things I see at the gym...
and what it teaches me
Helllllllloooooo Practitioners,
There is an amazing cast of characters at the gym. I’ve probably become one of them. Let me take you on a tour.
There is the grunter. His neck is thick. He’s out to accomplish… something. His intensity is impressive. And distracting.
Another dedicated gym-goer is guy-in-socks. Despite all the signs about wearing shoes, he’s doing his own thang. And not just for a particular machine or movement. Oh no, he’s strolling around, striking up conversations. In socks.
Then there is always-on-his-phone. I believe he comes to the gym like other people go to a cafe. A place to getaway. Scroll in peace. Lift a weight or three.
My personal favorite is 80s-music-video-dude. Muscle shirt, short shorts, and dance moves. Not small ones. Big and bold dance moves. Occasional handstands. I want his playlist.
Next is vibram-5-toe-shoes. Haven’t seen those in a while, have you? He spends outrageous amounts of time on a machine. Like camped out. Each movement slow and precise. Each set abundantly spaced and deliberately orchestrated.
Then there is a girl who breaks my heart. She’s rail thin. Working out with aggression. Lips tight. Eyes scrunched. There is a sense of dryness to her movements. Depletion and restriction in her body.
I see them.
And I see myself in all of them.
Sometimes I’m elongated exhaling which is probably distracting. I’m often doing my own bizarre thing. There are mornings I go to the gym to escape the chaos of home. Sometimes I’m terribly distracted. I have occasional episodes of enthusiasm. I can get bogged down in technique. There are workouts that verge on self-punishing.
The thing I see most acutely is we’re all there doing the same thing. Going to the gym. Lifting weights. Strength training. Whatever you want to call it. But the energy behind it is very different. For each individual. Even the same individual on different days. And don’t you think that would influence how the body receives it?
Think about it: you taste something yucky. How does the body respond? You taste something yummy. Doesn’t the body respond differently? The body accepts or rejects based on flavor.
Actions have flavor too. How you’re doing what you’re doing matters. The energy behind the action is expressed through the body. Is the flavor joyful, bitter, distracted, intense?
The gym alerts me to this universal truth. And then I’m more likely to catch the energy of how I’m doing what I’m doing in other arenas. For example:
Running errands like my hair is on fire.
Half-heartedly playing with my stepson.
Singing and dancing while cooking dinner.
Begrudgingly doing the dishes.
Happily doing the dishes.
Walking with wonder.
Walking with sorrow.
When I’m aware, I have agency. I can do inner alchemy and transmute my energy. I notice flavors of frustration and irritation. Catch the washing machine cycles of worry. Squash half-hearted and begrudging moments. And while the action may not change one bit, the feeling and flavor can quickly and completely transform.
How to do this? The Yoga Tradition has a very precise method for aligning energy and action. It's called The Aligned Motives. I’ll share the 3 mis-alignments and 3 course-corrections over the next three weeks.
If you want more agency, inner alchemy, and miracle making, this is what we do in the Make Practice Miraculous Challenge. It’s 6-weeks to develop your inner listening, get to know your nervous system, and align your energy and actions for powerful practice. Enrollment is now open.
The next 3 emails will give you a taste of what we'll be learning and practicing. Take a tour to see more. Read more here. Enroll with the button below.
May your practice be transformative,
Alison
