“Movement is a medicine for creating change in a person’s physical, emotional, and mental states.”
— Carol Welch —
Look at your hand. Look closely at your fingers. Slowly bend and straighten your fingers, notice the muscles and tendons slide, and glide in harmony. Notice how your mind thinks about moving your fingers and your hand responds accordingly. What a miracle movement is: so many layers, so many integrated systems. All of it results in something most of us take for granted each day. How would you cope if one day this miracle movement stopped? Imagine losing movement in a limb or the limb itself. No arms to wrap around someone, no hands to experience touch or to hold another hand.
MOTION IN THE OCEAN
Now meet Bethany Hamilton. As a young rising surf star, at the age of only 13 Bethany lost her left arm to a tiger shark attack. People thought this would end her dream career. One month after the attack, Bethany returned to surfing. Unbelievable! Within a couple of years, she won her first national surfing title. Bethany’s foundation of faith has been her backbone; her source of truth, hope, and strength.1 At 17 years old, her dream of surfing professionally came true and she continues to be an active surf competitor to this day.
NO ARMS, NO LEGS? NO WORRIES!
Next, imagine (if you can) being born with no arms and no legs—then radiating the attitude; “No arms, no legs, no worries!” Nick Vujicic has inspired millions by doing just that. He was born in Melbourne, Australia in 1982 and without any medical warning, Nick was born without arms or legs: a rare condition called tetra-amelia syndrome.
While still young, Nick experienced many obstacles as well as fear and hopelessness for his future, but a turning point came when he decided to embrace his situation. With persistence he was able to do more tasks on his own, actions that most people can only do by using their limbs, such as playing sports, brushing hair, typing on a computer, swimming, and much more. Nick believes that persistence can help fulfill your biggest dreams but not without choosing to embrace failure as a learning experience.
Nick is a highly successful motivational speaker, author, CEO and advocate for social and emotional education in schools, teaching students to make positive changes in their lives and their communities. Nick is a shining example that the only physical disabilities we face are those in our mind. No legs, no arms, no worries. Nick is married to his wife Kanae and they have four beautiful children. He continues to inspire people globally, even as you read his story now.2
MOTION IS LOTION
Our bodies love to move. For the entire human system. It promotes the healing, maintenance, and regeneration of all the integrated human systems. We were born to move, but our environments and technology are reducing our need to do so. Our modern lifestyles are deprived of nourishing movements. There is a reason our spines, hips, and knees are stiff and restricted!
While reading this chapter, I hope that you are inspired to put this book down— to stop thinking about it—and get up and simply move. Move in a way that feels good, as you remember the variability of movement you had as a child swinging from monkey bars, dancing, and playing in nature. The movement needs to be part of our lifestyles and integrated into our daily rituals.
As you put this book down you may be called to look around at the sedentary lifestyle you have accepted for yourself. Driving the car to work instead of catching public transport, too many hours on the couch, avoiding a morning walk in favor of a coffee, thinking caffeine will give you the energy and clarity you need for the busy day.
Movement in its essence is very complex but don’t worry, nature has already figured it all out for you. All you need to know is that motion is a lotion for every cell in your body, from your blood to your brain, to your muscles, and even down to your genetic blueprint.
Every movement creates an amazing healing stimulus for all of the 12 integrated systems that make up our amazing dynamic human body. In the same way, a bird doesn’t need a flight manual, we don’t need a rulebook, expensive methods, workout gurus or strict regulations and philosophies in order to move.
CALL TO ACTION
Write down some small movement goals to get you started. It could be to garden more, to walk to the end of the street every day, to walk the dog, to stretch before bed. Whatever it is, just start somewhere.
Just do something for 21-30 minutes a day.
Build by 1% and don't miss two days in a row.
Write them down here.
My first small movement goals is:_______________________
SUMMARY
In the 21st century, we simply need to put our technology down, look around at the natural environment and remind ourselves to embrace movement as a way of life, not as a chore. Movement is meant to be fun so it should integrate naturally into your daily lifestyle. Dance, bushwalk, swim, surf, jump, stretch, trapeze!
REFERENCES
This is directly referenced from the amazon best-selling SelfCare Book "Lifestyle Medicine For the People" by Rory Callaghan. If you would like to read more content like this. Grab the free online chapters of the book or a hard copy.
We have done our best to reference everyone’s expert opinions, peer-reviewed science, and original thoughts, all references available here and referenced in the text.
We also understand that most thoughts are not our own and there is a collective unconsciousness, unconsciousness, and universal mind stream of energy that is always at work. How are references are sorted and filtered is here.
