Is Movement Enough?

I live next door to a 24 hour fitness gym.  There are ceiling to floor windows which means that the people working out are on display to the people walking on the street.  I see them lifting weights, tossing around kettle bells, doing pull ups and cycling on stationary bikes.  I get exhausted just by looking at them! But what really interests me is when i see someone on a cardio machine and they are immersed into their phones (no, i am not going to turn this into another phone rant!).  I have to ask myself, is there benefit in the exercise if they are not present with it?

When i began my studies of the Franklin Method 6 years ago, i started to really understand the power of the mind and how important awareness is. In each Franklin Method class we begin with 60 seconds of "noticing" ourselves- our posture, breath, alignment, tension... and then open up a discussion on the question "why is it important to be present?". I asked this to a group of students the other day and one woman said"well, i don't know but i am a scientist and i would really like to know the answer!".  I appreciated her honesty.  

We are extremely patterned animals.  We learn our habits and patterns from the people around us, from the temperature we live in, from our environment, from our work, from injuries, from cues during a movement class, from using a dominant hand/leg, from life! Now, these patterns have done us well- they got us to where we are right now.  Here's the thing though... when we unconsciously move, stand or sit in the same way day after day, we may end up continuing to move in a way that isn't actually beneficial to us anymore. These patterns can create imbalances in our musculature and fascia, wear and tear in certain parts of a joint, constant compression on some organs, or lack there of on others. (I'll save our 'not so useful' patterned thoughts for another post :P)

So where does awareness come in?  The answer is simple. We cannot change a pattern if we are not aware of it in the first place... or at least it would be very difficult to! 

I walk around the city a lot. When I have time, I rely on my feet  to get me where i need to go. I love listening to a great podcast (FYI: The Moth is my fave and currently i'm listening to every Yoga-Birth-Babies episode that i can).  I also enjoy some great beats to put a little spring in my step. However, often I choose to not plug in to my device and just tune in to myself.  My feet, my breath, my posture, my rhythm.  When i do this, i walk different.  I can feel my subtle patterns and choose to shift them- ie: bring weight to different parts of my feet, soften my shoulders, relax my jaw or bring an image to my mind that makes walking feel glorious- ie: imagine you are stepping on the fluffiest, bounciest clouds, care bear style :)

So, is movement enough?  The answer is "it depends".  I believe movement is better than no movement. However, I think if you want to get the most benefit from any given activity- in body, mind and energy- then no, just moving is not enough.  We need to also be present with our thoughts and with our patterns. Humans have an amazing ability to be in 2 places at once- we can physically be somewhere in body but completely somewhere else in mind.  When we can bring these 2 parts of us together we arrive in a state of full awareness.  This, i believe, is where the magic happens :)