10 DAY KICKSTART: DAY 1 SELF-AWARENESS

Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting,
So… get on your way! – Dr. Seuss

Self-awareness means mind/body connection. It’s paying attention to your whole self and its needs. Moving mindfully is a great way to bring in self-awareness because it puts your own attention on the mechanics of moving, and then of the sensations surrounding what that entails come oozing forth. (What a concept!) 
Self-awareness is lacking in our culture, and that’s because there are so many distractions. it seems, everyone is busy, and even the not-so-busy ones are being pulled away from how they feel. 

That’s why we are giving top billing to self-awareness on DAY 1 of the 10DAY KICKSTART. It’s foundational! It’s one thing all of the top athletes, dancers and successful movers and shakers, possess. They are all very self-aware, and that awareness is a super power.

If you look back at a time when you had some sort of accident, 9 times out of 10, you were out-of-body. 9 times out of 10 you lacked self-awareness. When I cut my finger chopping onions, I can attest,  I was rushing, worried and crazed, thinking “I have to get dinner on the table before it’s too late.” Thus, the workout of the day is Strengthen, Lengthen & Breathe, a 45minute breathing-centric routine that does such a good job at “dropping” us into our bodies. Today is all about working up a sweat, breathing into your body, and conjuring up loads of self-awareness. Let’s go! Today is your day….so get on your way. 

DAY 1 OFF-THE-MAT ACTION STEP:: Turn off your phone and grab a pen and paper and spend five minutes writing down things you feel right now. Aim for at least 10 things but more is better. It might be “my feet are cold” or “I’m thirsty” or it might be “Work is stressing me out.” Once you’ve jotted down a list, re-read the list back to yourself and tend to the items on the list that you can affect. For instance, if your feet are cold, put on some socks!