Tag: tai chi

Body Flow. Love Thy Flow.

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I try a LOT of workout classes. Like, a lot. Some I love, some I don’t. Some I stick with, some I don’t. Year after year, I just keep coming back to Body Flow. Body Flow is Les Mills’ low-impact, low-intensity, highly-relaxing combination of yoga, Pilates, and Tai Chi that’s sure to warm-up the body, heart, and soul.

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Similar to yoga, Body Flow centers and calms the mind while working the body. The 55 minute class, like most Les Mills’ classes, is divided into eight tracks. Class commences with a rhythmic Tai Chi warm-up to loosen the muscles and focus the mind on less rigid movements and more flow.

photo 4Following tracks vary between yoga and Pilates, from sun salutations to balance, an intense core track, all while stretching and toning each major muscle group. Every move to every track is choreographed to the music and the method.

photo 5While Body Flow is based on yoga, it is unlike a typical vinyasa in that the music and movements are constantly changing, keeping you on your toes. What’s not low-intensity? The ab track, that’s for sure. Les Mills doesn’t joke around when it comes to abs. Luckily, there are modifications for everything. You’ll burn some cals and widdle that middle.

The last track of any Body Flow class, possibly the most beneficial, is meditation, which reduces stress, increases relaxation, absorbs the movement, and focuses the mind for the rest of the day. These 10 minutes are immensely valuable, especially for people like me who have every intention of setting aside time each day to relax and reflect, however, life often gets in the way. I have a feeling you can relate? When I plan to attend a Body Flow class, I feel like I’m setting aside “me time” and I show up, always happy I did.

Everyone, from athletes to first-timers, yogis to non-yogis, male, female, younger, older, and everyone in between, can benefit from Body Flow. Regardless of your current ability, Body Flow’s poses, stretches, and moves will create suppleness, flexibility, focus, and rejuvenation. It’s the perfect compliment to your existing fitness routine and will strengthen balance, flexibility, and most importantly, mental relaxation. And the best part is that this class is available throughout the week at BOTH Hamptons Gym Corp and Studio 89 Fitness, taught by fabulous instructors, like Zivile and Yvonne featured.  IMG_2718(1)

One Healthy Breakdown: Work the body, center the mind at Body Flow!

Gyro what?! GYROKINESIS!

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When Michelle Weber invited me to take her GYROKINESIS class, I knew I was in for something a little different. Just how different, I had no idea. I walked up to Dance Hampton (15 Lumber Lane, East Hampton) to find an adorably decorated room with a happy vibe, stools, and mats on the floor. Stools? My curiosity grew.

You may remember Michelle Weber from the post about Pre and Post-Natal Training, which does incorporate some GYROKINESIS, but this class is for anyone looking to hone in to alignment and strength from deep within the core. Michelle explains that GYROKINESIS is a core-strength movement system that incorporates the benefits of yoga, tai chi, gymnastics, and dance. The class works in rhythmic circular and spiral movements to allow the entire body to stretch and strengthen through spinal movement, increasing flexibility, extension, coordination, stamina, and relaxation. At times, I felt it all.

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As a pretty frequent exerciser, I learned a TON in this one hour. GYROKINESIS is like nothing I’ve ever tried (and I’ve tried a lot, as you know.) I had no idea that the body could move in such a way, that I could literally pinpoint certain areas and work them with such precision. It felt like I was honing into single muscle fibers, one at a time. How? You’ve got to experience it to believe it. Believe me.

GYROKINESIS is about intention; targeting specific muscles and muscle groups with exact movements, structure, rhythm, and focus, all while inhaling and exhaling purposefully. In the midst of each move, I felt as though I was tightening, lengthening, opening, and strengthening, all at the same time. It was quite a phenomenon, this feeling of muscles tensing together at the same time you’re working to pull them apart. The result? Muscles wrapping tightly around the bone to promote length.

In addition to physical precision, GYROKINESIS produced an immediate enhancement in mind-body awareness. My brain was hyper-focused, every direction from Michelle was crucial for proper form. The signals sent from brain to muscle, and vice versa, create intense connection. This is not really a workout you can zone out to, at least at the beginning, it takes constant concentration. This class produced a heightened awareness, one I can definitely see huge potential benefits in all areas of life.

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One Healthy Breakdown: If you aim to work on alignment, mind-body connection, or just try something new and different, head over to Dance Hampton on Sunday at noon to try Michelle’s class before summer’s over!