Getting Fit

I've written about wanting to lose weight before, and my intuitive knowledge that, for me, it's more about the mindset than the practical aspects. I've been continuing my study and practice of mindfulness and presence recently, and that's helped me feel ready to move forward in getting more fit.

Part of my struggle, as I've written in the past (and I've actually gained quite a bit of weight since writing my post on Lightening Up), is with stress. And specifically, with the stress associated with poverty and financial insecurity. The presence practice is helping me with that, so recently I've felt ready to move forward. I've been doing yoga regularly (on my own, at home, an average of three times a week) since late March. We had a rainy spring, so I wasn't active as much as I'd hoped.

Now it's summer. Since our money struggles mean we can't afford a vacation, I decided that since we live in Vacationland already, we'd spend our summer doing fun things that don't cost (much or any) money. And lots of them help with fitness, as well. This last week we've been swimming several times (in ponds, the river, and the ocean), taken walks, picked strawberries, and gone bike riding. It's fun, the weather has been great, and I feel much better about my body.

Last month I overcame my fears that I don't look good enough to wear a swimsuit - well, my absolute love of swimming helped with that one. BlackLion and I just added push-ups to our daily sit-ups routine. Of course, I'm only doing five push-ups, and those are modified, but it's a start. We've been doing 100 crunch-style sit-ups every day for over a year, and those were a struggle at first but they're now second nature.

Now I just need to maintain my momentum. And that's a matter of practice. I haven't even been looking at the scale - that's not my priority at the moment. The main thing is just to move, to play, to feel good in my body. To improve my fitness on all levels - physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual.