Coming Into Alignment

 I have been spending much more time in the saddle this summer and have really enjoyed bringing cycling back into my life.  It has been such a great way to reconnect with friends, and myself, while taking in gorgeous scenery and delicious coffees and snacks.  I started to notice some discomfort on a longer ride a few weeks ago, and when that continued and seemed to be causing issues off the bike as well I decided that I should probably see someone about it.  Riding a bike is not complicated - you simply need to move those pedals around and around; what can be more complicated is the geometry that goes along with riding a bike efficiently and without pain.  I had a feeling that in the four or so years since I was first set up on my ride some things had changed.   Time for a bike fit.

I find the whole process of a bike fit to be fascinating in its simplicity.  The technician who works with you utilizes the simplest of tools to measure your body's angles at different points in your pedal stroke, and ensures that your saddle and handlebars are level and even, which covers the science aspects.  Then comes the art of a good fit; having someone who really knows bikes ask you about your riding habits, and focus their trained eyes on your riding position, how your body moves on the bike and how your body moves off of the bike as well.  Combining the art and science is what eventually results in your bike being set up to suit your unique self. 

In less than 40 minutes my bike was subject to an array of minor changes and tweaks that I could already tell would make my next ride a thing of beauty.  What I didn't expect was how much of a difference being put back into alignment would make.  Aside from not feeling the discomfort that had been nagging at me, I felt a real sense of flow.  I also started to connect the dots about some other seemingly unrelated issues that had been bugging me - a sore neck, a pain in my one shoulder...things that I had attributed to getting older or sleeping in a strange position.  I could now see how being out of alignment on my bike had been causing a ripple effect that had started to pop up in unexpected places in my life. 

Once I was off the bike I started to think about how this whole experience has mirrored being out of alignment in other areas of my life and how that misalignment had been impacting me.  It is one thing to read a self-help book or listen to a podcast and nod along as the host or author describes the importance of being in alignment with yourself.  It is a completely different experience to actually feel yourself coming into alignment and how that gradual reset can really change how you see yourself and move through the world.  And although we may not be able to get a bike fit for our lives, we can employ tools that will help to bring those areas that need a tweak or adjustment into focus.  These tools are unique for everyone and I think that for me the most important one I have discovered is trusting myself.  Listening when things feel off or there is ongoing or growing discomfort with a situation and believing that I know what is best, no matter what popular opinion might be.  Allowing for moments of stillness to reflect, even if only for a few minutes, to open the door to ideas and possibilities and to start the process of evaluation.  And the courage to actually make those tweaks and try out something new, trusting that we are our own greatest guide and guru and will know when we have come back into alignment.