Mvmt Menu: This will take FIVE minutes. Promise.

Dana Buccheri

Dana Buccheri

— 3 min read

Community First

🔥 This Saturday, August 2nd, my friends at Aquarius Lounge and Whimsibuds Floral are hosting a pop-up shop where you can score a gorgeous custom floral arrangement for less than $25! Stop by the Lounge (1344 W. Wilson) between 9am and 7pm.

🔥 From September 19-21, check out Uptown Live, a brand-new street festival in the Uptown Historic District hosted by the Chamber of Commerce.

🔥 On September 20, check out Own the Space, a confidence-building workshop for women, non-binary, and femme-identifying folx to get comfortable taking up space in the gym!

🎉 Happy Friday, Friends!

Today is part two of our series on FREE ways to reconnect with your body. Last week, we focused on gentle reconnection, and I shared 12 ways you can reconnect with your body without moving around, with no special equipment, and, of course, no cost. Read that post if you need the refresher!

This week, our theme is “5 Minutes With Yourself.” These activities for reconnecting with your body are meant to take up just a few minutes, so if you aren’t able to take your body out on a full on dinner date, consider this a series of small plates.

As with everything at StrongWithDana, feel free to adjust to what feels best to your body! These are meant to be completed for at least a couple of minutes, so if you don’t feel the instant shift in your body awareness, try repeating the actions. In the menu of body reconnection options, consider these…

🌮 Small Plates for Dropping Into Your Body

  • Try this breath exercise - put your feet up against a wall and practice breathing into your glutes and hamstrings
  • Get on all fours and breath into your tailbone, curving your back into a slight cat on the inhale, and then a slight cow on the exhale. Practice feeling your breath. If your wrists don’t like the pressure, place a rolled up towel or mat underneath your hands.
  • Start on all fours, then rock back onto your legs so you’re seated but leaning forward on your hands. Try the same breath exercise in this position - slight rounding of the low back on the inhale, and a slight curve in the opposite direction on the exhale. 
  • Grounding time! Take off your shoes and socks and place your feet solidly on the floor, seated in a chair or standing. Spend a minute or two focused on the soles of your feet. Bring your awareness to each corner of each foot, then the insides of your feet, then the outsides. You don’t have to do anything here - just notice how they feel against the floor. 
  • Try the same with your hands placed flat on a surface. You can use a table or the floor. Think about each finger. Try breathing into your wrists and hands by visualizing the air going down your arms and into your extremities. 
  • Lay on your back and place one hand on your chest, one on your belly. Breathe in through your nose or mouth, imagining that the air is a wave that surges over your spine and curves up against the walls of your belly, and then flows out the same way. 
  • Clap your hands over your head and then drag them toward your crown, letting your fingers run down the sides of your head and neck, then down the front of your chest. Imagine washing away any lingering stress, tension, or worries. Try it a few times, until your body settles into the motion. You might feel tingly or giddy!
  • The next time you get up for a small thing, reframe what you’re doing. Instead of a task, a chore, or a burden, imagine getting up for a glass of water as a small voyage you’re making. Settle into the image of yourself as a brave explorer traversing the various rooms, with the intention to discover something new. You might be surprised at how the familiar walls of your home take on a different look and feel. Notice the time of day, temperature, and any scents. Settling into your senses with openness is key to connecting with your body. 

If you tried any of these, let me know in the comments of this post! Or if you have other ways of reconnecting with your body, feel free to share those, too. 

So many of our daily obligations work to get us away from ourselves and our bodies. I hope these quick activities helped you get back to yours. 

With you in connection,
Dana

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