Awareness

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Expectation Makeover

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Expectation Makeover

Have you ever noticed how much a dose of movement impacts your mood? 

If you've been sitting down all day and you go outside for a walk, you are likely to feel better. I know I do.  However, if you go to a practice session with unreasonably lofty expectations ('I'm gonna do this hard thing I saw and it'll be perfect, just like that Instagram video'), you probably won't leave feeling like a winner. And if you're not skilled at overriding and reframing your own nay-saying... you might not walk away feeling vibrant. 

You've likely heard of the research which confirms that exercise is mood boosting (it's usually accompanied by a stock image of people in bright-colors faux-grinning on a jog). While movement does provoke chemical changes that make you feel nice, your approach can amplify the positive after-effects or knock them right out of you.

Don't Wait for the Opportunity to Dance

Don't Wait for the Opportunity to Dance

Did you know I spent decades of my life *wishing* I had the courage to be fully IN my dance?  

Until my mid-twenties, I did the majority of my ‘dancing’ as a student in dance classes. As I learned and reviewed, I pushed myself, but I arely felt the dance was emanating from my body in a truthful way. 

In an attempt to feel more connected to my movement, I would remind myself of how much I love to dance. I would repeat versions of the phrase, "You want this, you live for this, don’t let this opportunity slip by."

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DIY Pillows

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DIY Pillows

Pillows. In our culture, they’re viewed as necessary bed-time equipment. Along with sheets and blankets, pillows are so strongly associated with sleep that the idea of foregoing one seems unrefined or ‘strange’ to many people.

This post is intended to raise awareness about how pillow use-habits can contribute to neck pain, shoulder pain, back pain, tension, etc., and offer some DIY solutions.

We all want to move better, feel better, and get injured less easily, right? Well, looking at how you sleep might make a difference in how you’re moving and feeling the rest of the time. 

On Cueing...

On Cueing...

A cue is a prompt or direction about what to do.  We’re exposed to cues about movement all the time in the form of signs such as, “Please keep right,” or “DANGER: DO NOT WALK ON THE ICE."

Do you think they meant alternative forms of locomotion are okay? Or did they mean, “Stay off the ice?”

I’m reallllly into cues. Why? Because the right words have the power to make something you’ve done thousands of times feel totally new. The right phrase can transform your understanding, help you drop a bad habit, or even release some emotional baggage.
 
Here are 7 ideas to help you become a better cuer. Even if you have no intention of teaching, these exercises are guaranteed to make you more aware of your movement:

Envision Festival

Envision Festival

A few weeks ago, I made my way to Costa Rica for Envision Festival. I honestly had no idea what I was in for. I hadn’t heard of most of the DJs, was not familiar with the movement teachers or lecturers, and I didn’t know anyone attending.  I knew I would be in a tent, but didn’t think much what that would mean logistically.

I quickly discovered that I had all the wrong clothes (What I had was way too hot. Pants? No. I basically should have planned for bikinis+decorations). It took about 10 minutes to realize I would be dirtier and sweatier than I’ve ever been in my life. I don’t mean dirty in a “I’ve been exercising all day” way—I was legitimately rolling and stomping in dirt from dawn till midnight. More often than not, the shower was out of water when I found an opportunity to try. But everyone else was just as dirty, and it was great.