Writing a weekly blog about mind-body patterns has resulted in more personal awareness and analysis. This week I realized I might be expecting daily Minute Mentastics to prevent a virus from visiting. Or, maybe daily Minute Mentastics is the reason a virus only succeeds in bringing me down every few years.

My body simply refused to cooperate as my mind was adding to the daily to-do list. Last week I wrote a post about listening to sounds we hear and today all I hear is the muted whooshing sound of my own heart beat. The outside world sounds are far away. My throat is sore. Coughing just makes everything that much worse.

As I sat hoarding the rest of the warm soup and feeling sorry for myself, I wondered what Mentastics movement would be useful.

Mentastics is mind-body exploration, so if one part of that duo does not feel the joy in physical movement, what would happen if I use mental recall of a day when I felt fantastic?

On the day in the photo, walking to the top of that hill seemed nothing more than wishful thinking, and was not part of the original agenda for a walk in the park. The ground was dew damp, the long grass was a little slippery for the tennis shoes, and patches of dirt meant a little mud was possible. With a little encouragement, I took the first steps. As I became more focused on each step, internal mental chatter receded to the background.  I gave my mind the task of counting steps for awhile. After one hundred, I looked up and was amazed that the summit actually appeared closer. Looking back down the hill just made me dizzy, so I focused on each step again and continued.

A little success towards a goal can be addicting.

In this way I proceeded to the top. Each time I looked up and saw the goal getting closer, I felt a new burst of energy. When I reached the top, and looked back toward the path I had taken, I was certain I could do anything!

Finishing the soup, taking a minute to recall the feeling at the top of the hill, I can begin to feel the faint spark of healing spreading in my body.

Mentastics Minute when the body really does not want to move:
– Use the mind to recall a day when the body felt fantastic (even if it was a long time ago). Recall a smell from that day, or something you heard. Look at a photo of the day if possible. Take one minute to bring that mental recall into your present day.

– When walking towards a destination, take one minute to focus your mind on each step. Feel the texture of the surface under your feet. What do your feet feel like in shoes? At the end of the minute look towards your destination – is it closer than you thought it was?