The result is a national case of pananakit ng katawan (body aches) without a physical cause. We are depressed because we are sedentary. We are anxious because we are frozen. The mind is racing, but the body is in park. That dissonance is lethal. You don't need a gym membership. You don't need a yoga mat. You don't need a "wellness coach." You need to remember that you are a vertebrate.
Today, I want to explore why Galaw —as a philosophy, a physical practice, and a social duty—might just be the secret ingredient to surviving modern life. In the West, movement is often mechanical. You go to the gym for one hour. You walk 10,000 steps. You check a box. But Galaw is organic. It is the pag-eehersisyo of the lola who doesn't know what a squat rack is but can carry a bucket of water up three flights of stairs without spilling a drop. The result is a national case of pananakit
We are born with Galaw . Watch a toddler in a provincial fiesta . They don’t need a lesson plan. Their hips move because the drums are loud. Their hands clap because the air is happy. Somewhere between childhood and adulthood, we freeze. We become matigas ang katawan (stiff-bodied). We trade the fluidity of galaw for the rigidity of routine. There is an unwritten rule in Filipino psychology that I call the Tatlong Segundo (Three Second) rule of Galaw . The mind is racing, but the body is in park
When something breaks, your first instinct should be subukan (to try). Not to call a repairman. Not to buy a new one. Move your hands. Take the screwdriver. You might fail. But ang galaw (the movement) is the point. Galaw as Love Here is the most important part. We often think of love as a feeling. Nararamdaman (felt). But in the trenches of a relationship, love is galaw . You don't need a yoga mat
Stop scrolling. Stand up. Roll your neck. Take a deep breath.