News / Articles

Mindful Movement for Stress Relief

Movement & Motherhood
MINDFUL MOVEMENT FOR STRESS RELIEF

By: Kristin Colsky Gavin | December 7, 2023

The holidays are filled with a lot of things to welcome and cherish, including quality time with family and friends, special traditions, and celebrations accompanied by fun, food, and laughter. While these celebrations can be wonderful, they can also sometimes be a reason many feel under more pressure or even anxious or depressed this time of year. Schedules are often more hectic than usual, with a lot of events piling up on the calendar and plenty of commitments to juggle. It is not difficult to feel frazzled and overwhelmed by it all.

During this season of holiday parties and get-togethers, many people turn to food or alcohol not just to celebrate but also sometimes to cope with extra tension and stress that they are experiencing. However, there are so many other - better - ways to create more calm and peace during the holiday season, with movement being high on the list.

Movement, especially a mindful discipline like Pilates, is a positive way to relieve stress and boost feelings of calm and ease. Pilates is practiced with precision, concentration, and flow, which can all help to bring us into the present moment. The focus on the breath in particular calms the nervous system, connects the mind and the body, and gives us a moment to reset. Every breath is also a new beginning and a chance to start fresh, to clear out the old and breathe in the new.

It is helpful to think of mind-body movement as moving meditations. While meditation itself is known to be a fantastic stress-reliever, sometimes the idea of sitting in stillness for 10 or 20 minutes may feel difficult or be unrealistic. Trying some Pilates can work magic. While walks in nature and swims in the ocean are glorious, there is something different about fatiguing all of your muscles, combining strengthening with stretching, and moving your body in all directions. It may seem counterintuitive, but sometimes it is only when we have worked all of our muscles that we can then truly and completely relax. Similarly, when we move the body in all directions, all planes of motion, we can create more balance in the body and relieve more tension that has built up.

While Pilates is one of my favorite ways to unwind, we have access to countless other great mindful movement options, especially living in Marin County. Try getting out on one of the many hiking trails in our backyard and soaking up the fresh air, while focusing on what you see, hear, smell, and feel. If you happen to get out on a sun-filled day, that’s a bonus, but a rainy hike through a damp forest can also be invigorating and fun. If you need some alone time, a solo walk can feel so luxurious, particularly if you are a busy parent. Alternatively, a walk with a friend or family member can be a way to boost endorphins, foster meaningful connection, and find enjoyment of the present moment. A good swim either in a pool or, if you are adventurous, in the Bay, while focusing on the rhythmic, gliding motion of each stroke through the water, is another mindful way to relieve tension and increase energy. All different types of yoga, trail runs, martial arts, strength training, cycling, even just a short walk around the block to clear the head - all of these can be positive ways to cope with the extra stress that you may be feeling during the holiday season.

Whatever type of movement that we can fit into our holiday schedule, carving out that time to check in with ourselves and practice some self-care and self-love can do wonders for our mental as well as our physical health. With a little shift in focus, it can inspire feelings of gratitude for the present moment and encourage us to stay grounded and engaged in the here and now. It can help us to hold a sense of peace and calm within all of the busyness. This holiday season and into the new year, we can create a new tradition to prioritize the things we need to do in order to feel the way we want to feel.

Kristin Colsky Gavin is a native of Sausalito and lives there now with her husband, John, and her two-year-old son, William. She is a UC Berkeley graduate and Pilates instructor with ten years of experience and her own business, Kristin Gavin Pilates. Kristin has worked with all kinds of bodies, ages, and fitness levels but has a particular passion for working with pregnant and postpartum clients. She is also studying to consult on nutrition for pregnancy, postpartum, and babies. Contact her at kristin@kristingavinpilates.com. Website coming soon!

When not practicing or teaching Pilates, Kristin can be found swimming, practicing yoga, hiking the trails of Marin, cooking, writing, studying languages, traveling near and far, and spending time with her family. She started open water swimming several years ago and has completed the Alcatraz to San Francisco swim three times.