Approach Your…
This past three-day weekend, I made it a point to disconnect, decompress, and spend the weekend with my little family, shutting off all distractions. If you know me, it is rare that I am not working, answering emails and texts, teaching, or creating sequences.
Not only did I get much-needed time with the family, but I also was able to have time for myself. Something that my husband says I preach to others but do not often practice myself. I can whole-heartedly admit without reservation or embarrassment that since becoming a mom and a small business owner, I am a repeat offender of working too much and not taking enough time to reset, recuperate, and rest. I know I need to work on this, and sometimes it is easier to inspire others than to take a step back and create that space for yourself. However, I am proud to share that I was able to get away this weekend and take a much-needed break for ME in the form of a 75-minute yoga class.
I immediately connected with the teacher and was able to dial into my breath and my intentions. I was very surprised that I was not hyper-aware of my surroundings and fixated on outside events and thoughts, like how will I tire out Donya when I get home? Interestingly, my instructor sensed the heavy load on my mind when I walked in. She was 100% committed to breaking through my shell from the moment she met me. Maybe it was because I was new, perhaps it was because I was wearing an N-95 mask when no one else was wearing any form of a mask, maybe she just knew that I needed this practice, but she was dialed into me the entire class.
At one point, she walked by me while I was setting up for an arm balance, as that was the peak posture of our class, and she said softly to me, “Approach your intensity with intention”. I immediately had to sit back and repeat that to myself. I had an aha moment, “intensity with intention.” Wow, does she mean the arm balance, my entire practice, or my life? How does she know? This struck a chord in all areas for me. A thousand scenarios popped into my head of times. I needed to hear that phrase and recognize it. I also was in awe that of all weekends that I decided to cancel classes and altogether remove myself from all my checklists and tasks, I ended up here in this particular moment with this instructor saying these words. It was the moment I needed to reset, reconnect, and re-establish my “why” in my family, classes, and business.
As an instructor, I respect and appreciate when someone can articulate how to approach movement, especially when those words build a bridge of connection between physical, emotional, and mindful purpose. I have tried so many times to find the right words to describe this exact phrase “intensity with intention.” The importance of moving with control, connecting with your breath, and understanding where the movement is coming from is important, all while steering clear of using momentum to get through an exercise or practice helps us absorb all the goodness that can come from an exercise. I value this phrase as it reminds us that pushing harder and going bigger does not always equal results or give you a better connection with your body. The intention behind what you do is what connects you with movement and, ultimately, with your body.
Approaching intensity with intention creates a greater force that is filled with focus, meaning, and purpose and creates a present moment connection. It allows our energy to be guided and focused on what drives us in the present. It encourages us to follow the objective of what we want to achieve. This applies to all forms of movement we do in Belly.Dance.Core classes, but it also is a compelling statement about life. Approaching intensity with intention can be something as simple as taking a step back in situations, events, occurrences, relationships, and practices and asking,
“Why am I doing this? Why is it important to me?”
If we take the time to strip things down and focus individually on what we want to do and understand why we need something, want something, or are doing something, we become much more connected to the purpose and the direction. Whether it is understanding where the power and control come from within an arm balance, recognizing burnout and the need for a break, taking a step back and listening to why you are frustrated, exhausted, or sad, and building an intention around what you can do to feel better. Approaching intensity with intention helps us better understand ourselves, our bodies, and our capabilities.
Love,
Mariam
