The Body & Movement

Good Days

And somedays it all seems to come easily…

Monday, December 06, 2010

Feel great! Up again at 4:30ish, which I’m not thrilled about, but feel like I got a decent sleep. It helps that I took a nice hot bath and popped a melatonin before getting into bed, but I don’t know if the melatonin actually helped me much last night because I actually woke up a few times.

A hot bath is a vital part of a healthy lifestyle for me. Feels good on my body and mind and the relaxation is a must if I have any chance of maintaining my sanity.

This morning I did an hour pilates ball workout for myself—not too hard, but felt good. Tried working on a lot of different exercises I’d like to add to some classes. Then did a 20-min basic Tae Bo. Feel fabulous. I love workouts on days like this. I wish I knew what made my body feel so good.

Friday, December 10, 2010

Walked at the gym for 30 minutes […]

Good DaysMaggie Downie2017-10-25T15:49:56-04:00

Gyrokinesis

About a week ago the Personal Euphoria team got together to take a class. About four times a year we try to get together and take a different class or workshop together–something that isn’t Pilates.

We all love movement so we are open to trying new things, but what I like best about our little adventurous outings is that it always reminds me how someone completely new to Pilates feels in my class. Half the time I had not idea what I was doing. I was constantly questioning the movement and wondering if I was doing everything right. You always have to try and let go and know that you’re not going to do everything right your first time out. It takes practice. At some points during the class I’d hear one (or more) of us chuckle because we didn’t know what we doing. But that’s okay. That’s half the fun.

This time we took a Gyrokinesis class will Melanie Johnson, owner of Powerflow Studio in New Haven. None of us really knew what we were getting into. […]

GyrokinesisMaggie Downie2017-10-25T15:49:56-04:00

Don’t Think So Hard

When people start Pilates, the exercises can be really challenging. There is a lot to think about–you need to engage your abs and your Kegel while your arms move one way and your legs move another, and you’re supposed to be breathing in a controlled fashion the whole time!

It doesn’t all come at once and sometimes you have to let go and just feel the movement instead of thinking about it so hard. There is a fine balance. You need to focus without over thinking.

Since it has been a while since I was new to Pilates, I’ve been rediscovering this with the Dragon Boat–the paddling team in Hartford that I joined this June. There are so many things to remember, and if I start to focus on any of them, I lose time. But if I let my mind wander completely, I find I’m in the wrong position and out of time. To all movement there is a rhythm and the body needs to be allowed to find it.

Don’t Think So HardMaggie Downie2017-10-25T15:49:57-04:00

Workout Buddy

Sometimes it’s easier to stick to your workout plans if you have a partner to be held accountable to. So tonight call a friend or two and make plans for some kind of workout or physical activity on Saturday. Call another friend for Sunday.

You can plan to go hiking together or just take a walk. Or look for a fun exercise class you’ve felt intimated to try. Going with a friend will make it easier. Make being active fun by doing it with friends and picking movements you like.

Workout BuddyMaggie Downie2017-10-25T15:49:57-04:00

Feldenkrais

The instructors as Personal Euphoria all enjoy movement and finding new ways to learn about our bodies. Last week we got together to try the Feldenkrais Method of Movement. Margo Henneback came to instruct us.

We had a wonderful time. Feldenkrais, from my understanding, is about body awareness and learning how it feels to move your body in different ways. We spent the majority of the workshop moving our pelvis in different directions (up and down, left and right, and circling).

The more I learn about the body, the more I come to find that there is no wrong or right way to move the body. It can and desires to move in all different ways. Trying different modalities helps you to discover ways your body likes to move. It is important to maintain mobility in whatever method your find that your body enjoys.

FeldenkraisMaggie Downie2017-10-25T15:49:57-04:00