The more I moved, the easier it got

MAP Movement
The photo is of me on my way to swim with my children.

A mere day before this event my whole body was in such a state of pain, that my arms could not lift my body out of bed. I was basically unable to move. An unplanned dose of anesthetics on Sunday caused my body to feel as though a thousand of the world’s strongest boxers attacked me all at once. As I lay in bed I realised I had two choices… I could either just stay in bed (which seemed the ‘safest’ because even the tiniest movement caused more pain) and phone the surgeon for strong pain medication. Or I could get up and move, however painful.

I had to look after my children, so needed to get up and in actual fact, had no choice but to move. Life forced me to move.

We walked down to the beach, me at a snail’s pace, but still. I took a simple, slow walk up and down the beach with some careful pandiculation.

That was it. The more I moved, the easier it got. But I had to actively decide to keep moving through the pain and even with the pain.

While moving on the beach, it felt as though pain and movement were dancing. The less I moved, the more pain took the lead. The more I moved, the more pain had no choice but to give way for movement to lead the way forward. The darkness of pain in my body was completely overridden and even shattered by the light of movement.
I physically felt with every moving moment how my body had a much more realistic chance of healing. I could feel how movement created space for breath to bring healing and relieve the pain. Had I stayed in bed and taken pain meds, the healing would have taken much longer, not to mention the effects of the medication on my liver.

It’s a simple story of how fundamental MAP movements bring our bodies to a position of healing. It really works! A day later, I was able to enjoy the sea with my children once again. I am in awe of movement: the gracious, caring, healing type that MAP teaches us. Oh yes, and the motto is: ‘Just keep moving, just keep moving… Through the pain and with the pain.’
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