I learned today – while skipping ropes – how much our state of mind really influences how we move.

For the past few weeks I had noticed that I wasn’t able to keep my rope-skip rhythm as steady as I used to.

During summer, after just a few weeks of practise, I was able to easily jump 80-100 ‘beats’ in one steady flow.

Since late fall however, I noticed I was wrestling the ropes, and I got tangled more and more frequently every time I tried to do a skipping session.

Time and time again I had to regroup, breathe, and then re-start again – after 20, 15, and sometimes just a few jumps.

I nearly gave up.

Instead of jumping 3 times a week like before, I only did on Sundays.

Instead of going for as many as I could, I wrangled my way through a hundred, finding it easier to do ‘hard things (skipping on one leg) than just an ‘easy jump’.

I tried breathing differently, jumping faster, jumping slower, jumping higher, jumping lower. I tried changing my arm position, looking out to the horizon through the window. I tried not counting, or counting out loud. I tried jumping with my eyes closed, tweaking my hand position, being conscious of my posture, and telling myself to relax.

Nothing worked.

I was stuck.

Today however, for the first time in –  what felt like – a gazillion centuries of despair, I was able to jump 80, then 100, then 125 times in one fluid ‘go’.

Interesting.

What had changed?

I had untangled my ropes.

In the past few days I was able to close a chapter, repurpose my energy, and finally put a positive spin on a situation that had been occupying the back of my mind (and – apparently – blocking my ‘chi’) for the past few months.

Resolving it required me to first let something go. And – after some reflection and regathering – create something different in it’s stead.

From the moment that was done.. I could finally skip again.

Strange how the body always knows.

How about you? Have you ever noticed something was ‘off’ somewhere else in life by a change in flow in your movement practise? What felt different? What did you do? Did resolving the issue at hand make a difference? Let me know!

May the Ropes be with You.