No question about it, it can be a great challenge just to maintain balance in the busy world we live in. Finding time for family and friends, managing stress, exercising and squeezing in a little fun time can be difficult. But face it -- if you don't take care of yourself, you won't have as much energy to give in other aspects of life that are important to you. Physical movement can actually be used as a time efficient means of focusing on the outcomes you would like to create in your life.

Certain types of movement such as yoga, tai chi and other martial arts disciplines have always been known for having a mind-body-spirit connection. More traditional forms of exercise such as weight lifting, toning and cardiovascular activities are being used for their general health benefits and positive effects on weight loss, body composition and overall body image - and they can do more. It's well known that when you engage in physical exercise, the mind benefits naturally from chemical reactions in the body that stimulate the release of endorphins, molecules produced by the body to react with morphine receptors. This helps to alleviate pain, elevate mood and even cause an altered state of consciousness. As a result of this response, it is not unusual to experience a flight of ideas that may relate in significant ways to various aspects of your life. It is simple to harness this as an opportunity to direct one's thoughts in a way that centers on outcome-related intentions . . . in other words, what changes you want to have come about in your life.

Unfortunately, while exercising, it is all too commonplace to mute these potential insights into important life issues with blaring rock music or exercise in front of a program on TV -- all for the sake of extending workout time. If that is what it takes to keep a person motivated to move their body, of course, there's absolutely nothing wrong with that - but here's an opportunity to maximize the time you spend doing physical exercise. Here's a time out of your day when you can bring your aspirations and goals to your mind's eye and reflect on them during movement.

Just about any type of movement can be adapted as a means for personal reflection. It is up to you to decide how to focus your mind while you move so that it can help to propel you forward in any aspect of your life you would like to improve upon.

Your intention and any insight gained in the process of movement are more important than the type of movement you're engaged in. For those who have a hard time verbalizing their goals, who are kinesthetic learners or more abstract thinkers, spontaneous movement can be a great option. To utilize this technique, try bringing to mind a feeling or outcome that you would like to embrace or a scenario that you want to see unfold in your life. As you do this, just move your body freely without judging your actions. You can do this either silently or, if you feel a bit inhibited, inspirational music can be helpful as an accompaniment.

Notice how your movements becomes a metaphor, a representation for what it is you want to discover or create. Consider: taking a brisk walk could represent "taking the right steps to move toward success." Doing bicep curls with a dumbbell could be a focal point by which to envision "I'm strong enough to do it." A hamstring stretch could be a way to tell yourself to "reach out of the comfort zone and go for the dream," or "I'm becoming more flexible with my time."

Engage your senses by incorporating visual, auditory or kinesthetic images in relation to the outcome: what does it look like, sound like, feel like? As you focus, you may notice other related thoughts arising in your mind. If these are positive, they may be helpful and a great source of personal insight. If not, then simply draw your attention back to the subject at hand.

You may try rhythmic repetition of a word or phrase. Embracing a feeling you would like to have about anything or anyone in your life is another technique to experiment with.

Tuning out distractions in the environment can sometimes be a challenge. No matter where you choose to do your movement activities, external noises and other stimuli can potentially divert attention away from what it is you are thinking about. Health clubs in particular are settings that are prone to inducing sensory overload. This is a problem that can be overcome. Some activities such as treadmill walking, stationary bike riding, and stair climbing can be done with intermittent short periods during which you keep your eyes closed. By closing your eyes, you can allow yourself to remain directed in the area you desire. If you notice your mind wandering, just gently guide your thoughts back to whatever it is that you want to manifest. To maintain focus, you can experiment with different types of music over headphones.

Turning our attention inward makes whatever time we spend doing physical movement productive in staying focused on our aspirations and manifesting them. When we give ourselves permission to open up to an entirely new approach to exercise as a tool for personal exploration, the possibilities become endless. Our bodies can help us reinforce at the cellular level the ways we need to strengthen, flex, move, bend, shape, control, contour, enhance and endure within our lives.

Jami Dawn Kessler is the creator and founder of the Reflective Movement process and is available for private consultations. Phone: 847/433-8343; email: jdawnkess@aol.com