Movement is medicine
One of these statements is a lie, and one is the truth, can you tell which?
“Since becoming self-employed 2 months ago, I haven’t had time to move”
“2 months ago, I forgot how essential movement is to my mood, energy, and vitality. I allowed the busyness myth to take over my day-to-day, and lost my connection to the most liberating and creative act I have - movement”
Don’t worry, today I found my way back to that connection, that felt sense of embodiment replete with healing potential. I remembered while I was walking in the mountains. No headphones, no sunglasses, no conversation, just silently walking, listening to the birds, my breath, seeing the trees, the sky, feeling my feet touch the earth.
It’s more of a personal one this time around. This week I had planned to dive deeply into how acupuncture supports chronic pain, with lots of research & references… but the mountains and the trees had another idea for me.
A simple explanation for what I do as an Acupuncturist is that I help facilitate the free and smooth flow of Qi. I don’t move your Qi for you, I use the needles to encourage your consciousness to find that smooth free flow, in a balanced and harmonious way, perfect for you at that moment. I think of it more as a suggestion than an instruction.
Acupuncture is gentle that way.
Do you know what else helps to move Qi? You got it, movement.
So I got to thinking as I wandered up and down Mount Coot-tha today, spiralling from the sunny side to the shady side of the mountain (hello yin & yang in action), on the most glorious walk I have had for a while…
“How can I expect the Qi of my patients to respond to my suggestion to flow freely and smoothly if I am not supporting my own Qi in its quest for flow?”
The art of practising acupuncture is enhanced when the practitioner is dedicated to cultivating their technical skills (touch, needling, diagnosis, etc) and their health. There are a lot of great teachers and masters who might say that you absolutely cannot be an effective practitioner if you are not dedicatedly walking the path of self-cultivation - I am inclined toward agreeing with this sentiment in my practice.
So when I booked into some strength training classes and cleared a little corner in the house for yoga, it was for me, and my patients ;)
So movement, why is it so good?
Lack of physical activity is one of the greatest contributors to virtually every kind of disease, unnecessarily shortened life, and mental and physical decline in old age. Worldwide, it is estimated to contribute to more than five million deaths a year (1).
We all know that exercise, movement, and activity, have wide-ranging impacts on every aspect of health, through every system of the body. Regular movement practices can:
Improve your chances of longevity, reducing all-cause mortality by 30%
Help protect you from developing cardiovascular disease, stroke or its precursors, high blood pressure and undesirable blood lipid patterns
Help protect you from developing certain cancers
Help prevent type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome
Strengthen bone and muscle and help prevent loss of bone (osteoporosis) and muscle (sarcopenia) associated with aging
Reduce the risk of developing dementia
Relieve symptoms of depression and anxiety and improve mood
Improve sleep (2, 3, 4)
Movement is longevity science. Movement is mood-altering. Movement is sleep-enhancing. When movement is connected with mindfulness and breath, it facilitates a sense of connectedness. When we feel connected within our body and psyche, we can develop connections with others and the wider web of life. Movement in this way is medicine. And it can be simple, and it can be free.
So how do you move?
“Walking is (hu)man’s best medicine.”
Hippocrates 5th/4th centuries BCE
I’ve got to agree, at its simplest, walking is so healthful. And it’s free. If you can switch out driving or paying for public transport it might save you money, it’ll certainly cut your carbon emissions.
Here in Meanjin/Magandjin (Brisbane), we are blessed with some pretty spectacular (and accessible) walking destinations - Maiwar (Brisbane River - from Hamilton to West End), Mount Coot-tha, Kedron Brook, and Enoggera Reservoir are some of my favourites where you can be accompanied by the sights, sounds and smells of nature on your stroll.
Walking and mental health
EMDR therapy (a treatment for PTSD and complex trauma) was developed after psychologist Francine Shapiro was walking in nature and noticed that distressing thoughts became less intense as her eyes moved back and forth. A systematic review looking at data from over 1,200 people found that nature-based walking improved mood, optimism, and mental well-being whilst mitigating anxiety, stress and rumination (5).
Choosing Your Movement - exploring intuitive and mindful movement
The marvels of walking aside, there are so many ways to move your body.
And, so many internet people telling you how to do it, how not to do it, when to do it, exactly how long to do it for, and more… it can easily become overwhelming to the point of inaction.
I’m not here to add to that noise, I want to encourage you to find joy in movement. To find embodiment and connection through mindful movement. To listen to your body’s wisdom, and move intuitively.
Take a moment to remember a time when you felt deeply connected to your body through movement. What were you doing? How can you incorporate more of that activity into your routine?
Do you know what your left elbow feels like when you swim? Your right fourth toe when you run? The skin at the top of your head when you lift your arms to the sky? Did you realise that you furrow your brow and clench your jaw when you concentrate on lifting that heavy thing or standing on one leg? Does furrowing your brow or clenching your jaw help you stand on one leg?
This is what I want you to discover when you move. Connectedness. Physicality. Integration of body, breath and mind. As a result of integrated movement, we become more fully aware of our physical sensations, our breath, our posture, and our alignment, with this increased awareness, injury becomes less likely, and vitality becomes prominent.
The concept of intuitive movement captures these ideas quite well in four principles; movement should:
Rejuvenate the body, not exhaust or deplete it
Enhance connection, not induce disconnection
Alleviate mental and physical stress, not produce more
Provide genuine enjoyment and pleasure, not pain and dread.
Considering these principles of intuitive movement, how could you adjust your approach to physical activity to align with these ideas?
So back to the free flow of Qi
In traditional healing practices, it is understood that qi and blood must flow for there to be life and health. When they flow smoothly, we feel comfortable and free from pain. If the flow is blocked or obstructed, the result will be pain, unease or disease.
Technically, all movement encourages free flow. This is why we usually feel more vibrant after a session in the gym, a yoga class, a run or a swim. However, the mechanism by which different types of exercise promote free flow is different.
Strength training and aerobic exercise vigorously activate the heart, lungs and muscles, and pump blood around the body. The effect is rapid and intense. This style of exercise can dramatically change our mood and act as a potent anti-depressant.
The physical and emotional shift from intense exercise can be short-lived if our default (non-exercising) state is tension and blockage, and the root cause of stress is not addressed. This is how people can become addicted to vigorous exercise, always seeking that release & relief then becoming tense and stressed again straight after.
The quieter, more internal practices that make up mindful movement practises like qigong and yoga take a different approach to achieving free flow. Movement can still be strong and vigorous, but an emphasis is always placed on combining softness with strength, relaxation with effort, and mental stillness and presence amid bodily work.
We can apply these same principles to most kinds of movement, you can lift weights mindfully and with connection to your breath (in fact, please make sure this is how you are lifting weights), you can run with a deep sense of somatic integrity, rather than using the speed to disconnect and help you cope, and you can absolutely dance with pure intuitive guidance sparking your movement and your sway.
Internal relaxation, softening and deep breathing – combined with the right kind of movement – can slowly help remove stuckness and allow spontaneous flow to return.
All movement can be mindful, and when you are mindful, all movement can stem from intuition.
What movement have you done today? What wisdom has your moving body imparted?
For acupuncture in Brisbane North to help you start moving, keep moving, and love moving - book online today!
References
Lee IM et al. (2012). Effect of physical inactivity on major non-communicable diseases world wide: an analysis of burden of disease and life expectancy”, Lancet, vol 380, pp219-29.
U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services. ‘Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans’, Offce of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, 2008. Retrieved from: http://www.health.gov/ paguidelines/
Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. ‘The Benefits of Physical Activity’, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4 June 2015. Retrieved from: http://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/everyone/health
Department of Health, Physical Activity, Health Improvement and Protection. ‘Start Active, Stay Active. A report on physical activity for health from the four home countries’ Chief Medical Officers’. Department of Health, 11 July 2011.
Ma, J., Lin, P. & Williams, J. Effectiveness of nature-based walking interventions in improving mental health in adults: a systematic review. Curr Psychol 43, 9521–9539 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-023-05112-z