Intentional movement is a part of daily life here at Myrth. Whether it's Daly and their slow climbing through trees or Emma with her regular yoga practice and stretching, the Myrth team is committed to moving their bodies in a way that feels good for some amount of time every day. In fact, we crave it. We need it.

That's not just some arbitrary thing. We've learned through experience and study that exercise is a crucial component for well-being, especially during times of stress and change--times like these, especially.

There’s a physiological basis for that. See, the human body craves movement and releases happy endorphins when it gets the movement it wants. Moving your body every day is a key way to stabilize your mood and improve your sleep quality. Improved sleep quality, in turn, also has mood-boosting effects. 

And it doesn't necessarily have to be really intense activity, either, although there are benefits to high-intensity workouts.

Here are 3 forms of intentional movement we’ve used here at Myrth:

1. A daily walk

   It sounds pretty basic, but even something as simple as walking for a while every day is enough to show measurable results. In addition to the movement, you also get some fresh air and a change of scenery. Have you heard of the walking Moais? You can add walking to your MyMoai habit list and get some of your community involved too! How sweet.

2. Solo or tiny dance parties

   Have you ever watched Grey’s Anatomy when the characters have a particularly rough day and decide they need to dance it out? Whether it’s a solo dance party or a small group, getting in a little movement via dance can help shake off a bad mood.

3. Shaking meditation

   You’ve probably shaken out stiff limbs after sitting in an awkward position for too long. It helps loosen you up and get moving again. Shaking meditation is similar but it involves your whole body and is meant to help loosen up your mind, too. Give it a try if you have trouble relaxing in the more still types of meditation.

So why do we care so much about this and why are we bringing this up now? Well, if regular exercise has mood-stabilizing effects and having a schedule can help with feelings of overwhelm, then now, during a time of upheaval, is a great time to make sure you have some sort of daily activity scheduled for yourself. 

Treat it like an appointment, a meeting with a colleague, or some other important event that you can't skip. Put it on your calendar so that you don't schedule other things over it, add it to your MyMoai Habit Tracker. If you need to, make sure to schedule time to freshen up afterward. Give yourself all the space you need to make this an important part of your daily life while you are getting back into the swing of things. 

Establishing healthy exercise routines now will also have benefits down the road once the upheaval has settled. Whatever is going on now, eventually, your life will settle into a new rhythm, and you'll want regular movement to be part of that rhythm. It will help ensure that you stay as healthy as possible, in both mind and body, for as long as possible.

Now, if you’ll excuse us, we’re off to have a slothy dance party. 

Have you made movement part of your new daily routine? Have you struggled to adapt your old movement habits to new life circumstances? Drop us a comment and let us know how things are going.

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