The Healing Power of Movement

Multiple reasons have led me to a more active lifestyle. Location is one of them. When mountains surround you, they become your home; lakes become your pools, and fields become your often-trodden path. Friends and family are also crucial; being involved by those who teach us techniques enables us to increase our confidence in new activities we may have otherwise never tried. My biggest reason, though, was a diagnosis of MS (multiple sclerosis) at 23, a condition that quite literally fatigues you and slowly degrades the quality of your immune system, balance, stability, and strength. Getting that diagnosis spurred me to try more, become a yoga teacher, trek to great altitudes and live as fully as possible. However, it also filled me with an apprehension that if I didn't start moving more I'd 'lose it', lose my ability to have the chance to try these things. I didn't realise it then, but movement in any way, shape, or form is one of life's most energy-giving and soul-sustaining aspects and led me to a healing path I'd never willingly have stepped on.Movement, for me, has looked like many things. Some days it is simply increasing steps. Some days it is hiking up a hill. Some days it's drumming enthusiastically and vigorously in a samba band. There's no right or wrong way to move - there is only the time, space, and focus we give it.When I think about my journey through movement, it has taken many forms. Every part of that journey has been for different reasons, but every portion has been reinvigorating physically, mentally, and spiritually. Movement has challenged me and forced me to reconsider ideas, to become more at peace, and to enjoy the moment. Learning to enjoy your body - its strengths and its stumbling blocks - has a profound effect not found anywhere else, and an effect I hope to help you recreate through this book.

Hannah Glancy is a writer, hiker, fell runner, wild swimmer and yoga teacher based in the Lake District in the UK. She began her movement journey following an unexpected diagnosis in her early twenties and has spent years developing an approach to physical activity that centers on being in tune with the body and finding the joy in being active. She is the founder of Proper Northern Yoga.