A student recently told me how much she’s enjoying the strengthening components I’ve been including in my classes.

Her body feels better, and she believes the strengthening is making a big difference in the rest of her life. We talked about how being and feeling stronger was helpful not just physiologically, but psychologically, how good it feels to get better at something, to know you have more strength, stamina and ability.

Conversations like this are the seeds for my newsletters, and the germination takes place as I put my two feet on the ground and walk.

I was thinking about that conversation as I walked the other day. I thought about how getting stronger demands that we challenge ourselves, that we have to try things outside of our current capability and comfort zones in order to expand those abilities and comfort zones. And that paying attention to sensation is integral in this process – if I’m unable or unwilling to listen to my body, there’s a good chance I’ll hurt myself by assuming that more is better. (Does this sound familiar?) The other side of the coin is If I think listening to my body means I stop as soon as I feel a bit of muscular fatigue, or when I’m working harder than usual, I’m missing an opportunity to get stronger in body and mind.

These thoughts were rolling around in my head as I walked toward Hamilton’s McQuesten High Level Bridge, my training ground as I prepare for a hiking adventure this summer that I’ve been warned will include a lot of climbing. There are 164 stairs leading from the bridge down to the waterfront trail – and of course back up again – an ideal place to play with increasing load on my musculoskeletal and cardiovascular systems. On the 20-minute walk to the bridge I had decided to go down and up the stairs twice; that was what I did the last time I was there, but that had been over two weeks ago, and I didn’t want to overdo it.

There was someone else on the stairs as I got there; we said a polite good morning as we passed each other the first time. The second time we commented on the beautiful day, and how fortunate we were to have the physical ability, as well as the time and space in our lives, to be able to go up and down those stairs.

The third time we passed each other as I was climbing up the stairs for the second time, just a few flights from the top, looking forward to level ground ahead of me. When he said he’d see me on the next go-round, I quickly corrected him, said this was it for me today. He encouraged me to do just one more set, and something in me rose to the challenge. Did I have something to prove to this guy who was probably 10 years younger than me, able to run up the stairs as I was slowly and deliberately walking? Did I have something to prove to myself? 

I turned around and started down again, assuring myself that I could always slow down, take a rest, or not do all of the stairs.

I felt my legs quivering and threatening to turn to jelly, and the laboured breath as lungs and heart increased their efforts to get oxygen to my tiring muscles. The possibility crossed my mind that I had bitten off more than I could chew. My nervous system was stressed; my body was working harder and in different ways that usual. As I continued down, I listened to what it had to say. I was definitely challenging myself, but I was fine.

Anyone who has worked with me knows that I talk a lot about moving with ease, ease not being absence of work but absence of strain, pain, holding, clenching or rigidity. Walking down and up those stairs for the third time was definitely not easy or comfortable, but I was able to do it with ease. Don’t get me wrong, I was happy (and relieved) to get to the top of the stairs for the third time and even happier to get home and rest. My body was tired, but I was not in pain. I came home stronger than when I left, curious and excited about what’s next.

Although I’m writing here about physical strength, the same principles of challenging ourselves to become stronger, more resilient or capable can be applied to any part of our lives.

I invite you to hold these questions gently this week:
 
In what ways do you want to become stronger or grow your capacity?
Do you tend towards overdoing it or playing it safe?
How does this show up in other areas of your life?
Can you listen to your body as you expand your capacity? What does it tell you?