How to become what you envision of yourself? What needs to happen? How does this become your reality?
Christmas 2016, I received snowshoes. It began my physical journey into wellness. What I met up with was a body heading into decline; arthritis.
I can't know how this developed but it is here. My right hip is now joining my left hip, along with my knee and elbow. It feels like, I will be battling my body as I try to maintain the image of physical badass.
Ironically, the arthritis loves when I move. It will now be the thrust more than the image in my mind.
It actually is quite alarming to feel the vulnerability of the body.
How we take for granted that it simply moves...until it doesn't.
In order to stay physical, I must be physical.
It will not automatically be waiting for me. It needs my attention or we will both become slow painful moving.
When I went into yoga, I had a frozen shoulder, neck and arm. Over time and repeatedly doing yoga, I unfroze it.
I can't know the outcome of my fragile joints.
Will I be able to ward of the slow decline of movement with movement?
Now, that I have had a taste of hiking, biking and playing in our great outdoors, I will be greatly reduced to just sit.
In a year, it has become a very fun part of who I am.
My advice, or words of wisdom, to the younger ones with happy physical bodies, is to use them. To make activity a part of who you are.
In the past, I can't even know why I wasn't physical. I have no real reason. I just wasn't a hiker, biker, badass type of girl. I was more into passive things.
My life didn't need me to be active.
Perhaps I was disconnected from my body.
I guess, I can drop the perhaps. I was disconnected from my body and who I was. The way I saw myself, wasn't about Me. It was more about what others needed me to be.
No one needed a badass independent hiker/biker kinda girl.
This new part of me, will now be a challenge to maintain. I feel the body is pushing me on a fine edge of balance. Enough to keep me limber and pain free; but not to much that I accelerate its decline.
While I have been very good at listening to the subtle body and its wisdom and truths, I now will have to lean into the physical wisdom.
What I do know for sure, is my arthritic hips LOVE to bike.
This brings so much relief.
and, strength
plus, I get to see great things along the way.
While it is quite serious to manage my physical body, it is also a great adventure.
My physical ailments are what will keep me moving; instead of slowing me down or stopping me.
I feel the nudge of old age in the painful joints.
I don't want to be done with adventures; for they have just begun!
