Mindful Movement: Elevate Your Fitness Experience
Updated: Jan 21
In a society that often values HIIT workouts and quick fixes, the concept of mindful movement has found its own niche in the fitness world. Unlike traditional exercise routines, mindful movement prioritizes the connection between the mind and body, promoting overall well-being. Let’s delve into why mindful movement distinguishes itself in a world filled with various workout options.
1. Mind-Body connection:
The core of mindful movement practices, such as Yoga asanas, lies in intentional movements that create space for maximizing benefits. Whether engaging in slow, controlled movements challenging your muscles or moving with observation, mindful movement allows you to choose the challenge that suits you best.
2. Lowering anxiety:
Performing exercises slowly and correctly, rather than quickly and incorrectly, helps avoid stress hormone release. In contrast to HIIT workouts where anxiety may hinder proper execution, mindful movement prioritizes the benefits of happy hormones over speed.
3. Breath and movement:
Linking breath and movement optimizes your natural form during exercise, providing an essential space for breath. This differs from traditional workouts that solely focus on specific musculature.
4. Preventing injuries:
Fast-paced workouts can lead to a loss of posture awareness and an increased risk of injuries. Maintaining a mindful pace ensures proper muscle engagement and reduces the likelihood of injuries.
5. Sustainability:
Being at peace with the pace keeps bringing you back to mindful exercises like Yoga asanas. The sustainable nature of these exercises prevents trauma and fosters happy memories that encourage continued practice.
So, the next time you’re picking a workout class or routine, ask yourself - am I being mindful in my exercise choices?
About the Author:
Shalaka is an Indian born, California based meditation and yoga teacher who worked as a software engineer in her past career life. With her Indian background, she aims to bring authenticity to the ancient yoga and meditation practices. But as a student of science, she embraces modern scientific studies with open arms and strives to remain up-to-date. Her ideal world would have the perfect melange of eastern and western cultures. She uses strong foundational practices and makes them more practical and usable in the modern world. Mindfulness is the foundation to all her teachings.
Check out her website! https://www.mindvayu.com
And follow her here: http://instagram.com/mindvayu/
Shalaka teaches three classes weekly at our studio! Check them out and book with the button below! To elevate your fitness experience and to become the best you in this new year, embrace mindful movement with one of Shalaka's classes! Her morning classes are perfect for busy parents, working professionals, and college students - try out one of her classes and reap the powerful benefits of balance, mindfulness, and intentionality.
Monday 9.30am-10:30am: Weekly Reset - Balance and Clarity
This class is designed to help you begin your week with mental clarity. We will work with balancing poses that not only challenge your strength but also balance of mind.
The class will end with a simple meditation routine to get you going for the week.
Tuesday 9.30am-10:30am: All Levels Vinyasa - Mindful Movement
This class is similar to a basic Vinyasa class but is designed to bring your attention to how you move as well as hold your poses. Although breath will be a part of the flow, we will also bring our attention inwards to understand how the poses “feel” in our body. The goal is to guide you towards a deeper and meaningful Vinyasa practice with mindful movement. We will end with a mindful body scan.
Thursday 9.45am-10:45am: All Levels Hatha - Flexibility and Strength
This class will guide you through a flow that will challenge your strength but at your own pace. It will also help balance strength with flexibility because the two actually work hand in hand. As one side of your body lengthens, the other supports in strength. We will end with a guided meditation.