In the last decade I have come to realise that there is one thing that is with me for every thought, action, choice and behaviour in my life… and that is my body. I will be turning forty next year, and to be honest I have no hang-ups about that, in fact I am looking forward to growing older. Why?

The answer is simple… when I look back over the last ten years of my life, where I have dedicatedly taken more true care of myself, and then when I look at the years before that and remember how I felt in my body and how I was living, I can appreciate the beauty and support I have offered myself and my body. My body today in its late 30s feels amazing, and it has a vitality and glow that it never did in my 20s. I know that seems back to front, but it’s true.

I think, If I feel this great approaching 40 then I can’t wait to live and feel the beauty, wisdom and purpose approaching 50, 60, 70 and so on will bring. Supporting my body and truly looking after myself has been the best gift I have given myself. It has not only allowed me to bring more to life but it has made me astutely aware how fundamental looking after myself and treating myself with deep care is.

I know that I want to:

• be working and supporting others until my last breath, however that may look
• take care of this body, as I may be in it for another 40 years or so
• reflect the truth of who I am
• be very much a part of life and present with myself and those dear to me
• be known and remembered with a smile on my face and a body that embraces people and life
• do everything I can to embrace my part in taking responsibility for looking after the body I am in
• be commited to living and supporting my body to age with the grace I came into this life with

In the last ten years, supporting myself and my body has included many things, one being adjusting the way that I move and exercise. The way I used to exercise and the way I exercise now and the reasons why are completely different, and feel completely different in my body also.

Exercise for me used to be about: achieving or maintaining a goal weight, having a particular look, being able to be fit and strong if I needed to defend myself, a relief and false release of any pent up tension, anger, fury, frustration or suppressed/unexpressed feelings, a way to deal with issues by checking out of life and staying in a momentum, a way to keep my body hard so as to not feel, a way to fill the emptiness I felt, to keep me busy and not to have any.quiet stop moments.

This way ticked my boxes at that time and met the societal images I thought I had to abide by, but it was not truly healthy as it did not bring a sense of vitality and joy to me being comfortable in my body and with myself. Back then, I was exercising to meet images and to feel that I was enough.

Today I know . .. true health supports you to be all of you.

From presentations at Universal Medicine events, I have been constantly inspired to be more of the true me, bringing my own true care to myself and standing in my own unique and divine presence – letting go of the false ideals, patterns and beliefs that contorted who I was naturally born to be. From here, the natural and true me is brought to every facet of my life, with no perfection of course.

Today exercise is all about quality of movement, ‘Me’ remaining with my connection while exercising, supporting the powerful and amazing woman I am.

It’s about me remaining with and building the connection with my body, strengthening and stretching my body in a surrendered way, being present – keeping my mind with my body and the activity at hand, confirming who I am and not losing myself to the exercise, listening to my body and deepening that communication, bringing gentleness, tenderness and playfulness into movements and feeling a fluidity and flow in my body, muscles, joints and the way I move.

During exercise, whether it be working with weights or going for a walk, I am always aware of my breath, having a surrendered feeling in my body and being aware of how my body is feeling and moving as it is exercising.

For me, listening to my body has been key in all life activities including during exercise. This allows me to adjust as I need to, in order to support myself to remain with myself and with my body and not get lost in my head or the demands of life.

Today I bring all of me to life, to relationships, to work, to my family and to everything that I do. It is a quality that has a massive flow-on effect and seems to be deepening as I grow in responsibility in supporting myself, and my body.

And with this I can say… bring on the rest of my life!

Johanna Smith
www.joyofageing.com