Welcome to Movement May

When I think of movement, there are two concepts that represent my mission for this month:

  • Encourage you to move everyday - whether that is a walk around the block, some mobilization movements, or a full practice.

  • To diversify your movements. More on this below.

I’ve been practicing yoga for 25 years - it is a life-changing practice that I intend to carry me through each upcoming decade. And many of us can relate to the mental benefits that we receive from energetically connecting to our body and mind. BUT Yoga is not the only way we should move our body. It is a great way to get back into fitness after a while or a great way to break free from too much high-intensity movement that can be destructive.

This month, I hope you enjoy both yoga and fitness movements and see how you can work both into your lifestyle.

Recipe for Healthy Movement:

  • Move Every Day for 10+ minutes.

  • Move 4x a week for 30+ minutes.

  • Diversify types of movement.

  • Connect to the season.

  • Balance the work you do with movement.

  • Use your movement time as a time to disconnect from work and mental stress.

List of exercises to help diversify movements.

Bonus Videos

 
 

Mobilize

This is a full-body joint mobilization practice intended to warm-up and lubricate all joints in the body. It is like magic! Use this as a daily movement practice or to warm-up before something higher intensity.

Warm-Up

This short warm-up is great before Yoga, Fitness, a long walk, bike ride or on its own as a daily mobility practice. Enjoy!

Cool-Down / Heart Opening

This is intended to do after a yoga, fitness or other warming movement. Not only is this a great way to cool down, but this sequence will help you open your front body to balance all the computer time in our lives.

 Week 1: Front Body, Clarity & Grounding

Contract and relax is the overarching theme this month.

The front plane represents being open and receptive. It is also where we activate our own personal fire. Both contraction and relaxation are essential for balanced communication, intuition and protection.

The meridian lines of the front body relate to our stomach and spleen. These organs relate to keeping us grounded, balanced and clear.*

This includes strengthening and stretching the core, the thighs and the chest.

We will activate strength through crunches, lunges, and planks.

We will soften and stretch by opening up the front body in backbends and thigh stretches.

This includes fluid spinal movements to free up energy from hunching throughout the day.

Pro Tip: Anytime you loose focus at work, start with a chest & arm stretch before looking at your phone. Incorporating small balancing movements throughout the day can help your body disperse tension.

 

This fitness class focuses on the front plane of the body and keeps a steady pace with minimal impact movements.

Physical Focus: Core & Thighs.

Intensity: Energizing.

 

Soundcloud Playlist for 30 Minute Fitness Class:

Week 2: Back Body, Trust & Calm

This week’s focus is on the back body - our pillar of strength and space of trust. Back-strengthening is an essential movement practice now, more than ever. Strengthening the back helps balance our time rounding over electronics. Strengthening the glutes and hamstrings, help balance the time we sit for work or leisure. AND standing tall, confident and secure allows us to feel calm and at ease. It is an act of trust to stand with comfort - trust in yourself and in those around you.

The meridian lines in our back body relate to the kidney and bladder. These organs relate to trust of ourselves and others. A balanced kidney meridian allows for an ongoing sense of calm.* When you are calm, you can relax your shoulders while remaining tall and present.

This week we will strengthen and stretch the back body, thus building balance in this plane we rarely see.

 

This fitness-style class incorporates repetitive movements to helps strengthen and stabilize the back body.

Intensity: Energizing

Physical Focus: Back, Glutes and Hamstrings.

 

 Week 3: Sides, Flexibility & Boundaries

We are wrapping up our short month of movement by tying the front and back together. We will do this through the dynamic action in the side body. There are few muscle-groups associated with the side body. Our connective tissue network uses strength of the front and back to move dynamically in twists, side bends and alternating side to side.

That means our classes this week will have more fluidity, flexibility and flow. There will be less strength (less) we will heat up with multi-pose sequences to inspire coordination and functional movement.

Our focus is to unwind. We can do this actively with fluid flows, and in passively through deep yin stretches. The aim is to release the connective tissue network, specifically around the sides of the trunk and hips.

The meridians associated with the side body are the liver and gallbladder. This pair of organs relate to our ability to set clear boundaries and make decisions.*

This week will be a dance between strong boundaries and easeful flexibility.

 

This fluid and fun fitness class will help you unwind your tension and stabilize your trunk.

Physical Focus: Side Body and obliques.

Intensity: Energizing.

 

 *References to Meridians comes from my teacher, Mirjam Wagner’s book Yin for Life.