Intuition not dogma
At Earth Strength we encourage people to listen to their body. One of the key principles that we teach is learning to adapt to the demands of your environment and this applies equally to movement and diet.
The main Earth Strength base in Facinas is located just 7 miles from Africa on the edge of a sub-tropical oak forest. Here the climate is consistent pretty much all the year around. Other than the powerful heat of July and early August there are relatively few climatic environmental strains on the body.
Living here, my diet and movement have adapted to my new environment. I eat a lot of fresh fruit and vegetables with little or no refined sugars. In Facinas my nourishment reflects a ‘Paleo’ diet. Moderate amounts of protein, fat and lots of plants and most of what I eat comes from my local market and it is seasonal.
As for movement, for around 7 months of the year the timing of my most vigorous activity is dictated more by shade and avoiding the hottest part of the day. I drink plenty of fluids, my water coming from the spring on the mountain. In this way my body feels adequately fuelled for any demands that I place upon it.
It is a routine that I have consciously adopted – I have adapted to my local environment.
I am currently in the high northern boreal forest of Canada. Here the temperature is as low as -30C with 3m of snow. The temperature and the terrain are placing hugely different demands upon my body. Free running up the mountain behind the house is all but impossible; in fact even just walking the trails is only possible with snow shoes and bulky outer layers. Now I am seeking out the ‘hottest’ part of the day in order to make the movement as easy as possible. I have effectively abandoned the practices that can’t support me in my new environment.
I am enjoying the subtle changes I can sense around me. The quality of the sound for example; there is a soft muted feeling as the deep blanket of snow absorbs sound. Everywhere there is the slow drip of water as spring moves towards her full promise. Tracking in the deep snow reveals a whole new set of animals, so different to those with which I am familiar. The bright white intensity of the light is quite shocking at times, almost like the contrast has been turned up fully. It is a beautiful and still landscape with the deep memories of the First People of this land. I tune into this too.
With regard to my diet I have noticed that my body is screaming for sugars, fats and carbohydrates. Foods like pasta, bread and potatoes (things that simply don’t feature in my regular diet) are forming more of a staple in my daily meals. Fats in the form of full cream and cheese have also become a more important as a source of fuel and for a sense of satiety.
My environment demands I listen to that wonderfully intelligent machine; the human body and provide it with the nourishment it needs. My body is working harder just to maintain my core body temperature and I need more calories to maintain homeostasis, a process known as non-shivering thermogenesis.
Adapting to my new environment there is no place for dogma. We don’t think diet, we think nourishment. In listening to my body I am giving it the best opportunity to move with ease and imagination in this very different place.
We also think rest. Sleep is such a vital part of any regime, work or exercise. After a long flight and a seven hour time difference time spent in nature was vital for this final part of the readjustment. Simply being in nature, moving in nature and allowing it to calm the mind and body.
This is what we teach at Earth Strength; how to listen, to be intuitive and adapt accordingly. This is the essence of moving with ease and imagination to the demands of your environment.
This is; Moving the Body – Stilling the Mind
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