Welcome to Movement May

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.

List of exercises to help diversify movements.

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.

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: Upper Body, Clarity & Focus

Strength and mobility are the overarching themes this month.

The upper body represents being open and receptive. It is also where we activate our own personal fire. Both strength flexibility are essential for balanced communication, intuition and protection.

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

We will activate strength through support-building poses such as planks.

We will mobilize and stretch by opening up the chest and shoulders in backbends and flowing movements.

We’ll be sure to include 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 30 minutes fitness focused class will leave you energized and wide awake. The hope is to activate different muscles and joints in the upper body.

Physical Focus: Upper Body

Intensity: Energizing

**Shoes optional

 

Soundcloud Playlist for 30 Minute Fitness Class:

Week 2: Lower Body, Trust & Grounding

This week’s focus is on the lower body - our pillar of strength and space of trust. The lower body keeps us steady, connected and ready for whatever may shift our focus. And we need our foundation to stay flexible for the unexpected. We can tap into our confidence and security by simply standing. It is an act of trust to stand with comfort - trust in yourself and in those around you.

When you are calm and centered, you can relax your shoulders while remaining tall and present.

 

This fitness-based movement class focuses on the lower body, with repetitive movements to warm up and strengthen your foundation: Legs and Hips. It's fun and quick!

Physical Focus: Legs and Glutes

Intensity: Energizing

Props: Shoes optional

 

 Week 3: Full Body, Activate & Soften

We are wrapping up our short month of movement by tying the whole body together. We will do this through the dynamic action.

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

We will also 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.

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

 

This class is a full body shake up to feel stronger and better. Let go of what is sticky and dig into your strength.

Physical Focus: Full Body

Intensity: Energizing

Suggested Props: 2 Blocks, shoes optional.