We’re all experiencing changes since the lockdown and today in Spain is the first day since March 14th(?) that outdoor exercise can take place. There are rules. Only between 5am-10am or 8pm-11pm for running, walking, cycling and surfing and 10m distance between runners.
My last decent run feels a long time ago (see pic below) and I can hardly believe what has happened during that space of time.
Benidorm Half Marathon 29th Feb. 2020.
Exercise since then has consisted of skipping with my son’s skipping rope in the garden and running infinite circuits in the shape of the number 8 on my roof top whilst keeping my mind entertained running in such a small space. But at least I had the space to do so.
A Beautiful Insight into Today’s Release in the Outdoors
If there’s something beautiful that can be gained from this lockdown, it’s the hightened feeling of being allowed to go out and do something you haven’t been able to do for a long time. When 8pm came and I stepped out on to the street I was swept with a sudden surge of childlike excitement. It was the most wonderful feeling and being a hypnotherapist I knew how resourceful it is to keep hold of good sensations in the body, so I decided to anchor it.
Anchoring the Good Stuff
If you do not know what is anchoring, one example of this is when you hear a certain piece of music and you associate it with a memory which makes you feel in a certain way. In my case I wanted to harness a wonderful positive anchor of feeling a way I had not felt in a long time – that childlike excitement as if you were about to open up your Christmas presents that I experienced this evening. I was actually shaking my hands with excitement at the prospect of going out and running through the fishing village where I live (see main pic) and running along the avenida next to the sea.
To create your own really good anchor, now is a great time if you have been confined indoors for long and are finally allowed to go out and do something you’ve missed after such a long time. Emotions may be heightened. Maybe there is a deeper sense of gratitude or excitement or euphoria or peacefulness, or something else. Whatever it is, now is a good time to really notice how you are feeling and where in your body are those sensations. Maybe give it a form, a colour and notice if it has a movement. Mine was a warm golden swirling feeling I associate as bliss and euphoria, which I took with me through the run, smiling and giving the thumbs-up to other runners (at a safe distance apart, of course). I decided to use my shaking out my hands movement as my anchor to associate with these wonderful sensations and practised it a few times on my run to help condition it.
There was a perfect sunset and temperature, the surfers out for the first time in months, the sound of relaxed music coming from the open windows of some of the beach houses. The chilled out vibe of a surfers village but with a quieter peacefulness to it. A number of people were out walking and enjoying the tranquility of the last rays of sunshine and the beautiful orange sky. My heart rate was higher than usual due to not having been able to keep up my normal running training, but I felt great nevertheless in this anchored state.
You may be wondering what is the point in all of this? Well, if I ever find myself demotivated to do some work or de-energised on a run, or just plain down, I can shake out my hands and bring about a different physiological state which can counteract the unproductive ones, feeling that childlike excitement. Does that make sense? Like putting on your favourite song to give you a lift. It takes practice but it’s worth it.
Once again, during these times of gradual changes, when you do experience something liberating after a long confinement, really tune in to your body and notice what you notice and anchor it somewhere on to your body (e.g. touching the thumb and index finger together to fire those sensations off) giving you quick access to changing state in a variety of situations.
I hope you also can find some useful insight during these times of change.
My best wishes to you all.