Working out as a form of meditation
I believe that working out can be used as a form of meditation.
Working out can be used as a form of mindfulness meditation, and as a result, you learn to love and accept yourself as you currently are. Let me elaborate.
On a fundamental level, the way that I practice meditation requires proper breath and presence in the moment. Counting breaths requires concentration; it grounds me in the present. Counting repetitions requires concentration; it grounds me in the movement. In order to reap the rewards of a successful meditation session, I have to stay concentrated on my breath. I have the same trouble with working out that I do meditating - I can’t always focus and that results in a mediocre relationship that is both unfruitful and discouraging. It’s okay - I’m learning. I’m learning that being in the present moment is enough. There are myriad distractions out there telling you otherwise.
Your body is uniquely yours and it is enough in all forms that it comes in.
My philosophy to working out emphasizes a concept that I learned through meditation. We are a part of a universal dimension, one that transcends time. Rather than fixating on what we used to look like, what we could look like, what we wish we were, remember that we are always enough now. You in your present physical manifestation is enough. You deserve a space to feel fully at home and present within your body. What does this look like when you have goals? You cherish every step of the way rather than punishing yourself, and that is a radical form of self-love.
I have struggled to accept this during the past 6 months when I was strictly isolating as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic in the U.S. Over the past couple years, I made powerlifting and going to the gym an integral part of myself, my ego, and my wellness routine. But without the gym I felt figuratively and literally small. As a woman and a POC, there are a lot of systems at play that make it difficult for me to accept myself as I am. This especially impacts other women, transgender, gender non-conforming, and BIPOC folks. White supremacy, toxic masculinity, and misogyny has long dominated the fitness industry and robbed anyone who is either not white, cis[male], or conventionally able bodied from holding space there.
Knowing that these systems are put in place to harm us, I have worked especially hard and will continue to learn how to combat them in my practice as a personal trainer.
This post started rather nebulous, but it is important to ground ourselves in the reality we’re in. When I train, I’m doing it for myself. When I coach, I hope to instill in you a similar sense of purpose. So the next time you find yourself in the gym thinking about anyone else but yourself in that present moment, remember to just focus on your breath (and maybe a little mind-muscle connection too).
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