There is something calming and restorative about physically moving one’s body. The kind of movement I have in mind has less to do with working out and more to do with keeping body, mind, and heart connected. I often experience that when my body is active, my mind can rest. God created us to be embodied creatures who can move, think, and feel, and all three aspects of our beings are important.
In times of change, try connecting to your body, mind, and heart as much as possible. For me, this has looked like taking family walks outside (even in the snow), doing yoga videos in the backyard in good weather, and trying out a bike path near our house. Try moving in ways that feel nourishing to you.
“In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth” (Luke 1:39). Mary took her embodied self for a walk. Mary’s heart needed to see Elizabeth, but I imagine the physical movement was also helpful for her head.
This message is excerpted from “Singing, writing, moving, connecting” by Jordan Miller-Stubbendick in the December 2020 Gather magazine.
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