was nice, I was breathing deeply which felt good, and I welcomed my sweat. I was returning home and about a half mile from my house. I often walk this distance as a cool down.
Then I had this thought. Why don’t I start skipping?
So right then and there I started skipping!
It’s interesting what we’ll do if we don’t prejudge and talk ourselves out of spontaneous ideas, isn’t it?
Now I don’t know how much time any of you spend skipping, but I can tell you that I haven’t skipped in probably 30 + years.
But skip I did, and what an experience!
At first I felt very silly. For those of you who don’t like to feel silly in public, all I can say is “get over it. ”
I got over it the first time I took a yoga class. If I had given in to that looking silly fear I would never have gone back to my second class.
I still practice “getting over it ” because I really do feel like it’s an instructive part of any learning curve.
Silly is as Shelli does, so along I went skipping the whole way home!
People in my quiet residential neighborhood are used to walkers and runners, but a skipper?
One guy who was taking in his garbage pails looked at me and put his head down and turned quickly away. I’d guess he hasn’t taken his inner child out to play in quite some time!
Why am I even talking about this skipping adventure with you?
For one thing, it was terrific exercise. My heart rate soared.
And for another thing it was FUN and felt great.
It made me think, as I often do, of how programed we are to move in the same ways over and over and OVER again.
As I skipped and sang “skip skip skip to my-lou ” my body, breath and mind felt loose and free to move and I could feel energy circulating all through me .
This kind of feeling comes from the joy you feel when you move.
All kinds of movement have this potential. Not just the ones we adult women think are appropriate for us, or the ones we feel UNsilly and comfortable doing, not just the ones we are good at and find easy to do……..
all kinds of movements.
I love when I’m reminded in such simple and fun ways not to take myself so seriously when it comes to my movement world.
So here’s a tongue twister for you………..
Shelli skips sings and smiles by the sea shore on sundays and saturdays.
For those of you whose tongues are particularly TWISTED from your yoga practice, please add these words—with her six silly students!
now go get silly and skip and let me know how it felt!
shelli
Leave a Reply