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Hey Reader,

I went for a run this morning, my second one since arriving at our cabin and also my second run since taking a month off in June.

I love running and I also I did not run for the entire month of June.

This was partially by choice but partially life circumstances.

I had 2 weeks straight of sick kids and I was solo parenting for one of those weeks and then I had to get one of my kids to summer camp M-F by 9am and, and, and….

One thing led to another and running just didn’t happen in June.

Of course I missed it.

And it’s also not like I didn’t move my body in other ways.

I did more strength training and dance and a bit of yoga.

Basically, I did practices that are easier to abbreviate and fit into a tighter schedule.

Of all of the movement I do on my own, running typically takes more time and requires more schedule negotiation.

So when life gets difficult, it’s the first thing to go.

Because I can still lift weights or practice choreography or do yoga with a sick kid on the couch.

Running? Not so much.

This leads me to my Movement Snack this week.

Movement Snack this week:

Why I am sharing this?

For 2 reasons.

First, it’s ok to have movement practices that are easier to adapt to your life.

That doesn’t mean you are “cheating” or taking the easy way out.

It means you are figuring out how to continue to take care of your body when life feels hard or busy or overwhelming.

Second, you can restart the “harder” things any time. We tend to have this idea that starting at a certain time can be easier and there is some science to back that up.

But if you wait for those moments, you sometimes lose the momentum and the urgency.

You don’t have to wait for New Year’s or your birthday or the beginning of a month.

You can restart anytime.

If this resonates, at the beginning of July, I kicked off my POWER OF ONE Challenge.

It’s a program designed to help ease you back into a daily rhythm of movement, one pose, one exercise, one action at a time.

And it’s FREE!

If you missed out on signing up for the Power of One, good news: You can still join in!

Who cares if it “already started.”

You won’t be starting a week in. You’ll be starting on Day 1 whatever day you sign up.

​Click here and you'll be all signed up!​

Question of the day:

Do you workout or exercise when you’re on vacation?

Asking this question because next week, I’m going to write about strategies for maintaining a daily movement practice, even when you’re on vacation — if you want to.

Stay tuned for that!

I look forward to hearing about your vacation movement habits and hopefully see 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 about the small town and the lake where I've spent my summers for the past 10 years. It's a love note but also full of fear for the future and what the spending bill will do to small towns like this one. You can read it here.

I also recently published my monthly What Moved Me column, which is chock full of book, movie, and music recommendations, among other things. 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.