Definitely can relate to this! I’ve been trying to incorporate yoga into my exercise routine for the longest, and I would want to do more than one session a week. But my brain would always say to do something that burns more calories or gets in a ton of steps, when what my body really wants is yoga 🙈 I am definitely a work in progress on this but being flexible as I get older is very important to me and I really do enjoy yoga, so a mindset shift is what I am continually moving towards 🩵
Yes, Makenzie I understand this. I feel the same about yoga. I love it after I do it. My body says “give me more” but I also work with the noise of “move more”! I too am very much a work in progress when it comes to being more flexible as a higher priority 💫
The is a lovely post! Thank you for sharing. (I love Pilates but think it’d be even better in Portuguese!) I have practiced yoga for almost 30 years, but what my body seeks, does, needs…is different in my 50s compared to my 20s. The beauty is in the practice, and in keeping one’s beginner’s mind even as the years pass turn into decades.
Thank you Georgine for your encouragement! I am learning not to fight but to listen to the changing needs of my body as well. Keeping a beginners mindset in most things is a good practice 💫
Thanks Jada! Well into my sixties now, and looking for workouts that are gentler on the body, I’ve discovered Tai Chi exercises that are unique, fun, and effective. Like Pilates, I think, these are satisfying ways to keep active well past the age that many just give up.
Flexible as a pretzel but still finding ways to keep moving along the path.
I have only done Tai Chi a handful of times, but it intrigues me! Now I know your secret to staying and looking so young! Ancient Chinese Secret… I am no pretzel, but I am looking forward to more flexibility! Come to Madeira with your adorable wife, and we will do an outdoor Tai Chi session by the beach. Deal?!
I taught Pilates and physiology for over 20 years, but hadn't considered the correlation between the mechanics of the stretch reflex and how we can't force psychological stretching! Overcoming the stretch reflex requires patience and stillness and I feel that's something you and I have found challenging. Like you, my personal exercise regime rarely included stretching (despite teaching it) but now, I love stretching, yoga and Pilates and my body truly needs it at least every other day. I always felt slowing down was somehow weak, but I don't believe that now. There's so much strength and power in stillness. Love this 💫💛
There is so much power in stillness. I am learning more and more about the incorporation of mind/body with Pilates, yoga and stretching in general. It taps into a different part of me. It requires a different kind of strength 🙌🏻. I am having to rewire many things about life right now! 💫
Me too...when I look back to when I stopped teaching at 61, I was a different person and if I taught now, my classes would be very different. I don't think I had the confidence to slow down then, so my classes were very dynamic and physically challenging. If I taught now, I wouldn't be afraid of slowing down and embracing stillness. When I practice yoga now, I ask my body what it needs, rather than (kind of) force a routine on it as I used to. The journey continues...💕
Stillness is the simplest scary skill (say that three times, fast!) I’m not an athlete, but am transitioning out of a profession built on speed, stress, and adrenaline. After two decades of that it’s taken me a few years to get comfortable with a slower pace. Meditation trained my mind, Pilates is helping connect my mind and body back together again. Embracing the stretch!
A “professional built on speed”. That’s a powerful statement that so many identify with for sure. How awesome it is to find the wisdom in the stillness, right 🤍. I love this for you Emily. And stillness is truly the simplest scary skill we can all spend more time in!
Thank you for sharing! I always find myself coming back to yoga. Sometimes it is difficult to make it a priority, but I always feel so much better after a yoga class.
I love this - and I had not heard of the concept of the ‘liminal phase’ - the threshold space between who you were and who you are becoming - what a wonderful description. This is where I am right now, but I didn’t previously have the language for it. And a beautiful analogy of life and Pilates - not a prescribe I have tried, but I am rediscovering yoga and finding all the bits where my body doesn’t do what it did nearly 40 years ago, and then wonder at my astonishment!
Maybe I am in a constant liminal phase right now! My body is protesting a bit at the requests to stretch, but I am considering that just a little sign of growth 🤍
You bring these themes together beautifully; resistance to change, making transitions, the attention a new language brings to life, stretching into our new selves.
I was lucky among close friend of mine introduced me to yoga when I was in my thirties and I practice it almost every day. I hope you find new strength in your surrendering.
Definitely can relate to this! I’ve been trying to incorporate yoga into my exercise routine for the longest, and I would want to do more than one session a week. But my brain would always say to do something that burns more calories or gets in a ton of steps, when what my body really wants is yoga 🙈 I am definitely a work in progress on this but being flexible as I get older is very important to me and I really do enjoy yoga, so a mindset shift is what I am continually moving towards 🩵
Yes, Makenzie I understand this. I feel the same about yoga. I love it after I do it. My body says “give me more” but I also work with the noise of “move more”! I too am very much a work in progress when it comes to being more flexible as a higher priority 💫
The is a lovely post! Thank you for sharing. (I love Pilates but think it’d be even better in Portuguese!) I have practiced yoga for almost 30 years, but what my body seeks, does, needs…is different in my 50s compared to my 20s. The beauty is in the practice, and in keeping one’s beginner’s mind even as the years pass turn into decades.
Thank you Georgine for your encouragement! I am learning not to fight but to listen to the changing needs of my body as well. Keeping a beginners mindset in most things is a good practice 💫
Thanks Jada! Well into my sixties now, and looking for workouts that are gentler on the body, I’ve discovered Tai Chi exercises that are unique, fun, and effective. Like Pilates, I think, these are satisfying ways to keep active well past the age that many just give up.
Flexible as a pretzel but still finding ways to keep moving along the path.
Miss you!
Steve
I have only done Tai Chi a handful of times, but it intrigues me! Now I know your secret to staying and looking so young! Ancient Chinese Secret… I am no pretzel, but I am looking forward to more flexibility! Come to Madeira with your adorable wife, and we will do an outdoor Tai Chi session by the beach. Deal?!
I taught Pilates and physiology for over 20 years, but hadn't considered the correlation between the mechanics of the stretch reflex and how we can't force psychological stretching! Overcoming the stretch reflex requires patience and stillness and I feel that's something you and I have found challenging. Like you, my personal exercise regime rarely included stretching (despite teaching it) but now, I love stretching, yoga and Pilates and my body truly needs it at least every other day. I always felt slowing down was somehow weak, but I don't believe that now. There's so much strength and power in stillness. Love this 💫💛
There is so much power in stillness. I am learning more and more about the incorporation of mind/body with Pilates, yoga and stretching in general. It taps into a different part of me. It requires a different kind of strength 🙌🏻. I am having to rewire many things about life right now! 💫
Me too...when I look back to when I stopped teaching at 61, I was a different person and if I taught now, my classes would be very different. I don't think I had the confidence to slow down then, so my classes were very dynamic and physically challenging. If I taught now, I wouldn't be afraid of slowing down and embracing stillness. When I practice yoga now, I ask my body what it needs, rather than (kind of) force a routine on it as I used to. The journey continues...💕
Asking our bodies what they need instead of cramming a day’s scheduled workout is a new era! The journey does indeed continue….
Stillness is the simplest scary skill (say that three times, fast!) I’m not an athlete, but am transitioning out of a profession built on speed, stress, and adrenaline. After two decades of that it’s taken me a few years to get comfortable with a slower pace. Meditation trained my mind, Pilates is helping connect my mind and body back together again. Embracing the stretch!
A “professional built on speed”. That’s a powerful statement that so many identify with for sure. How awesome it is to find the wisdom in the stillness, right 🤍. I love this for you Emily. And stillness is truly the simplest scary skill we can all spend more time in!
"It's learning to soften without feeling you're losing something."
Wise words!
Thank you for sharing! I always find myself coming back to yoga. Sometimes it is difficult to make it a priority, but I always feel so much better after a yoga class.
I am loving this Pilates class. I have done yoga off and on and I think I might sprinkle it back in again! 🙌🏻
I love this - and I had not heard of the concept of the ‘liminal phase’ - the threshold space between who you were and who you are becoming - what a wonderful description. This is where I am right now, but I didn’t previously have the language for it. And a beautiful analogy of life and Pilates - not a prescribe I have tried, but I am rediscovering yoga and finding all the bits where my body doesn’t do what it did nearly 40 years ago, and then wonder at my astonishment!
Maybe I am in a constant liminal phase right now! My body is protesting a bit at the requests to stretch, but I am considering that just a little sign of growth 🤍
You bring these themes together beautifully; resistance to change, making transitions, the attention a new language brings to life, stretching into our new selves.
I was lucky among close friend of mine introduced me to yoga when I was in my thirties and I practice it almost every day. I hope you find new strength in your surrendering.
As I lifelong athlete and someone who uses productivity as a coping mechanism, I can certainly relate to this. Another great piece - thank you!!