Hey there, welcome to those of you who are new to this podcast, and welcome back to those of you who have been here in this space in this ether with me in the past, how's life landing for you these days, whether you're listening to this, the day or the week, it airs or if you are listening to this further in the future, I hope that you are able to at some point today, to soften your jaw to exhale, maybe close your eyes for a little bit before it sleepy time. And just offer yourself a little bit of ease, maybe some really sweet softness in case that might be of use to you. And if not, I hope that you get some more of what it is that you do need today. Now my friends, I'd like to just jump in, because you know, energy is low resources are low, and we got some shit to talk about. So the shit we need to talk about this week is we really need to examine how our own guilt, our own shame and our own peer pressuring plays into our relationship with exercise. Because the reality is, for us liberation focus, folks, it's still there, it is there in the guilt of not having the energy or the motivation or the desire at all to work out. It's there in the judgment of not having the energy to do the workout the way you planned. It's there in the shame of making changes and or not doing the workout like you plan to or at all. It's there in the worry about whether you will actually reach the health and wellness goals goals you have. Because even if you're not at all into dominant cultures workout as intensely as possible, every damn day kind of messaging, the reality is you still have goals for yourself as you should, right, it's good to have goals for yourself in terms of how you want to continue to be aware of your health and well being and how you want to I mean, you know, continue to improve it or have it be the best that you can be right because our health and well being is really important. And the guilt, the shame, the peer pressure, right? Like it plays into the peer pressuring, that you might do to yourself of doing a workout anyway, right? Telling yourself come on, like you need to do this workout anyway. Or it needs to be this certain way, even when everything in your entire being is saying Not today. If we're being really real with ourselves, if we really take time to step back. And like rehear what I've just said, and really think about it, we'll really see all the places and all the scenarios where the guilt, the shame and the peer pressure recur present. And the question that I keep coming back to, every time I hear a client, friend, colleague, Flint family member, anyone I come in contact with, and sometimes me, right, including liberation focus folks saying, Well, I was supposed to work out today.dot.or Something like I knew I was supposed to do this workout, but etc. The question I have, right I keep coming back to this is why do we continue to put so much pressure on ourselves in this area of our life? Now, here's the thing. I know, you know, the many and widespread spread why can I speak today widespread benefits of exercise, right? Including all the ways it supports our mental, emotional, physical and energetic health. And I understand that those are big motivators for exercising, for sure. 100%. There is no disagreement about that. But what we also know is that dominant culture is completely out of control when it comes to its harmful messaging. That's so widespread out there. And remember, and you may not know this, if you're new to my work and being in space with me, for those of you who have been around my work for a while, you know that I've worked my entire career in the fitness and wellness industry teaching group fitness classes, personal training training, athletes are doing a multitude of different things. And I've been that person encouraging and possibly even coercing people into exercise and exercising a certain way. In quote, unquote, the name of those benefits. I know how powerful fitness pros messaging can be for people. And I also like I know how much weight it can carry. And I also know how coercive it can be, because let's be real, right? So much of the fitness and wellness health and fitness industry is based on some negative motivation, like do this so that this doesn't happen do this. So you avoid this issue, do this so that you can cut this trim that like, right, like, oh, and the reality is like, you may want to change your body, right? You may want to look a little differently, you may want to feel differently, there's no shame in that I want to be very clear, it is okay to want to do those things. But to have the motivation or your fuel beat, guilt, shame and judgment, peer pressuring. That's not doing us any favors, right. And I know this to be true, because I used to be one of the people peddling all this. And I've seen firsthand in my own life, the harm it's done. And the harm is done to a lot of people out there. And even after I'll be real real with you, like even after the last couple of years of like breaking up with the fitness industry, because y'all it was a thing I broke up with the fitness industry, right, I tore apart my old exercise habits and other habits that you know, were linked to it, you know, like food, etc. And, you know, as I've started to explore a new relationship with exercise, especially, I can still see places where guilt, shame, worry, peer pressure, etc, show up for me still. And so I remain in an active state of learning, and unlearning here for real. So, what I'm challenging in this conversation is Why is exercise such a freakin pressure packed situation for us? And I'm gonna ask you a few questions, right? You might like laugh, you may like roll your eyes, but like, let's be real for a second, right? So first, why is exercise such a pressure packed situation for us? Now I'm gonna go on? Do we honestly believe? And I'm putting wheat in there, right? Because I told you, I'm right here with you. i This This should still popping up for me. Do we honestly believe that our goals will be for naught if we miss one day, one week or one month of exercise? Like seriously? Do we believe that we'll be setting and seeing ourselves to a lifetime of disease or dis ease if we miss one day, one week or one month? or longer? Are we setting setting ourselves to an early death? Like I'm truly asking? Because if we're being honest, we're under enough pressure from dominant culture to exercise and live a certain way? Do we need to add our own pressure on top of it? Because the reality is right, if you if you are bought in on, you know, the health benefits of exercise, and there are so many and yes, we should believe in it, right? But do we really believe Right? Like this pressure we put on ourselves every day or every other day? Or whatever it is? Do we really believe that if we don't work out the way that we said we would that one day or that one week or that one month that we're doomed? And also does it also shine a light on, you know, your relationship with discipline and consistency? Because I mean, for real friends that's still there. So my next question now is beyond. Right. And I know I just asked a lot of questions. But the first question was, why is exercise such a pressure packed situation for us? Right. The next question I have is, what is the effect of this pressure we're putting on ourselves when it comes to exercise? Because I am 100% certain that it is having effects that we are not super conscious of in the moment when we are guilting shaming, judging, worrying peer pressure and ourselves. And it's also present well after the fact
and the pressure or the F Next up, the pressure isn't limited to just when we're thinking about exercise or when we're trying not to think about exercise. It's with us after too. And it likely rears its ugly head with a vengeance the next time we're thinking about, or going into exercise. I'm going to leave a thought here, when it comes to having to change the exercise plan, because of a lack of energy or time, whether it is for one day, a week, a month, or longer, right? Shouldn't we consider how the systems we're living in are setting us up to fail in this area? I bring this up. Because I find that a common response to having to change the exercise plan or not exercise at all, is blaming ourselves for falling short. And while it may be true, that you have some culpability and why you don't have the energy or why you don't have the time, I need to ask you, is it really all yours? Is the culpability all yours? I'm gonna tell you, the answer's no. In case you're like, yes, it yourself, the answer's no. And then, another really important thing to consider is this. How is your intuition playing a part in guiding you based on an internal inventory of available energy? So in those moments, were like, Tim, I don't have the energy, I do not have the time for this, like, I just need to change this up. And I know, right, when it comes to dominant cultures, messaging on discipline on consistency, that shit dies, hard friends, it really does. And I really do think like, no matter how far we get away from it, it can still have deep ties to us that come up. Right? And so it's like, okay, no, no, I know, I need to just push through this, I know, I'm gonna feel better after I do it. And these things may be true. And sometimes, right. We do need to push ourselves a little bit. But I gotta be honest. Sometimes we also need to listen to ourselves. And there's a there's a discernment that needs to happen there too, right? And that's a skill development on its own. Right. And so you might be like, Wait, so if you're telling me I should listen to myself, but then you're also telling me I should kind of bypass myself? Well, yes, or no? It's complicated, right? Because it's true. Like, sometimes it's like, oh, I just don't want to do this. And it that might be you know, due to like, external circumstances. And it's true, like, maybe you just do it, it'll give you the attitude adjustment you need and no harm will be caused. But sometimes, when we do bypass ourselves and just force us into ourselves into an a workout like that we don't want to do sometimes it doesn't really does more harm than good. So I don't know, like, maybe you you have a regular exercise practice. That's kind of feeling bland right now. And you're like, Shit, I don't know what to do about this. Or maybe you've noticed that there are certain times of the month or, you know, that might be if you're menstruating person that might be based on just like how, you know, your cycle of life through each month. Maybe there's certain times of year that keeping up with your exercise routine is a struggle. Maybe there are challenges going on in your life right now. Right, like on top of the atrocities that we see around the world that are messing with your ease and your energy and your available time. Like shouldn't all of this matter? And so, right like comes to the question of like, what's the harm then in bypassing ourselves? Right and ignoring all this and just pushing through it and working out anyway? Is there harm? And then what about like when we gaslight ourselves, say like, we should be doing things differently? We should be feeling differently? I know it's a one big fucking clusterfuck right. It's hard. Lucky for us, we're not on our own to figure all this out. In your right, like if you're feeling like damn stuff, or you just kind of confused me, like, do I bypass myself? Do I not bypass bypass myself? Right. Like, you know, I think that, like I said, I mean, sometimes we have to remind ourselves that sometimes we tell ourselves stories, and sometimes we do need to do something that we don't want to do because it's the right thing to do. And sometimes we need to not do this thing that we don't want to do, because the right thing is to not do it. And again, like it comes to discernment. So if you're sitting in a little bit of confusion there, that's okay. That's okay. Like, that's fucking part of this, unfortunately. But, and or Yes, or your Veta offers us a really insightful way to meet ourselves in exercise really, in anything in life, right. And this way of meeting ourselves is one that accounts for the energy and nature and the effect that that has on us as well as how we are, you know, considering how we are experiencing life. So if you've been around my work or the podcast for a while, you can imagine the fact that I Aveda, in this situation will call us to be really self aware, as we're going into exercise, right, rather than just kind of saying, Oh, this was the plan. So I'm gonna go do it. It's, you know, I read a cause us to check in with ourselves, you know, considering how are we feeling. And you know, what qualities are present outside in nature right now, before we even do anything. Now, it's common in dominant culture, as I'm sure you know, to kind of build our workout programs and phases based on like the timing of goals that we have, whether that is to be ready for a certain event or achieve a certain something by the end of the year, or, you know, quarterly goals, or you may have heard of bulking and cutting seasons, and often like summer or swimsuit season is, you know, a very common goal. Or your Veta, on the other hand, caused us to shift the characteristics of our workouts based on what's happening in nature and within ourselves. And I want to offer that to you, you may have heard me say this before, or maybe this is completely new to you. But just like there are different energies in nature, there's different vibe of nature, as we go through the seasons. You know, that kind of lends itself to how our workouts might change and also how our energy about our workouts might change, right, because we are affected by nature's energy, constantly. And also we are affected by life, and the shit going on constantly. So to have this expectation, I'll be real, to be to have this expectation that we're just going to work out according to this program, this arbitrary program that we set, right, and that we're never going to deviate from it that nothing's going to get in our way. That's, that's unrealistic. 100%, that is setting you up for failure that is setting you up for, you know, being mentally and emotionally and physically and energetically just tried, because sometimes that's, you know, you're gonna feel forced to do something that that's really out of alignment, that day. Now, when I talk about, you know, shifting the characteristics of our workouts, these include the types of workouts we choose, or the types of workouts we like, focus on that season, it could be in the exercises we choose. And the way we do that, it could be the intensity of our workouts, the length of our workouts, as well as warming up and cooling down processes. So many things are so many variables. So let's talk about this in a general sense, right? And occasionally, shortstop, like I never thought about this, or you know what I've heard us talk about this, but I never, I haven't made any changes here yet. So let's talk about it. In the winter, it is a great time for both strength training and cardio.
Now, here's how you can adjust based on the energy that's present, because in the winter time, in a lot of geographic areas there is there are two energies at play. Now, there are certain geographical areas, or times of the season where kafa energy that's that calm, steady, sometimes even dull energy that is dominant in nature or within you. And in those days, it's a good time to then do a more uplifting workout, a quicker moving or more intense workout, you might work out between 60 and 80% of your max capacity. And you know, just being careful to check in with yourself because kafa energy, you know, can be very over can get overwhelmed easily and easily discouraged. So, you know, it's important to not push too hard too fast, because that can be discouraging, right, you could start with a longer warmup to bring heat to the body steadily and include dynamic stretching in the warm up that's, you know, where you're moving through stretches rather than holding them. You could also take your time cooling down to steadily bring down the heat, but you don't lose it all together, right and then take your time stretching in the end and you hear you can do slower, dynamic stretches as well. Right? You can do static stretching too, but maybe doing some moving stretches but at a slower pace than you would have in the warm up. On the flip side. If Vata is mobile or sometimes unsettled, energy is more dominant in nature or within you, then that's the time that we take The invitation to move more slowly creating stability. Maybe with some grounding exercises, this might be like where you have both feet on the ground, you might be seated more, you might be laying down more, you might even do longer holds or isometric holds. And that's when you just hold a position without moving. For cardio, this is not the time where you would do your most intense hit workout, because you don't want to aggravate, you know, vata energy, you know, the unsettled energy further, still take time to warm up to bring heat to the body, you can do dynamic stretching, right, that moving stretching, but mainly focusing on staying grounded in the movements using your muscular strength to create stability as you stretch. And also take time cooling down to steadily bring down the heat. And then take your time stretching at the end as well. You can do slower dynamic stretches like you like I was talking about earlier for Kapha energy. And you also can do static stretching here as well. And that's really wonderful, especially seated or lying down to kind of bring more grounding. When it comes to Asana, yoga postures, you know, I I change how we i how i sequence my classes that I offer through the holistic self care collective, and you know, other places where I teach based on what's happening in you know, nature's energy. And so, on the days where we want to invigorate Kapha energy, you know, like on those snowy, cloudy or damp days, like when you're feeling lethargic, a sense of heavy, heaviness, or uninspired, you're gonna favor a more expansive, dynamic and uplifting practice. So we're going to focus on creating heat and intensity, same as we were talking about with the regular workout. So again, consider taking your time warming up, moving at a pace that allows your breath to kick in, you might do some of the warrior poses, forward fold, and maybe even tons of back bends, more back bends, you might do some abdominal strengthening to stimulate digestion, because that can lag when Kapha energy is high. You might do like some side plank, some leg lifts twisting abdominal versions. And, you know, you could change up your moves, you can do more complicated moves that goes for work, you know, strength training workouts to shorter rest periods, shorter intervals. And also you can do a supported shavasana by placing a pillow or rolled blanket or towel underneath of your torso, which would allow you to kind of be more open kind of in like a little baby back bend to allow more opening and uplifting and this is going to be maybe for five to 10 minutes, you keep the shavasana shorter when Kapha energy. No, I'm sorry, you could still do a you know a regular amount of Shavasana. But there are other times in the winter where you might do it longer. So my apologies by just confused you I misspoke. So five to 10 minutes as standard shavasana is fine. In terms of soothing vata energy, right when on those cold dry breezy days, or when you're feeling worried anxious or like your mind is on fast forward. This is again where we're going to favor a slower, more gentle and grounding practicing practice here. We're not trying to push limits 50 to 70% of your capacity, not pushing too far to overstimulate that unsettled energy. So taking time to warm up breathing through your nose, moving slowly and intentionally fluidly through gentle flows. Nothing really jerky or jumping, more or longer Ford folds, longer holds and standing strength and balance poses. You can still do back bends and heart openers, but maybe not as deeply maybe in for not as long, you might fade favor some seated shapes. For more grounding or using the wall, you might do some gentle inversions because those can be pretty stimulating twists that face the ground crocodile when you're lying on your belly just flat out with your forearms, one on top of the other head using that as a pillow. And here's where you might do an extended shavasana for up to maybe even 20 minutes, you can put a rolled blanket or towel underneath of your knees to like just soften the lower back. You can also cover yourself with a blanket and restorative yoga is always wonderful during the wintertime and especially on on the days when you need a little bit more grounding. So I want to just do a quick check in right we talked about a lot I asked a lot of just really maybe uncomfortable questions or questions that required you to really think critically. So how is all of this information landing for you? Is it feeling super resonant? Or is there some or even a lot of resistance? And then of course I have some follow up questions. Where is the resistance and Why? What is it tied to? What are the truths? And what are the lies or stories? And if you're really thinking openly and honestly about this, where do you think you could benefit from making some of these shifts, not only for your own personal well being, but for your collective responsibility and how you move through the world, mitigating harm, that you cause, right and deepening the service and support you provide. And then considering what are your mental reframes here, to help you move through the discomfort of doing things and thinking differently. Now, in case you need a little bit of support here, or a lot of support here, if you've been finding trouble, you know, or having trouble finding the motivation to exercise or the energy you want to have to exercise or literally to do anything else doesn't have to just be exercise. I'd like to invite you to join me in a brand new upcoming offering called refuel your power. I've never done this before. And here is the thing. If you have been, you know, having trouble finding the motivation, having the energy, let me tell you, we can shift the tide. If we keep going. I know life is really hard right now, like really hard, and the world is not easy to be in. And that is affecting everything. So if you are here, in the second month, because it's February, maybe you're listening to this in March. So it's the third month, right? And questioning from now, if you can persevere in your efforts, whether that is exercise or anything else you're doing out in the world. Join me for an hour and 30 minutes on Sunday, nope, Saturday, March 23, to process to do something about it and catalyze yourself to move forward for this work that you're doing whatever it is that you're doing. So here's what we'll do in that time. We'll meet on Zoom, we'll connect and process and that's going to look like holding space for one another as we share what we're experiencing only if you want to, and we are going to validate it all because dammit all of it's valid. And sometimes we need to be validated. Then we'll recalibrate we will explore a framework to alleviate burnout and overwhelmed sustainably. And then you're going to take some time to identify the self care practice. You want to focus on becoming more sustainable. And the third thing we're going to do is catalyze. We're going to work through a process to help you meet yourself where you are, and curate this self care practice you've chosen to fit your needs as in your responsibilities, your available energy, right. We will also include tools to support you in any resistance you're feeling coming to the practice, and through the discomfort of doing this practice even when the world isn't cooperating. So what you're going to get from this session is a plan in place for your chosen self care practice with flexible options based on your responsibilities available time and energy, so that you can take care of yourself even when the world is on his bullshit and you can keep going.
You can find all the details and registration info at Steff gallante.com/refuel-your-power And I've included the link in the show notes. I would really love to meet you in this place in this space there and so if your resource to do so, I would also love it if you'd share the information with your inner circle and beyond. And if you've got any questions about this, please reach out. Until then, and until the next time we meet in this ether space. Please be kind and gentle to yourself just as you would to those who are most precious to yourself whether that is a human and animal baby or a plant. Friend remember I always love to hear from you. I love to hear your thoughts about what comes up as I share the goodness in these episodes about any support I provided the guidance and also if you're like Nah I don't really like that. Or what about this right? Please share it all with me and I also like if this podcast is resonating with you please share it with those you know, and I would love it if you would leave a review or a rating. Now my friend remember you are a badass and you are enough. Please please please go be your favorite self and be well
