February is here & it's love month. A new month, a fresh start & in Namastay Sweaty Club this also means a new affirmation. Each month, I really sit with the intention I want to bring to the Club & our classes. It helps me stay focused on my own personal journey, & I have heard from many members that they also enjoy the mindfulness our classes bring to their life.
Affirmations are powerful. Our thoughts become things & help us increase our mind-body connection. Where focus goes, energy flows. Affirmations can play a significant role in supporting our overall well-being by influencing our thoughts, emotions, and behaviours. I personally have leaned on them over the years & find them to be an impactful part of my health practices.
Affirmations can help us cultivate a daily ritual for positivity & thus creating a more positive mindset by helping us redirect thoughts & counteract negative self talk & foster a more positive outlook on life. Affirmations can also aid in stress reduction, initiate calmness, self-empower through the concept of choices, increase our resilience, & boost self-esteem. Further, affirmations can also support us in achieving our goals by keeping our actions aligned with our thoughts & this improved focus leads to a higher likelihood of success.
Our affirmation for February in the Club is, "Movement is love". I have been sitting with this thought around how buzz worthy "self love" has become. I think it's wonderful that more women are prioritizing self care however I feel there is opportunity in really drilling down to what that means exactly. You see, love is a verb. It requires action.
I like to compare this concept to the relationships we have with others, maybe a spouse. Saying "I love you" isn't enough - we truly feel loved by their actions. And so if this is the case for our external relationships, it must be true for the relationship we hold with ourself. Love is not just a thought, or a feeling or an "acceptance" - it requires daily actions to take care of oneself. And for me, one of the biggest tools I use for self care & love -- is movement.
I like to see movement as a big tool in my toolbox for taking care of myself because of all of the wonderful benefits movement offers. As I often say, movement is medicine, sweat is therapy. It's important that we continue to give ourselves the gift of movement so that when hard things in life pop up, as they do, we can lean on the habit we have built, even when we don't want to or feel like it.
Movement is love. Movement is a celebration. Movement is NOT something you "have" to do, something you "should" do & movement is certainly not punishment. As we move through this month, I hope any old beliefs we may hold around movement in this way shift to a place of love, care & action.
I invite you to our first class of the month with our affirmation, "Movement is love" to shift your mind, heart & body into a space of taking action from a place of love. You get one body, it's the only place you have to live. Treat it with care.
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