Do you ever feel less than loose? Sometimes stiff, stuck, or even brittle? How do you approach flexibility?

Life can be rolling along like a ball bowling a strike when suddenly out of left field something goes sideways and you find yourself with sand in your gears.

You’ve got to ‘roll with the punches’ as my pugilistic papa used to say. Better to avoid getting punched in the first place, I would counter. But despite your best efforts, the great dance floor of life will always have a few cracks or loose boards to dodge.

The trick is to stay present and be light on your feet. Sometimes that’s easier said than done. Your dog sprains his ankle, your elderly relative has a slip, you over-extend yourself reaching for a can of beans. Crack!

Pattern interrupts are a part of nature. How you choose to deal with them is up to you. Waiting to prepare until life trips you up is a recipe for disaster.

That’s why flexibility is so important. And the thing to remember is that flexibility is never a one-time thing. It’s the emergent property of a repeated intentional movement practice. Even the AP News extolls the value of moving to music.

If it’s not a habit, it ain’t gonna happen. Whether you have a full-on fitness and dance program or simply a modest daily stretching routine — if you’re managing to keep it up on the regular you’re miles ahead of your more sedentary peers.

You have a certain amount of momentum in your daily dance of life. No one knows your rhythm better than you. You’re the one that allocates the bandwidth to every activity. Only you can make your practice a priority.

I’m no stuntman, but I felt like one recently rolling a big suitcase through the Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris. Pushing it ahead of me and in a bit of a rush, one of the wheels caught a crack in the floor and it flipped forward.

I tumbled right over it, doing a complete somersault and landing on my derriere. Bystanders rushed to my aid, but I was back on my feet in a flash. Somehow I had rolled right over and bounced back without a bruise.

By some standards my movement practice is minimal, but in moments like that I thank my lucky stars for the modest habit I have. If anything, it’s a reminder to stick with it!

When it comes to rolling with life’s punches, remember, repetition builds resiliency. Make loosening up as much of a habit as eating and sleeping and your path ahead will thank you.

Much love till next Monday!

Merci et à bientôt!

M+

ML #681

Mark Metz
Monday Love Movement Calendar