Alignment is something we always strive for at The Dailey Method. Together, we aim to guide you towards optimal alignment of your body, mind AND heart.
We teach all of our classes based on our Alignment principles outlined in the acronym “AEM” – Align. Engage. Move.
One step at a time, we take you through this process by first guiding you to focus on finding your best anatomical Alignment. We intentionally cue you to Engage the muscles around that structural alignment and then instruct you to Move.
It’s difficult to maintain true alignment 100% of the time, however the goal is always to assist you in noticing your body and acknowledging how it feels so that you are better able to trust when you need to realign. Inside of a class, if you ever struggle with the movement, stop and go back to finding your engagement. If you lose the engagement, stop and realign. This 3-step process is how your will ultimately discover the greatest space and power in your body allowing you to make large strides within your own personal fitness journey. This constant way to “self-check” is also an amazing and transformational way to remain truly present with yourself throughout class regardless of the challenges built into the workout.
Another way to focus on re-aligning this month is by taking inventory of your actions in your day to day life and then lining your actions up with your priorities. If you’re like me, there is no possible way you can accomplish everything you feel like you need to in a day, let alone the things you want to do.
Here are some simple steps I take to align my day with my priorities all while giving myself the space to be okay with not accomplishing everything.
- Notice how you spend your time. Where are you wasting time unnecessarily? Do you spend too much time on social media which then creates a lack of time for other things that could fuel you so much more?
- Write down a large, ultimate goal or a dream you have for yourself. Focus on any long term/larger than life thing you are working on. This can be anything – but think BIG. Envision something for you to to hope and strive for and post it somewhere that you can see it everyday so it stays in the forefront of your mind and thoughts.
- Do one SMALL thing relevant to your primary goal everyday, even if it’s future journaling or making a single informational phone call. Everyday you’ll be a little bit closer to accomplishing that big dream.
- Identify 3-4 things that absolutely HAVE to be done right now – the non-negotiables – and write them down. I do this at night before I go to bed. This way, I wake up clear-headed with my priorities listed and don’t have to think about what needs to be done in the middle of the night which could disrupt my sleep.
- Check off your list once you accomplish them. This is so gratifying!
- Create the time for non priorities in your day like playing a game with your kids or connecting with a good friend.
- Journal your progress at the end of the day. This will remind you of what you’ve accomplished vs. dwelling on what still needs to be done.
Everything in life is fluid. Much like pushing up against a physical challenge in class, the inevitability to fall out of alignment is real and everyone experiences it. That said, the greatest evolutions (not just to your body) happen when we focus on re-aligning our heart, head and priorities to become more present and connected to the bigger picture.
It’s a constant shift. Change is in motion and unabashedly forces us to realign from the day we are born until the day we pass on. The opportunity to practice grace and a systematic process to take charge of that realignment is where your true power and person will break barriers and soar to new heights!
Take time to Realign this month. We can’t wait to see where you go!
Love,
Jill