Rediscovering Movement: From Autopilot to Awareness
In a world where stillness is celebrated, movement is too often treated as a chore. We hear the message: “You must exercise more.” But I believe the real invitation is something deeper – to explore our relationship with movement, to reconnect body and mind, and to let motion become a source of presence rather than pressure.
A recent article by Harvard Health reminds us that physical activity isn’t only about fitness. It helps our stress system release fewer hormones, it stimulates endorphins and calms our mood. And when we combine movement with awareness – paying attention to breath, body-sensations, environment – we access what they call the “mind-body connection” and activate the relaxation response. The article suggests that rhythmic, repetitive activities — walking, swimming, cycling with awareness — help regulate the nervous system.
Childhood Movement: The Forgotten Roots
Think back to your childhood: Did you run barefoot across grass, dance in your room, climb trees with abandon? Or were you seated still, praised for calmness, discouraged for being “too hyper-active”? These early experiences form our baseline.
What if your movement today could reconnect with the joy in movement you felt then? Instead of treadmill-driven guilt, it becomes a rediscovery of who you once were – free, curious, mobile.
Movement as Mindful Practice
According to Harvard, one of the simplest yet most effective techniques is a mindful walk: breathe in through the nose, out through the mouth; feel the ground beneath your feet; sense the air on your skin; widen your awareness to what you see and hear. Or consider a practice like Tai Chi or Qi Gong – flowing movements, centred mind, calm body.
These are not about calories or competition, weight gain or weight loss. They’re about connection. The body sending messages (“I’m tight here”, “I’m heavy here”), and you listening. Movement becomes a conversation, not a task.
When you move with attention, you strengthen not only muscles, but your sense of self. You break the pattern of “work; rush; rest-poorly” and replace it with “move; notice; regenerate.” Research shows that regular movement reduces the burden of chronic stress, improves sleep, and enhances flexibility of both body and mind.
For someone leading, supporting others, giving everything – your body is keeping score. Every tense shoulder, every restless night, every heavy footfall is whispering something. What if those whispers could become signals of insight, not warning lights?
A Gentle Path Forward
Here are three ideas you can try this week:
- Choose to do one movement that you know you enjoy. Walk. Stretch. Dance. As you do, ask: What is my body aware of right now?
- Return to your root movement – What did your young self love doing? Could you revisit it in some way?
- Create a movement pause – Choose a time when you’re usually busy or distracted. Move for just five minutes, attention on breath and sensation. Delete guilt. Embrace renewal.
You don’t have to choose between stillness and movement – they’re partners. Stillness teaches you to listen; movement teaches you to live. The aim is not perfection, but presence. Not performance, but being. Not output, but awareness.
CAROLINE JAINE - THE RESILIENCE GUIDE 