Life in Flow

Flow happens when life is like a river….daily shifts are smooth, transitions are easy, the body relaxes, life unfolds. These moments of flow are not all “high” or joyful. In fact, they can be simply “normal” with few surprises or grand events. They may even be “down” moments, where life is slow, or perhaps less joyful than we would like.   I remember Tom Brady said, early in his career, that he “never gets too high or too low”….(not sure that is still his mantra, but it sounded great at the time).

When we realize that life is, well, life, we can embrace, accept, and let the moments happen, flowing from one chapter to the next. Life can be painful; we already know this. And routines in our lives can help us to deal with these feelings, whether those routines include exercise classes, visits with friends and family, a daily walk, or a weekly visit to the ocean. As we give ourselves permission to feel the various feelings of our existence,  these routines built into our lives can provide us with flow to navigate those feelings.

When it comes to movement, we have choices to make throughout our lives. At what level do we want to challenge our bodies? We all need to understand what our bodies are capable of, so we challenge, but not provoke, our bodies. What does provoke mean in a physical sense? That is when one does something that arouses anger (or injury). I know people who know better doing crazy things and then injuring their rotator cuff muscles, their knees, their backs. Forcing a body to move beyond its ability can disrupt the flow of its biomechanics.

As we age, our bodies need more nurturing. That does not mean we give up, or we do not try hard. Physical challenge is good, but we also need to recognize that individuals in their 50’s, 60’s and up are typically not as strong as individuals in their 20’s and 30’s.  We need to find out what works, what does not, and gradually add more challenge and weight as our bodies start to respond to the movement. Here is where flow can happen in movement….when we find that sweet spot between challenge and sustenance. Movement should never be unpleasant or painful. When we find the flow in our movement, our bodies feel stronger and resilient, we can carry this flow into our work, our relationships, and our lives. Let your body flow, and everything else will follow….