Having a quiet mind when exercising could make a huge difference in achieving your goals.

Mindfulness

When exercising, you probably get distracted by a constant flow of thoughts that prevent you from feeling your body. Your mind’s restlessness stops your from focusing on the present. To receive and respond to your body’s sensorial messages, you have to train your consciousness by amplifying your ability to be fully present and learning to quiet your rational mind.

We understand “rational mind” as the ability to think, judge and analyze the direction of our daily life.

Consciousness has a wider vision and a higher perspective; it functions when the rational mind is at ease. To quiet the rational mind, you have to observe your own thoughts without identifying with them. If you delve into them, you give them more energy; if you resist them or criticize yourself for getting distracted, you will concentrate even less. You have to learn to observe them and let them go. If you manage to reduce the influence of the rational mind, you will raise your awareness and your connection with your body will be stronger. The more attention you pay to the subtle messages coming when your mind is at ease, the more awareness you will achieve. Through conscientious training you will be able to feel how you are standing, how you move and distinguish which body part you clearly feel and which you do not. Once you have learned to recognize the topography of your own body, you will begin to lose your restrictive habits and move more freely, fully and vitally.

Attitude towards exercise

Preparing mentally to exercise means having the appropriate attitude towards one’s self.  Developing awareness of your own body is essential if you want to accomplish the desired results.

If you doubt or are self-critical when exercising for the first time, the only thing you will do is block your own sensations.

You have to focus all your attention on what you are doing, the feeling of your body moving. Your body is standing, seating or breathing in a particular way.

We tend to go on autopilot when exercising and we follow the instructions without paying attention to what is happening or perhaps we feel shy while doing it, thinking we look ridiculous.

Always exercise as if it were the first time

Whether it is a breathing exercise, a dance or a massage the goal is the same: identifying sensations that talk to you from within.

If you manage to understand the sensation and perceive the energy flow going through your body, you will benefit even more from the techniques.

You have to learn to follow the dictates of your body instead of your mind. Let the exercise come to you instead of consciously trying to control the experience. Do the exercises as if it were always the first time.

Try to have a “beginner’s mentality” and arrive at each technique openly and spontaneously, without prejudice, expectations or goals.

Do not consider the techniques as an exercise to be perfected, but as an exploration or adventure that you are going to undertake. Be spontaneous and enjoy the fullness of the moment, you will see how your own experience will give you what you need.