Benefits of Mindful Movement (you probably haven’t heard about)
In this episode of the podcast, I’m going to talk about four of the most interesting benefits of mindful movement…that you probably haven’t heard about.
Episode Details:
Do you find it motivating to know how your practice is benefiting you? Or are you (perhaps) the kind of person that won’t decide to do a new activity unless you really understand why it’s worth your time and effort?
I can absolutely relate to that, so that’s why this episode is going to be dedicated to talking about some of the many benefits of mindful movement practice. I’ll be highlighting four interesting possibilities that you probably haven’t heard about, so we’re going beyond the standard list of positive outcomes (like stress relief, improved focus, and physical relaxation).
Benefits of Mindful Movement that you’ll learn about here:
- feel-good chemicals (called myokines and nicknamed “hope molecules”) that your muscles release, even with gentle movement
- how working with pace and slowing down your movements (motor inhibition) can translate to better physical balance AND emotional balance
- how moving in synchrony with others promotes empathy and openness
- and how mindful movement can be a form of embodied learning
As you’ll hear, some of the mindful movement benefits I mention are examples of how these practices can support us psychologically and even socially, if we’re paying attention on those different levels. And, a few of these benefits relate to the combination of movement and mindfulness, so there’s a kind of multiplier effect.
This episode draws from several different books and research articles, so be sure to scroll down below to the Links & Resources list.
I hope you’ll listen and find some of these mindful movement benefits intriguing, thought-provoking, and perhaps motivating!
Links & Resources from this episode:
- This is a user-friendly article from the Greater Good Science Center (by Kelly McGonigal) on surprising ways that exercise changes your brain (including “collective effervescence” through synchronous movement)
- Kelly McGonigal’s book The Joy of Movement (highly recommend!)*
- The book Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life by Dacher Keltner*
- Dr. Tamara Russell’s book Mindfulness in Motion*
- The study I mentioned on motor inhibition being linked to emotional regulation, “Inhibitory Spillover: Intentional Motor Inhibition Produces Incidental Limbic Inhibition via Right Inferior Frontal Cortex”
- An article on embodied learning, from an educational perspective
*The links to these books are to my Bookshop.org affiliate page. If you buy books through my link, I earn a small percentage (at no additional cost to you). And, every Bookshop.org purchase supports local independent bookstores!
If you liked this episode, you might want to check out Episode 58: Why Awe Is Good For Us, inspired by Dr. Keltner’s book. You might also enjoy Episode 45: Exploring Movement Modalities Through A Mindfulness Lens, where I talk about different forms of mindful movement (like Yoga, Qigong, and Somatics) and what they have to offer.
Put the benefits of mindful movement into practice!
Did you know there is a Free Membership Tier of the Moved To Meditate Class Library? Learn more about the Class Library and sign up for your Free Library Card to access the five featured classes from the catalog each month.
If you are interested in sharing movement-based mindfulness practices with others, take a look at the Mindful Movement Teacher Training! The next round of this online training program begins in October.
