If you’re scrambling to try and find gym equipment right now- ask yourself why that is. Fear? Control? Hidden behind the guise of dedication? Maybe.
Now is a great time to come to understand your reasons- why you do anything is more important than the thing itself.
Are you moving your body right now as a brain break from media? Is it a time of connectedness to self? Is it a part of your wellness practice or a part of an image pursuit or maintenance? True wellness does not hinge upon appearance- this is a crucial distinction to consider when seeking clarity behind your driving forces.
If you weren’t afraid, didn’t have an ego, didn’t have an identity wrapped up in how you move or what you look like- would you change your approach? Could it feel different?
I have access to all of my gym’s equipment. I can continue training without missing a beat. Yet, I’m choosing to join my communities in pivoting the way we move for the time being. Why? As avid lifters, a change of pace, stimulus, and intensity can and is great- we’re leaning into that together because for the first time ever- many don’t have a choice. And it’s actually kind of great.
Also, I am no longer obsessed with what I look like or how I perform- it no longer defines me. Something I wish for everyone as it allows you to ebb and flow in times like these. The adaptable will thrive even through the most unpleasant, less than ideal times. Being adaptable doesn’t mean you find ways to do what you’ve always done.
The barbells will be there when this is over. I’m sure we’ll be eager to get back to it. In the meantime, there’s plenty to refine and master if you’re willing to put your ego down and see what you’re afraid of or what you’re avoiding.
We may never get this opportunity again. To shift and pivot all at once, all together. To be forced to move differently, communicate differently, to live differently.
Settle into the temporary newness before it’s gone and life goes back to normal. What a gift this can be to our bodies if we let it.