Paul and I have had the opportunity this summer, (as we continue to try and get healthier), to connect with a personal trainer from Trent recommended by a friend. This trainer's premise is that if you are out of alignment, then doing lots of exercise will only serve to exaggerate that misalignment and possibly cause injuries. She spends time with us doing stretches and pointing out how out of balance we are! For example, who knew that there were small muscles in between your shoulder and neck, that if weakened cause you to lean forward, and eventually to get arthritis in your neck. Strengthening those small muscles will do a world of good to the larger muscles and in fact, the whole body! Who knew that pulling your chin back in changes the whole way that you stand from top to bottom!
Alignment is an interesting topic to consider. Often when I am coaching, the challenge my client faces has to do with a discrepancy between their values and a situation that has arisen they need to deal with ...they are trying desperately to align their own thinking, and being with a reasoned response to another. For me, trying to align my thoughts and feelings, notice and respond to them, while still doing and being what I need to be day to day, is tricky work. And yet, as our trainer tells us, small things must be noticed as they seep in and impact the whole self.
How do we align who we are with what we do? What we believe with how we act? What we say is important with how we spend our time? Our inner world with the outer world we live in? Our frustrations and challenges, with our passions and goals?
And so Paul and I will have a few more meetings with Neli, and she will continue to shake her head and point out our imbalances, our points of stress, and our bad habits, with the hopes that we will use this learning to lead to better physical health. I am also going to be watching my other 'selves': emotional, intellectual and spiritual - seeking to notice the little things that if strengthened would increase my overall health and alignment.
How do we align who we are with what we do? What we believe with how we act? What we say is important with how we spend our time? Our inner world with the outer world we live in? Our frustrations and challenges, with our passions and goals?
And so Paul and I will have a few more meetings with Neli, and she will continue to shake her head and point out our imbalances, our points of stress, and our bad habits, with the hopes that we will use this learning to lead to better physical health. I am also going to be watching my other 'selves': emotional, intellectual and spiritual - seeking to notice the little things that if strengthened would increase my overall health and alignment.