Video: Fire N Gold – Fit Fatties

Daily Movement Prompts, Wednesday, December 14, 2017 edition:

Today I offer a video that includes photos from a forum that I participate in called “Fit Fatties.” The idea is that, as it says at the end of the video: “Nobody is obligated to participate in fitness but Every Body should be welcome.”

You don’t owe anyone movement or health or… But if you WANT to participate in a movement form or activity, you should do so to the ability that you’re interested in doing.

– (My photo shows up at 1:26)

Facing Fear and Pain

Daily Movement Prompts, Friday June 9, 2017 edition: Facing Fear and Pain

Several different folks have been discussing what it takes to create motivation when you notice that you’ve been avoiding movement because of pain or fear of some sort. Wow, do I totally appreciate this topic! I spent two years limping mostly because of a fear of diagnosis and trying to ignore pain.

Pain can be crippling. It can mess with your brain. Fear can also be crippling and it definitely messes with your brain. Combatting either of these will depend on how *you* respond well to things. Do you respond best when you have a support system? Does the encouragement of friends or a buddy make you feel better? Can you think more clearly when someone else’s voice chimes in?

Or do you think better with written instructions? Do you respond well to an alarm clock or an appointment on your calendar? Will you go to a class because you promised to be there? Or will you do stretches or movement because you set aside time betwen other tasks? Or do you respond to financial commitments? Will you go to a class because you paid for it?

How you face your fears and face your fear of pain might even change over time. What might have worked years ago might no longer work. What I *can* suggest is that you ARE successful at something. Maybe you are good at small tasks at home or at work or within your family. Rather than make movement a GIANT MOUNTAIN, maybe you could try making small tasks that head toward a goal. If sitting up in bed is the only thing you do, then sit up in bed twice. Sit up in bed three times. Sit up ten times and celebrate your progress. If walking to the end of the block is all you can do, then walk once. Then walk a second time. Then when you’ve walked to the end of the block ten times, you may be able to see that you really have made progress.

What fears or pains are keeping you back right now? What tasks are you succesful at right now in life? How can you use those successes to give you ideas for facing your fears or pain? How will you move your body today?


Bernadette Peters and the Muppets – Just One Person

 

Taksim Trio Concert and this blog announcement

Daily Movement Prompts, Friday January 6, 2017 edition:

Today, I’m providing you with one VERY LONG and wonderful concert link and one new blog resource. First, the music: Taksim Trio – Leverkusen Caz Festivali https://youtu.be/r0RGG1uFnQc

This is almost an hour of material. Please enjoy. You can use this to relax, stretch, dance, clean house, go walking, go running, listen in the car — whatever you like. I have this downloaded as an offline video for those odd moments when I have nothing but my phone and no streaming but want something enjoyable to listen to.

Second: I’ve created http://dailymovementprompts.com/ just because you all have really taught me that some of these prompts might be worth sharing widely. So if you ever want to look back over old prompts, music links, any of the archive — enjoy the public-facing site. You’re welcome to share and post those links anytime you like. I’m more than half-done posting the archived material, so you should have plenty of material to encourage you as you make your own movement choices.


Strength and Inspiration (from others)

Daily Movement Prompts, Wednesday December 14, 2016: Strength and Inspiration (from others)

Today I’m feeling sleepy. I had thoughts about “movement that energizes” and “how sleep affects movement” but what I really wanted to do was watch a dance link that I pinned this morning. Sometimes, we get our inspiration from watching others go through their struggles and finding their strength.

I was fortunate enough to room with Silvia Salamanca twice for a large dance event. Then she went through a devastating loss in her family, and has been processing this through her dance. She posted the following today.

Silvia Salamanca at Tribal Elevation 2016 – https://youtu.be/IQqAa-j_e2k

Silvia wrote this when she posted the link today:

The same weekend I took the pictures of my naked back crossed by my swords I performed what its has been my sword routine in 2016. I created this in a moment when I was getting in touch with the strength that comes out of not giving up. Out of doing whatever it takes to remain alive, and to remain a human being. I have always believed that life is worth living, and I still do. I hope that you all enjoy the journey that takes place here through the struggle into the celebratory explosion at the end. Needless to say, I can´t thank enough the bellydance community for their reaction to my performances, their support and their love all through this year.

The strength of not giving up. No matter how tired I am, or what pains I’m processing, or how many figurative swords I am juggling, there is value in not giving up. And there is value in finding *MY STRENGTHS* and putting my love and energy into those.

What are your strengths? How will you not give up today? What strength do you find as you work through things, day by day?


Gentle chair yoga

Daily Movement Prompts, Tuesday December 13, 2016 edition

Today I thought I would post something different. I wanted to give you a video that could be accessible by just about anyone. So I found this really nice chair yoga routine from a Pain Rehab center. What I love most is that they have two people in the video with clearly different body shapes and flexibility levels. The modifications were easy to understand and the entire routine gives me the feeling that anyone could work through these shapes.

Gentle chair yoga routinehttps://youtu.be/KEjiXtb2hRg – createc by the Chronic Pain Service at the Toronto Rehab University Health Network.

How do you encourage yourself when gentle movement is the best choice of the day? Have you experimented with various videos to guide you through yoga or stretches or tai chi or other dance styles, outside your normal movement pursuits?

What do you have planned for today’s movement choices?