When all four wheels are pointed exactly in the same direction, the vehicle can coast for miles and miles with ease.

Isn’t there something very satisfying on a deep and almost inexplicable level when two things just fit together? When a well-oiled machines does exactly what it was built to do? When two seemingly unlikely things mesh together and work better than expected? There seems to be something deeply pleasing about both observing and feeling such a phenomena, which can be described best as alignment.

To feel alignment is a beautiful thing. It’s a condition or state where everything flows easily and naturally. It is sometimes referred to as the “flow state”, where hours pass like minutes because we are so deeply aligned with our present moment. Many of the greatest athletes across the globe have used this state to train harder and longer than the competition. In this state, the hours spent slaving away in practice likely felt relatively "easy" or "natural" to them. Another expression of alignment we can relate to is in the automobile. When all four wheels are pointed exactly in the same direction, the vehicle can coast for miles and miles with ease.

In contrast, the opposite state of alignment would be described as opposition; a state with maximal resistance. A state where progress, movement, comfort and happiness are seemingly opposed. Using the automobile analogy again, having even one wheel out of 'alignment' causes the vehicle to shake violently at speed. If all four are out, the vehicle might not be able to move at all! This is where many people including myself end up from time to time. In this state, it feels like everything is uphill. The cold feels colder, the weight feels heavier, the dark is darker, responsibilities multiply and bills compound in interest. The question becomes: How can we navigate our way to find alignment in these times?

What we experience as opposition from the world is really due to missing alignment within.

To gain alignment with the world and with our problems the battle must first be won within. In other words, finding deeper alignment of the body, the mind, heart and soul. During ‘uphill’ times I quickly find my mind swept up in worry about the future, my body becomes frantic and anxious, and my soul feels heavy. All are pulled in different directions making progress impossible. What we experience as opposition from the world is really due to missing alignment within. 

The feeling of this disordered state is what most would describe as ‘stress’. Unfortunately, many misunderstand the root cause of this feeling of stress. It has nothing to do with the stressful events of life themselves. It has everything to do with how well we either align or misalign with them.

It is very important to become aware of this dynamic because the longer we stay in the chronically stressed and misaligned state, the more likely it is for disease and illness to take hold. Therefore we owe it ourselves and our loved ones to seek deeper alignment. Luckily there are endless ways to do so and it starts with only a small daily time commitment to ourselves. This includes any and all of the healthy "buzzwords" you may hear on social media: daily walks, yoga, meditation, step class etc.

The best exercise is the one that you can align with.

With so many options, however, comes the paralysis of choice. Let's say for example we want to find an exercise to address our knee pain. The “best exercise” for this is not the most liked on Instagram. It’s not always the one most supported by scientific evidence either. It is the one that YOU can most align with instead. If you know yourself, it won’t be hard to choose. And once we’ve achieved progress, we will be able to flow and adapt to the stressors of life and never feel overwhelmed by them. This is my goal to attain with each and every exercise I do, and I invite you to do the same.

When all four wheels are pointed exactly in the same direction, the vehicle can coast for miles and miles with ease.

Isn’t there something very satisfying on a deep and almost inexplicable level when two things just fit together? When a well-oiled machines does exactly what it was built to do? When two seemingly unlikely things mesh together and work better than expected? There seems to be something deeply pleasing about both observing and feeling such a phenomena, which can be described best as alignment.

To feel alignment is a beautiful thing. It’s a condition or state where everything flows easily and naturally. It is sometimes referred to as the “flow state”, where hours pass like minutes because we are so deeply aligned with our present moment. Many of the greatest athletes across the globe have used this state to train harder and longer than the competition. In this state, the hours spent slaving away in practice likely felt relatively "easy" or "natural" to them. Another expression of alignment we can relate to is in the automobile. When all four wheels are pointed exactly in the same direction, the vehicle can coast for miles and miles with ease.

In contrast, the opposite state of alignment would be described as opposition; a state with maximal resistance. A state where progress, movement, comfort and happiness are seemingly opposed. Using the automobile analogy again, having even one wheel out of 'alignment' causes the vehicle to shake violently at speed. If all four are out, the vehicle might not be able to move at all! This is where many people including myself end up from time to time. In this state, it feels like everything is uphill. The cold feels colder, the weight feels heavier, the dark is darker, responsibilities multiply and bills compound in interest. The question becomes: How can we navigate our way to find alignment in these times?

What we experience as opposition from the world is really due to missing alignment within.

To gain alignment with the world and with our problems the battle must first be won within. In other words, finding deeper alignment of the body, the mind, heart and soul. During ‘uphill’ times I quickly find my mind swept up in worry about the future, my body becomes frantic and anxious, and my soul feels heavy. All are pulled in different directions making progress impossible. What we experience as opposition from the world is really due to missing alignment within. 

The feeling of this disordered state is what most would describe as ‘stress’. Unfortunately, many misunderstand the root cause of this feeling of stress. It has nothing to do with the stressful events of life themselves. It has everything to do with how well we either align or misalign with them.

It is very important to become aware of this dynamic because the longer we stay in the chronically stressed and misaligned state, the more likely it is for disease and illness to take hold. Therefore we owe it ourselves and our loved ones to seek deeper alignment. Luckily there are endless ways to do so and it starts with only a small daily time commitment to ourselves. This includes any and all of the healthy "buzzwords" you may hear on social media: daily walks, yoga, meditation, step class etc.

The best exercise is the one that you can align with.

With so many options, however, comes the paralysis of choice. Let's say for example we want to find an exercise to address our knee pain. The “best exercise” for this is not the most liked on Instagram. It’s not always the one most supported by scientific evidence either. It is the one that YOU can most align with instead. If you know yourself, it won’t be hard to choose. And once we’ve achieved progress, we will be able to flow and adapt to the stressors of life and never feel overwhelmed by them. This is my goal to attain with each and every exercise I do, and I invite you to do the same.