Flow Movement

Floor Flow

Planning content for a Floor Flow class in NYC last month...

Pants by Flow Movement. Floor Flow tutorials now available for purchase....

Planning content for a Floor Flow class in NYC last month...Pants by Flow Movement. Floor Flow tutorials now available for purchase: www.flowmovement.net/shop#flowmovement #thepantsmademedoit

Posted by Flow Movement on Saturday, April 25, 2015

Primal Squats

Squats are one of the most basic movements of the human body. Primal squats with the knees and ankles together regularly improve the state of my knees and ankles. This is because developing control at the end range of joints (especially in positions essential to the health of the human body) creates balanced flexibility (and more potential do to cool things). Here I paired this exercise with alternating back shoulder rolls...and a wee bit of musicality.

Pants by Flow Movement.

Squats are one of the most basic movements of the human body. Primal squats with the knees and ankles together regularly improve the state of my knees and ankles. This is because developing control at the end range of joints (especially in positions essential to the health of the human body) creates balanced flexibility (and more potential do to cool things). Here I paired this exercise with alternating back shoulder rolls...and a wee bit of musicality. Pants by Flow Movement.

Posted by Flow Movement on Tuesday, April 14, 2015


Iceland (March 2015)

All of the photos in this first slideshow were taken off the side of the road on the south coast. I started with my layers and snow boots on and gradually made it down to just fabric wrappings and undergarments. It was cold (to put it gently). The air blowing in my ears was probably worse then being barefoot in frozen sand. But... this was fun. So much emptiness makes you feel so small. I was just a tiny creature tossing things about. I am so proud of what Kenneth Kao was able to capture.

More Iceland, featuring a sneak peak of a Flow Movement scuba cuff pant.  The Jacquard Cuff Pant is available now in the STORE.

After a long drive and a stay in a country hotel we woke up...here. The area is very rural. There are no street lights (just the ones in the sky) and the closest village/town was a long drive away--we had no idea what the environment looked like until the morning. As you can see, the sky was was incredible and the thick tufted grass was both frozen and squishy.

The day after experiencing the mot insane blizzard I have ever encountered (visibility 0, face blasting 100), we sadly had to leave. These images were taken in a craggy lava field en route to the airport:

Costa Rica Puddle Play

I want to play in warm, soft sand puddles every day. Playa Samara, Costa Rica. ‪#‎puravida‬

 

Mexico (February 2015)

Floorworking on a slippery slant on the front of a river boat provides decent core stimulation. Xochmilco, Mexico City.

 

Flow Movement Apparel

 
 

Playing in the park while frequently changing pants. Griffith Park, LA.

Music by Nina Simone, "Sinnerman" (Felix Da Housecat's Heavenly House Mix)
Filmed by Kenneth Kao.

Snow Movement

Warning: The following video is a simulation. Do not go outside in your knickers and attempt floor work in snow piles. Happy Valentine's Day. With love, Marlo

Special Thanks to Casey Reuter for volunteering the time to shoot and edit the video, and to Jessica Wilson-Silas for her camera work.

 
 

Bodily Awareness is Possibly the Most Undervalued Element of Fitness

Photo by Christian Buitron Photography

Photo by Christian Buitron Photography

By Marlo Fisken, Creator of Flow Movement

For as many magazines, blogs, and memes on fitness as there are, there is a general lack of understanding on what fitness actually is. I am not at all surprised; people value different things when it comes to aesthetics and lifestyle. But fitness is more than most of us realize. Let's have a look at the definition of fitness before I share some of my recent thoughts with you.

Fitness is a measure of how you adapt to stressors. It is often defined as the combination of your strength, mobility, endurance, body composition, power, speed, balance, and agility. Fitness, however, is also a measure of how efficiently and effectively you work and play, your emotional well-being and how well you avoid the diseases of inactivity. It is your reaction time and how you adapt to diverse environments and challenges. Fitness is important to each and every one of us (whether you choose to care now or not). 

Your fitness level is evidenced in all aspects of your life. 

Yet few broad-reaching fitness outlets (outside of the mind/body sphere) talk about the importance of awareness.  I believe that bodily awareness is the most overlooked aspect of fitness. 

Bodily awareness is key to improving alignment, and healthy alignment is key to growing our skill set, meeting many physique goals, and avoiding pain.

Science has shown that poor postural habits negatively impact mood and stress.  Beyond that, postural issues can cause pain, leaving us wondering why we cannot meet our fitness goals. In my experience, there is a strong correlation between your ability to move without pain and making progress. I have usually had to learn something about my patterns and make a priority of staying aware of them (both during training and daily activities) in order to remedy pain and injuries (and even a poochy belly situation).

Body awareness helps you to fully engage in your training and find joy in the process. Not only can you can train more if you feel good, you can do it for much more of your life! 

In case this body awareness talk doesn't sound flashy enough and doesn't seem to have anything to do with your goals of "being hot," consider this:

Even across many non-human species, strong posture, (which is the same as good alignment), gets noticed. The strong and robust are in demand because they appear to have the best health and genetics. Confidence is ultimately a way of moving, and often is a projection of awareness. 

I feel the most confident after physical training that requires absolute focus and immersion. When I practice movements that require me to tap into detailed self-awareness, I move better, I breathe better, I stand tall and sit better throughout the day.

So, What do you do to develop your body awareness?