Being in Shape

Is a Full-Time Job, or it can Augment One.

When I made a living running around NYC to teach yoga, it was much easier to be in peak physical shape. Well “easier” may not be the right word. Whether I was researching postures to teach, collaborating with sports medicine professionals to create custom classes for The Well, physically adjusting students to help them align with the benefits of the pose, leading weekend-long trainings, or speed walking Fifth Ave to get home—I had a physically demanding career, which often kept me on the go from five in the morning until nine at night seven days a week. So staying in shape wasn’t easy, it was a byproduct of my line of work.

These days, if I want to feel healthy and strong, I have to be more proactive about incorporating movement throughout my day. Once I start writing, I can easily lose track of time and posture.

For comparison: I used to easily (there’s that word again) accumulate twenty-thousand steps a day traversing Manhattan. Today, as a writer in a driving city, I can clock less than a thousand steps a day if I’m not intentional.

I’ve never lost my passion for health and wellness, but it’s taken me a few years to acclimate to my new lifestyle—one that is inherently more sedentary. In some ways, writing Look Both Ways is an attempt to reconcile my passion for writing with my passion for mindful movement. As I moved away from one field and toward the other, I also wanted to hold myself accountable to standing in the middle of the two paths to see how a mindful movement practice and a career that requires a significant focus on sitting and computing could lead to balance.

This weekend, I attended Revitalize hosted by Mind Body Green at The Sacred Space in Brickell, where a panel of experts—mostly doctors—were interviewed by MBG’s co-founders, Colleen and Jason Wachob, to highlight evidence-based best practices for health and longevity. A few of the panelists pointed out, “if you take one thing from today let it be this…”

I decided that would be my takeaway: we can incorporate one tip at a time. We don’t have to let the abundance of information cancel out the point.

I thought it was interesting that so many compassionate doctors noted the significance of one new health habit. However, there was so much incredible information I easily took away far more, like—

Dr. Wendy Troxel, author of Sharing the Covers: Couples Guide to Better Sleep, ‘s suggestion to not look at your clock when you wake up in the middle of the night, rather to do something soothing until you can fall back asleep;

or Dr. Judith Joseph, author of High Functioning, ’s recommendation to Vent. By Vent she means to name an emotion (not trauma dumping on friends) because if we can’t name our emotions, then we are likely cutting ourselves off from them, and if we cut ourselves off from the tough ones then we also numb to joy, and this is common in people with High Functioning Depression;

or Dr. Lisa Miller, renowned psychiatrist and author of The Awakened Brain, ‘s suggestion that it is critical for children’s mental health that parents teach children to turn to their higher power for guidance in times of difficulty, and we can re-sanctify our family at any moment by demonstrating prayer for our families;

or Juliet Starrett, bestselling author and world champion in white water rafting, ‘s suggestion to sit on the floor for a minimum of thirty-minutes per day. ***Note: Changing positions to be comfortable is all part of the process and benefit, and it can be done while watching tv.

Any one of these things could make a significant impact on someone’s health and wellbeing. I find it a pleasure to puzzle in new health habits. Also time consuming, but mostly a pleasure.

For paid subscribers, I’ve included five ways I’m braiding mindful movement into my days. I’d also love to hear yours.