Happy Friday, beautiful humans!
Today we are talking THREE STEPS on how to move intuitively! But first…
Thank you so much for the positive words about my post yesterday on being in charge of the content we consume + this week’s podcast episode with my home girl Lee From America.
I was so inspired by much of what Lee had to say in our conversation, from her journey toward healing her hormones to her favorite Instagram accounts to follow, to her obsession with Outdoor Voices technical apparel! (She was wearing it when we recorded, so we fan girled hard about it for a few minutes during the ep!)
So of course after we talked I had to snag some cute, colorful pieces for myself.
When I spoke at Create + Cultivate in Chicago a few years ago, the founder & CEO of Outdoor Voices Ty Haney was also there speaking about the brand and her journey — and I was pretty in love with her mission & philosophy from then forward!
I’m wearing all OV in this post, and will link to each individual outfit piece you can shop at the bottom!
Their clothing fits PERFECTLY with my philosophy on intuitive movement, finding the fun & play within everyday life, and dropping expectations on ourselves to be an “athlete” and just MOVE in a way that feels ridiculously good in our bodies.
These tri-colored warmup leggings are my FAVORITE. And look how cute they are matching the plant wall behind me!
My Philosophy on Intuitive Movement //
You’ve probably noticed the shift on my outlook on exercise over the years. Maybe you’ve seen my recent articles on outlets like SELF & MindBodyGreen about how I scaled my exercise routine back to the basics and have felt healthier and more balanced than ever before.
Today I’m going to take it a step further and share even more with you about what I’ve discovered since really tuning in and listening to my body when it comes to exercise.
Because guess what?
Fitness is a JOURNEY, and I am still riding along! I knew after my Panchakarma I needed rest, rest, rest and all of the light movement modalities like restorative yoga flows and long walks.
I was also FILLED TO THE BRIM during that time with commitments and crazy amounts of yoga in my TT, so I didn’t have a lot of heartspace for my previous loves like running + HIIT.
I also knew that once I finished my 500-hour yoga teacher training, I would probably want to reintroduce more cardio into my life again because I would have more space + time in my schedule to get back into some of my fave workouts.
I was right about that. Now that my training has been over for a couple of months, I’ve started to dive back into Orangetheory HIIT classes (my fave), running outside again, a little bit of personal training, and some rigorous SWEATY vinyasa classes that just weren’t calling to me earlier this year and at the end of 2016.
This sports bra is probably one of the most flattering crop tops I’ve ever worn. Girlfriend has boobs, and TINY sports bras don’t do it for me. I love the little strap around the back that adds extra cuteness AND extra support.
So, where do I stand now? //
Something I have been madly in love with lately is intuitive movement. Is this a legit term? I’m not sure. Did I make it up? I doubt it.
Moving intuitively is something I am writing a lot about in my upcoming yoga ebook Soul on Fire. It’s all about… LISTENING TO YOUR BODY (surprise, surprise!) and moving in a way that feels good to you from the inside out.
It’s about letting go of the expectations and pressures that we put on ourselves to be “super fit,” to be high performance athletes, to be cardio bunnies, to be anything other than exactly who we are.
I have been super inspired by one of my fave podcasts, The Lifestylist by Luke Storey, and a bunch of interviews he’s done recently about movement versus “exercise.”
The thing is, movement IS exercise. Whether you’re walking your dog, running errands all day, sitting on your yoga mat and stretching it alllll out, or taking a traditional workout class — you’re moving. You’re flowing your body. It’s awesome.
What we don’t want is to be sedentary! I am a huge proponent of walking and stretching every few hours, especially for those of us who sit at a desk or spend a lot of time in front of the computer.
So let’s dive into the tips! Outdoor Voices is a brand that puts a heavy emphasis on the fact that MOVEMENT IS PLAY! It’s FUN. There shouldn’t be any competitiveness or traditional ideology stuck in our head about what it’s SUPPOSED to look like. Flawed is beautiful. Flawed is fun. I wouldn’t trade FLAWED for the world. 😉
Three Steps to Learning How to Move Intuitively. //
1. Get to know yourself on a spiritual, soul-level level. This requires some deep, internal work. Journaling, meditation, kundalini yoga (breath work, linking breath to movement, chanting), therapy, and tapping into your intuition through self-care & downtime are all ways to strengthen your relationship with yourself. I know it can sound like a little much at first, but TALK to yourself. Get clear on what your goals are, what you need in order to achieve them, and what your biggest challenges are. For me, the biggest challenge ALWAYS is to slow down (*IN EVERY ASPECT OF LIFE*) — so working on slowing down through movement & breath is super helpful for me.
2. Let go of exercising to look a certain way, and instead move to FEEL good. Once I started to REALLY begin to move in a way that made me feel amazing, it became a lot less about pavement-pounding and a lot more legs up the wall with a block under my head. That said, some days are WAY more running type of days for me because I need to get my anxiety out! It’s just not an everyday thing like it used to be. Moving intuitively for me can also mean moving like a straight up animal on my yoga mat. It can mean a FUN, sweat-free acro yoga flow that leads me sore for weeks (lol). It’s all sorts of stuff, and the fun thing is that every day is different.
3. Keep in mind that moving throughout the day & not fatiguing yourself in a SUPER intense workout class is actually better for your hormones and your body in the long run. Think about it! If you move SUPER HARD for one hour in a crazy hard workout class and then sit around at a desk and lay in bed when you get home, your cortisol is spiking UP then shooting back down. What about walking on your lunch break, stretching when you wake up in the morning, and going on a light jog in the evening? Steady, steady, steady!! For those of us who can get pretty extreme, this is a fun alternative.
Hope this helps, and hope you loooooove these cutie clothes as much as I do. I just love them! I love their messaging & the fact that these clothes are flattering on all bodies. Women run companies that encourage PLAY are just my fave. Shop the post below!! XO
