Naomi combines playful, powerful movement practices with the science of habit change to make it easier for busy moms to get moving every day. She frequently writes about the intersection of mom life, feminism, diet culture, and the unrealistic standards we hold ourselves to as women. Naomi is passionate about helping moms move more freely in their bodies and feel more at home in their skin.
Movement Snacks: When life feels hard, I move my body
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Hey Reader, This has been a hell of a week. 2 weeks, really. I mean this personally, in that all 3 of my kids have been sick over the past 2 weeks and I inadvertently food poisoned myself right in the middle of all of that. I've also been soloparenting through the peak of the sickness. And it's also been a hell of a week for our country. For the world. Every morning I wake up wondering what fresh horrors I'll read about in the news. It feels overwhelming and scary and uncertain. I feel powerless and angry. Often it feels like no matter what I do, it isn't enough to create the kind of change I want for this country, for my kids, and for a better future (I'd love a better present, too). And sometimes it feels like I can't do anything other than tend to my kids, their immediate needs -- which feels a bit like I'm just pretending everything is fine while others are suffering and the world is burning. I don't know what the right thing to do is or where the middle ground is. Mostly I am just trying to do my best to do small things here and there that hopefully make a difference both on a large scale (my community, my country) and a small scale (my family, myself). This leads me to my Movement Snack this week. Movement Snack this week: When life feels hard, I move my body. I know this might sound a bit like I'm sticking my head in the sand, but movement helps. It makes me feel centered and more like myself so I am more capable of acting. Movement isn't magic. It won't fix the really big, hard stuff. Movement works more on a personal level. Doing a little bit of movement won't stop people from being forcibly rounded up, handcuffed, and disappeared by ICE. It won't stop bombs from falling on civilians in Gaza. It won't stop the rampant and horrific acts of antisemitism all across the country or the world. It won't stop the government from stripping essential services from people who need them. It won't stop our country from its continued slide into fascism. I wish it was that simple. So why do I move my body everyday? Because I refuse to let them take my joy. I refuse to let them fully break me. Because even though movement can't solve those big problems, it still helps me and you, individually. Sometimes you just need a little bit of movement to reconnect you to yourself. If you need a gentle movement reminder everyday, join me for my POWER OF ONE challenge. It's totally free and super simple. Every day for 1 month, you'll receive a single pose or movement to do. Nothing complex. It will take you 2 minutes. We start on July 1st. Click here and you'll be all signed up! Question of the day: What is one thing you do everyday to feel good? I look forward to hearing from you and hopefully seeing you on the mat soon, too! Warmly, Naomi Want to stay in touch during the week? Here are a 2 easy ways: Follow me on Bluesky, where I share daily movement practices as acts of resistance, connection, and strength. Follow me on substack, where I write about the intersection of movement, motherhood, and the culture that we are all moving through. Or better yet, subscribe so you have immediate access to regular essays, including my most recent substack which is a deeply personal essay about mood and motherhood -- asking the question "Am I Grouchy All of the Time or Is It Just Motherhood?". You can read it here. As always, if you'd like to support my writing, you can do that by simply reading and liking my pieces on substack. Even better, comment on them and share them with those who might love them, too. And of course the best way to support my work is with a paid subscription, which allows me to continue to do the writing I love. |
Naomi Gottlieb-Miller
Naomi combines playful, powerful movement practices with the science of habit change to make it easier for busy moms to get moving every day. She frequently writes about the intersection of mom life, feminism, diet culture, and the unrealistic standards we hold ourselves to as women. Naomi is passionate about helping moms move more freely in their bodies and feel more at home in their skin.
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