core mobility

"It's a very Western philosophy to control the world around us to feel like we are in control of our life. Isn’t the irony that inside of us all there is a desire to be liberated or set free?
If you dig down deep to the core of people’s highest values, most of them will end up saying 'I want to be free!' Your body is no different – it needs liberating from the shackles of limitation and stabilization in order to feel freedom and flow.... In shiatsu, they say your body is a river, ever flowing: this is only possible if there is motion. Stabilize a river and you create a dam – stagnant and limited in its intended potential." -- Gary Ward, author of What the Foot?

toy gun ground flow

No toy gun required, just point and play.

This enhances mobility and strengthens the muscles of the midsection, from below the chest to the hips.

what is possible?

Starting with the simple and moving toward the more challenging transitions into the wheel posture. This is the play of possibilities.

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full body flow

I hear some personal trainers throwing the word 'flow' around and it's clear they don't know what their talking about. They think flow means moving from one position to another, so to them if you're doing 3 sets of 10 burpees, you're flowing.



 Flow is a terpsichorean movement. Terpsicorean is a nice, big word that means of or relating to dance. Terpsicorean movement can be found in modern dance, Capoeira, yoga vinyasa flow, aikido, and Chinese kung fu, qigong, and tai chi.



 Go to the 8 minute mark of this video to watch a demonstration of a low gate, full body flow.

brachiating play

“When you do something noble and beautiful and nobody noticed, do not be sad. For the sun every morning is a beautiful spectacle and yet most of the audience still sleeps.” ― John Lennon



 

body and ground

Explore different ways the body relates to the ground.



 

change the emotions, change the health (play bodies movement gallery)

"Dogs are brought into hospitals to help the sick improve their emotional state. Change the emotions, change the health. More flow of positive emotions creates a good flow of energy." -- Paulie Zink

spiraling flow

Liquid moves in spirals. Because the body is made largely of liquid, it is designed to move in spirals.

Look closely and you will see that even the fibers of our bones and muscles are woven into spirals.

art of the sash

morning play

monkey moves

"...During his (Kou Sze) 10-year sentence for murder, Kou Sze watched a monkey colony from his cell in a forest-based prison. After studying the monkeys’ behavior, Kou Sze was able to distinguish specific characteristics in how they fought. He categorized the monkey into five personality types: tall, wooden, lost, stone and drunken. From this, Kou Sze developed a unique hopping-and-squatting defense system that incorporated the maneuvering principles of agility, grabbing, falling, lunging, light jumping and tumbling into his novel art of monkey kung fu. On his release from prison, Kou Sze was dubbed the monkey master." -- Black Belt Magazine

supple spine

Missing in most workouts are backbends. Backbends and forward bends are essential for a supple spine that allows for whole body mobility.

Here's a great demonstration on transitioning into backbends (advanced level, for sure).

Simple spot

Don't waste your money on expensive machines for movement. A simple spot like the floor or a bench will do.

Movement Artist

Evolve into a movement artist.

block lunges

This video is from Jonathon Fitzgordon, one of my favorite yoga teachers who shares online his extensive knowledge of anatomy and movement. I've learned much from reading and re-reading his blog at corewalking.com.

 Jonathon has the gift of explaining in simple language how the structure of the human anatomy impacts movement. Besides the content of the video, take for example, this post on the thoracic spine, which does not bend backwards, but extends: http://blog.corewalking.com/yoga-instructions-the-upper-back-does-not-bend/

the arm wave

Articulate the joints with rotational and wave movements. The arm wave is a fun way to do the wave movement for the upper limbs.



Above photo by Marlene Thyssen, Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

your body is a broom!

Your body is a broom! So sweep the floor.

rediscover the love of movement

Description:

"Published on Apr 9, 2014
A Philosophically Different Approach To Fitness.

The tide is steadily turning away from traditional exercise towards a more holistic and fundamental approach to health and well-being. You may have heard this style of physical conditioning referred to as 'functional training' or 'natural movement conditioning'.

What's the difference you ask? Well, I suppose it's as much a philosophical difference as it is a physiological one. One could say that the main difference, is that natural movement has an undeniable element of play, combined with an enhanced capacity to increasingly layer more challenging skill elements. While any training can be hard work and challenging, think of the difference in physical skills required for body building compared to that of gymnastics or martial arts. The first is very hard work, while the other two require hard work AND a lot of skill.

Many people perceive exercise as a boring, exhausting and mostly uninteresting endeavor. I, for the most part, couldn't agree more! Movement however, can encompass almost all forms of play and allows creative expression and diversity. This allows for mental stimulation by way of cognitive development as well as physical adaptation.

Our philosophy at The Energy Clinic is simple. Allow yourself to be freed from the confines of exercise and rediscover your love of movement.

Thanks to Mackbelfilms.com, you guys are AMAZING."

multiple directional patterns (play bodies movement gallery)

human spinning top

Photo by "Davidturnswood," Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

all in one (the play bodies movement gallery)

writer's block, mover's block, and sprinter's block

A whole industry has been created to teach people how to move. This is very good to prevent injuries, get sedentary people to move and fit people to try new challenges. However, what often results is a lingering dependency on teachers for further progression.

Being a money making machine, the fitness industry thrives on this dependency. Students usually are not taught to observe carefully the components of movement patterns. As such, they are left hanging, waiting for a teacher to unleash them from "mover's block" until the next lesson.

Mover's block is a term I use when people seem to be unwilling or unable to learn new movement patterns without assistance and explicit instruction. It is similar to writer's block, in that a writer becomes stuck in a paragraph.

In the 21st century, we are in the golden age of movement thanks to youtube videos and other online sources. We have the luxury to learn for free when we want, what we want,  and at our own pace, simply by keen observation and beginning with easy movements. The secret is to simply watch for the structure of a position and how to transition into the next structure of a position.  Start with repeated observation and then practice integrating one position into the next while moving slowly, before integrating a third position (if any). The pause button and slow motion button (if available) are valuable tools.

As a sample video for this learning technique, watch "Sprinter's Block." Ask yourself, "What are all the joints doing for each structure and transition?" and "What is the alignment for each structure?"

Teaching yourself new movement patterns is a rewarding experience and weans you off complete dependency on the fitness industry. However, keep in mind that sometimes mover's block is a reasonable choice. For example, you shouldn't jump into complex movement patterns without first knowing and being able to do the prerequisite movements and the progressions, in which you may have to be taught by an instructor.

orbit around yourself (play bodies movement gallery)

the wonders of flexibility (play bodies movement gallery)

what's on your plate? you!

What to do with a single plate besides throwing it on the floor?

Some of the single plate movements in the video clip below are:

1. Overhead straight arm side bends
2. Overhead straight arm, circling motion from the waist (neutral spine = no flexion or extension)
3. Wood choppers (neutral posture)
4. Moving the plate and torso in opposite directions on the frontal plane
5. Same as #2, add lunge with plate overhead
6. Same as #2, followed by bent arm circling motion from the shoulders. Bent arms kept at a right angle and rotating from vertical to horizontal positions
7. Rolling
8. Dragon flag

Prevent injuries with knowledge of fundamental body mechanics, in particular for the shoulder complex and the spine. Learn the movements with a light weight plate and move slowly for greater control.

reaching goals without having goals

Playful movement is movement for its own sake, not for something to gain or lose. Weight loss, or a great physique, or even mastery of movement skills become side benefits, not the goal. If you love a movement you will naturally keep doing it. If the movement you love is a difficult skill to acquire, you will naturally want to learn how to progress further and be patient in the learning process.

"A true martial arts does not live for, he simply lives." ~ Bruce Lee

 Photo: Bruce Lee in 1950, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

playing with fire (the play bodies movement gallery)

6 developmental movement patterns

This feels good!

Movement done just to feel good is an end unto itself. Simple movements don't have to be in a line of progression towards complex or skilled movements.

johnnyfit be good

Play bodies' favorite youtube channels for kettlebell creativity.

1. Jt  N  

2. John Wolf

3. Johnnyfit

Previously, play bodies featured Jt N and John Wolf.  Here's s a double feature of Johnny Fit's kettlebell play.

 photo above owned by Universal Attractions, Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

floor work

Assimilate movements harmoniously. In other words, dance.

 

above photo by Fanny Shertzer, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

leap into happiness

happiness is not something
to contemplate
nor procrastinate

simply leap into happiness

~ play bodies



 





above photo:  Szechuan Hermit by John Thomson, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

silent music

music heard so deeply
that it is not heard at all
but you are the music.

 ~ T.S. Eliot

your road

It's your road and yours alone.
Others may walk with you,
but no one can walk it for you

~ Rumi

above photo (Camino de Santiago del Norte: Ruta del Besaya) by G. Freihaltger, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

supple movement

"Things that are hard and rigid are the companions of death; Things that are supple and soft are the companions of life." -- Lao Tzu

above photo by Jim G., courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

life is good upside down

Instead of resisting changes, surrender. Let life be with you, not against you. If you think “My life will be upside down,” don’t worry. How do you know down is not better than upside?

~ Shams Tabrizi

Photo by Ulrich Kohls, courtesy of the German Federation Archive and Wikimedia Commons