I smile when I remember my last exercise class about 5 years ago. I was not having a good time. I was not experiencing pleasure. I was bored. The bass of the music was blasting. When I glanced around the room I noticed the lack of joy on the faces of my peers. I was among a group of women fighting with their bodies in an effort to change them, shrink them, and I think, at times abuse them.
As I was noticing my feelings and reactions the teacher yelled out loudly with a plastic smile on her face, “the more you smile the more calories you burn.” She had no idea how to guide us toward pleasure in exercise or in our bodies. It seemed she had no clue how to connect to her own joy in her body.[private_membership circle]
While changing in the locker room there was more chatter. “Glad that is out of the way, said one exerciser to another.” No wonder we find ourselves not integrating movement into our lives. Who wants to have cod liver oil on a regular basis? Yuck.
Pleasure and exercise? For most of us this may seem like blending oil and water. It is possible. I continue to seek pleasure in movement and in my body.
I love climbing the steps and I do every chance I get. My limit is about 3 stories except when I am tired and I take the elevator. I hate stair machines. I really love the feeling of muscle connectivity. The feeling of tensing my muscles…arms, legs, belly… feels really good to me. I rarely do sit ups and never count. I like the feeling that comes from the power of tensing my belly muscles. Yes you have muscles there. Seek connection to the muscles in your body by moving your body and paying attention to how it feels. There is not a wrong way to do this nor is there a right way. This is an exploration of your relationship with your body.
I play with these sensations even when I am not “exercising.” I seek pleasure in my body. Do you?
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Robin Okun, LMSW, is a certified Nia Instructor, Movement Therapist, Center for Eating Disorders, Director of Mindful Movement Studio, Ann Arbor, MI, 734-395-2624, robinokun@gmail.com [/private_membership circle]
