The Source Of The Fluid Movement Principle

Fluid Movement is one of the 5 essential principles of The Merisoiu Technique along with Organic Movement, Earthing, Mindful Control and Food Discipline™.

When I coach my clients they see it as Tai Chi or Qigong. They are not wrong but not quite right either.

The Fluid Movement principles comes from Martial Arts indeed but it is deeply rooted into Karate Shotokan.

I’ve been practicing Karate Shotokan since 1995 and I think I had my first competition in 1999 or 1998.

So you can safely assume that no matter what I do there is a touch of Karate in it. And my coaching makes no exception.

Tai Chi and Qigong and both Martial Arts. There are many common elements between different disciplines. Of course, they influenced each other.

So yes, if I coach you then you will notice similarities.

What are the Fluid Movement sequences

In Karate we have Katas which are movement sequences executed as a specified series of a variety of moves, with stepping and turning, while attempting to maintain perfect form.

By perfect form we mean technique, posture, the established pace or rhythm.

Each movement in every Kata, there are Katas where you take 54 steps or more, has a purpose. Since this is a Martial Art we are talking about, the purpose is usually self defence.

However, there is more than the eye can see. If you take out the self defence aspect of Katas you can turn them into beautiful movement patters that contribute to health.

What are the Fluid Movement sequences meant to do

I have created the Fluid Movement sequences to solve the following problem for my clients:

1. Stress

Some of them are aimed at stress management. Calming the nervous system and bring peace and relaxation.

2. Improve focus and patience

And with this productivity in your work.

3. Reduce the risk of injuries

Injury happens when brute force meets brute force (Tai Chi Philosophy).

The law of physics states that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.

What happens when we use force, when we stump around when we walk? That’s the action. The results is the reaction which will be aggressive as well.

The sequences requite a lot of softness and Mindful Control (another one of The Merisoiu Technique 5 essential principles).
Practicing the sequences you become more aware of your posture, breathing , movement your body as a whole. As this happens you begin to move softer and more fluid.

Thus your action turns into something soft, calm and controlled. As a result the reaction will be soft and calm as well.

And so we reduce the risk of injuries by becoming aware of our bodies and moving softer and more fluid.

4. Feeling more comfortable in one’s own body

These are the more advanced Fluid Movement Sequences which work on mobility and flexibility.

5. Improved posture

Remember, the Karate Katas are a variety of moves, with stepping and turning, while attempting to maintain perfect form.

Posture is essential and in the Fluid Movement sequences you will learn to keep your posture in various given positions and moves. This is again part of the Mindful Control principle.

See the webinar on Posture I hosted.

6. Core strength

Do not be fooled thinking these movement are slow and easy. To have control over your body you must have core strength.

Correct breathing, Mindful Control component again, is a very important aspect in my coaching, whether running or moving slow.

Correct breathing also strengthens your inner core which is responsible for posture and movement in general. Your core is where your strength comes from.

Furthermore deep breathing may boost your body’s immune system and so helping your body heal in a more natural way. It is not recommended to replace your medical treatment with breathing exercises though.

Does this sound like something you would like to bring into your life? If so contact me.

August 11, 2015August 26, 2015

Benefits Of Fluid Movement

Why is fluid movement so important that I made it one of the five principles in The Merisoiu Technique?

Why do I insist my clients practice it?

And why do I spend hours upon hours creating videos for The Academy on fluid movement sequences?

Here’s the answer to all these questions:

Slowing Down

Too often we go through life in a rush. And then, at the end of the year we wonder “where did the year go?”.

Although there are the same number of days in a year every year, give or take one day from February every 4 years, it seems like time is against us.

What we all fail to understand is that that happens because we are in a rush a l l t h e t i m e.

We are not aware of what is happening around us or even within us. And we always think about the next thing we need to do, failing to feel the moment we are in right now.

Thus, Fluid Movement teaches my clients to slow down and to feel every movement, every step, to synchronize body, breathe and mind.

Harmony

Another aspect of the modern society is the perception that we are formed of legs, arms, trunk and head. No, we are one whole unit.

Fluid Movement develops the awareness of this one unit.

Fingers, hand and arms work in harmony with hips, legs, feet and toes. It’s like a dance, a very mindful and slow dance in Karate patterns.

Mental and Physical Relaxation

When the mind is occupied with Fluid Movement sequences I have developed myself, there is no more room for troubled thoughts, stress, anxiety, depression.

Furthermore, as our thoughts and feeling leave an imprint on our body in the form of muscle tension, releasing that physical tension through the Fluid Movement sequences will also lead to releasing mental tension and invite calmness and peace.

Your mind and body are always connected. And although the mind can function independently of the body, they still work better together.

Focus and Patience

I encourage my clients to practice the Fluid Movement sequences as slow as they can. This Cultivates The Art Of Attention And Focus (one of The Merisoiu Technique 20 Laws Legacy).

Focus and patience leads to more productivity and calmness as well as improved relationships with people around you.

Challenging the mind

The patterns I create are not random. They develop a certain type of movement and incorporate the principles of balance and body weight transfer.

They are also not something easy to learn. It requires a lot of co-ordination, focus and patience to learn the patterns and then practice to refine them, getting a better and more complete understanding of your body and mind the more you practice.

In fact everything I teach is based on learning skills, patters and techniques. Your personal creativity comes after the foundations have been set during your training with me.

So there you have it. Some of the benefits of practicing fluid movement as part of The Merisoiu Technique.

In fact, in The Academy visitors section you can see how fluid movement works. There are no specific fluid movement sequences but it will give you an idea of I mean.

If you’d like FREE access to one of the Fluid Movement sequences do book a complimentary call with me.

May 10, 2015May 23, 2015

How To Cultivate The Art Of Attention And Focus

Now this is a challenging topic for me to write about. There are many ways you can cultivate the art of attention and focus. I will only show you one way, or rather 3, the way I practice.

The magic word is indeed “practice”. Just like we can lose anything, muscle, weight, discipline, faith, we can also lose the ability to focus.

The reason this is difficult for me to explain is because I was taught attention, focus, discipline from a very early age, 8 years old, when I began practicing karate.

So now the challenge is for me to teach others how to do it….my way. Of course I could easily go to others who have systems in place to coach others to develop such skills. But what’s the point then? They will never ever be able to show you how I did it, how I made it possible, my way.

So let’s get to it.

If I was to choose 3 ways to cultivate attention and focus those would be:

Look and See

We all look at things. We look at people around us, at trees, at buildings, at the device you are reading this on. But do you actually see….anything at all?

Do you actually SEE the colours, shapes, sizes and patterns. So often we just go through the day blindfolded and in a rush.

When I walk many times I try to imagine I’m slowing down time. Imagine Matrix, it’s old school but a great way to imagine what I do.

So I slow down time, not slow down my pace, and I look and see things that I’d normally just walk by, things that most people don’t see.

For example: a spot on a leaf, a chewing gum stuck on the sidewalk, a spot on the bark of a tree, a drop of water

Touch and Feel

Again a personal example. Walking to my Karate class I pass by a cemetery (a nice one though) and the fence is covered in trees, bushes and flowers.

Many times, slowing down time as before, I touch the leaves and the flowers, while I walk past them.

But it’s not just touching, is feeling their softness or harshness, feeling the drops of rain, the freshness of those drops.

Listen and Hear

We are seldom aware of what’s going on around us. We walk around like zombie or robots, and I do the same, I am part of it.

Yet sometimes, when you slow down time (there’s that “slow down” again) we begin to actually hear things we’ve never heard before.

As you walk down the street or sit on the tube or bus try to find all the sounds you can possibly find. Count them. See how many sounds you can capture.

You’ll be amazed at what happens when you do this. Please try it and leave a comment or email me. I’d like to hear your experience because it will be totally different than mine or anyone else’s

The common element

That’s the “slowing down” element. That’s the pause, the stop, the moment of stillness.

That’s what we’ve lose as humans in our pursuit for better, faster, stronger. I do the same, but from time to time I practice the Art Of Attention And Focus.

When you manage to do that you are cultivating the art of attention and focus. Practice these are your life will change for the better.

The way you go through life, the way you see the world, how you feel and what you listen to will change the way you live your life.

These are the things that I do with my clients. Sometimes our sessions are really physically challenging but other times we challenge the mind and spirit so we develop at all levels not just one.

April 11, 2015January 5, 2019

Where Do You Hold Your Stress? And 5 Steps To Combat Stress

You heard me say it before and I will say it again: your mind and body are always connected. One influences the other and when one is out of balance the other will be as well.

[tweetthis]Your mind and body are always connected. One influences the other and when one is out of balance the other will be as well. [/tweetthis]

Good, now that we got that down let us talk about how you can combat stress easier.

So if the body is connected to the mind and vice-versa that means that by relaxing one of them the other will relax as well. Right? (good, happy you agree with me).

Now, the mind is a very complex system and sometimes it just does whatever it wants. Sometimes it’s just difficult to calm it down.

However, we can easily address the body. Well…..easier. By releasing physical stress, tensions, pressures in your body your mind will follow this process of relaxation.

We hold much of our mental stress from being business owners, mothers, wives etc in our bodies. Probably all of it. Everything that happens in our lives may be stored in our bodies.

neck-pain — Photo Credit: micolumnasana via Compfight cc

You may hold stress all around you body however the 2 most common areas are:

1. Shoulders and neck. Very painful stuff and the problem with holding stress and tension here is that you are restricting the nerve pathways leading from your cervical spine (The Arch Of Life) down your arms and so end up with pain and numbness in your arms, wrists, fingers

2. Lower back. Do I need to say anything about this? We all know that nagging and painful pain. The problem with holding stress and tension here is that you block other nerve pathways leading down your legs and can lead to problems such as knee pain which can lead to other problems.

The consequences of holding psychological stress in your body:

The less time you spend to relax your body the more tension you build up. And it builds up until the system collapses. Holding that tension in your body for years and years may lead to:

• Carpal tunnel syndrome
• Compression the intervertebral discs
• Chronic Lowe back pain
• Knee pain and even meniscus damage.
• Ankle pain and even Achilles tendonitis
• Should pain as mentioned before

The worst ones are those that send shooting pain down your arm or leg. Have you ever experienced that? Tension, tension and more tension.

How on earth are you going to RELAX?

Many of us struggle to relax. I know I used to, but not anymore. I learnt how to “let go” of my shoulders and arms with every occasion I have and I teach this to my students as well. The result: instant stress relieve.

So here are 5 steps to help you relax, let go and….get floppy as I always say:

1. Become aware of your body
2. Become aware of the places you hold stress and tension
3. Find a position that does not cause you to tens those areas (i.e. some desks make you unconsciously raise, and tense up, your shoulders when you type, that might be because the chair is too low or the table it to high)
4. Breathe into those areas
5. Visualize the muscles melting away and relax

Benefits of doing these steps:

Besides the fact that you feel awesome in your body again:

• you release that tension you put on your body and help it heal and recover
• you can be more focused and productive (of course with less pain to nag you you can actually do some work)
• you are more patient and calm with yourself and those around you
• you achieve more freedom of movement
• you age gracefully

I practice and teach more advances techniques. So if you feel the above steps don’t work for you then give a shout and I will step in and give you others that will work better in your case.

These relaxation practices and methods I teach should not be used to replace professional medical treatment. You may use them together with your treatment if you believe they are beneficial to you. Please also bear in mind that I am not a doctor or a therapist, but I do have experience and work with women who hold stress and tension in their bodies to help them let go it and achieve more freedom of movement.

February 12, 2015March 20, 2017

What’s All The Fuss About Mindfulness

What’s all the fuss about mindfulness

“Mindfulness” is becoming a buzz word. Do you agree? I see this word every single day, many times a day and sometimes it gets to the point where it actually bothers me. You see, when everyone goes in one direction I go the other way

However, it is also a very good thing, when it’s not taking time and space out of our busy lives. My job is to simplify things for you, and not make them more complicate. So I will tell you why mindfulness is good, in simple bullet points.

Meditation??

Mindfulness is seen as meditation which by many is seen as something else to do. It’s slowly becoming a chore, another thing on the to do list, something that takes time and space. Makes you not want to do it!!

But you are wrong. Mindfulness does not have to be meditation, a chore, a to do thing on the list and in fact it creates more time and space rather than reduce it.

Pay Attention!

From now on I will refer to “mindfulness” as “attention”. Because that’s all it is to it. Mindfulness is attention. Simple…

Why is it good to pay attention (bullet points as promised):

1. Smoother interaction of the physical world.

You see the road you walk on, you stop tripping and bumping into things, you drive better, safer and smoother because you actually pay attention to the road. You are safe on the street because you pay attention to who is around you and what they are doing.

2. Peaceful connection with your inner world.

Paying attention to your thoughts and emotions is one of the first steps to a balanced lifestyle and personal development. It allows you to better understand why you feel the way you feel (happy, energetic or sad and miserable) and how to approach a situation calm and in control or everything. When you pay attention to your inner world you re-gain control over your own life.

3. Enhanced quality of life.

Better quality relationships of any kind, better communication in the office, family and social environment. Choosing quality over quantity leads to a more happier and joyful life. Would you rather live 110 years unhappy, depressed and without purpose or live 80 years surrounded by happiness, love and fulfillment? Attention bring quality to your life.

4. Less physical pain and fewer injuries.

How you use your body determines the way it functions (Alexander principle). That headache, shoulder pain, lower back pain, knee, ankle and almost any other physical pain you may experience comes as a result of body misuse. Paying more attention to your body and how you use it will save you a lot of physical pain.

5. Improved overall health.

Holistic health is about the physical, mental, emotional, spiritual and social life balance. You cannot think about holistic health if you are missing any of the 5 areas in your life. Paying attention to your inner and outer worlds gives you the chance to achieve that balance.

I will leave you at this. Everything else derives from these 5 blocks and you can easily see the other benefits of paying closer attention to your inner and outer worlds.

But it’s difficult…

I know very well how difficult this is. But I also know very well how simple it can be once you understand that it takes no more time than you already waste being inefficient and unproductive because you lack attention in your life and work.

It’s so easy once you see how you can easily take your focus and attention onto everything you do, takes no time and not more space. In fact it creates more time and more space.

And I’m not talking about meditation. No wasting time, no more chores and to do list items.

This is where I come in. I can show you in 30 min how to become more alert and relaxed, more focused, paying more attention and be more mindful.

It’s so simple that my clients, after just spending some time talking to me become more relaxed and mindful without me doing anything in particular.

January 9, 2015May 3, 2015

11 habits to help you feel better in your own body

1. Turn off your devices when you sleep.

2. Sleep between 6 and 8 hours every night.

3. Don’t go to bed with your mind running around. Allow your mind to settle before you fall asleep for a quality rest.

4. For 1h before you go to bed avoid watching tv, checking facebook and emails or playing games on your phone. Instead read a book (a book with pages that is). You will wake up with more energy and avoid sore, dried eyes

5. Drink water throughout the day. The Earth is about 70% water, your body is around 75% water. We can conclude that water is life.

6. Move your body. After all that’s what it’s made for and we’ve been doing it for millions of years, it’s in our genes.

7. Smile. Science says that a smile will make you happier and it’s contagious, making people around you happier as well.

8. Reach for quality before quantity. Whether it is work related, personal growth or fitness strive for quality. This is help you be more productive, focused and appreciated for the work you do.

9. Breathe while focusing on your heart when you are anxious or panicked. It is the best cure. The beginning is more difficult but after 3-4 breathes it’s easier and you begin to calm down.

10. Socialize. I am probably the worst person at this, that’s until I go to an event, I meet wonderful people and then I enjoy it and feel happy for going. If you are not sociable, you could just be friendly. You may find interesting people to connect with and who knows you might even enjoy it.

11. Spend more time outdoors. Research shows that people who spend more time outdoors are happier.

If you’d like to learn more please download my free eBook “15 Healthy Habits For The Body” or book a free consultation with me.

January 7, 2015May 17, 2015

16 benefits of practicing deep breathing

1. Improves your cardiovascular system. Your heart is a muscle and, like any other muscle in your body, it can be developed through practice.

2. Removes stale air from your lungs.

3. Helps you heal faster by directing the breathe into areas of the body where there are injuries and illnesses.

4. Reduces your cardiovascular warm up at the start of your workout.

5. Reducing your recovery period after a workout.

6. Helps detoxify your body.

7. Helps you let go of tension in your body when you are tense, angry, scared or stressed, when your body constricts.

8. Relaxes the mind and brings clarity, focus, allows room for more creativity and productivity.

9. Relieves emotional struggles, calms you down in moments of panic and anxiety.

10. Strengthens the immune system. Oxygen travels through your bloodstream enriching your body to metabolise nutrients and vitamins.

11. Encourages good posture. When you slouch notice how your body closes up and your breathing becomes shallow. Then you take a deep breath, your chest comes out and your body naturally straightens.

12. Strengthens the lungs, they become healthy and powerful, a good tool to prevent respiratory problems.

13. Assists in weight control. More oxygen to your tissues burns up the excess fat more efficiently.

14. Boosts energy levels and improves stamina.

15. Improves cellular regeneration.

16. For runners, it helps you run faster, stronger and for longer

Here are 2 breathing exercises to get you started

Step 1. Make sure you breathe correctly, that means when you breathe in you make your stomach big, when you breathe out you pull your stomach in.

Step 2. Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth

Step 3. The exercise. Let’s take 4 seconds as count for breathing in, out and holds. You can adjust them to fit your level:

Linear breathing technique

I use this as a warm up for the others.

– BREATHE IN through your nose on a count of 4
– BREATHE OUT through your nose on a count of 4.
– Repeat

Triangle breathing technique

Imagine an equilateral triangle. It has 3 equal sides

– BREATHE IN through your nose on a count of 4.
– HOLD on a count of 4.
– BREATHE OUT through your nose on a count of 4.
– No hold after this one. Repeat

Adjust the in breathe, out breathe and holds according to your level.

More advances breathing techniques are square, rectangle, therapeutic breathing.

If you’d like to learn more please download my free eBook “15 Healthy Habits For The Body” or book a free consultation with me.

December 2, 2014March 13, 2015

How to let go of stress instantly

As women we wear multiple hats. We take upon us many responsibilities and a lot of stress. That builds up and before you know it, gets out of control. This in turn leads to anxiety, more stress and even depression.

It is important to learn simple and fast ways you can do instantly to relieve the stress, center yourself and regain focus. And here are 3 of them that I use most:

1. Focus on your Heart

Close your eyes, focus on your heart and breath 3 times (deeper than you normally would). Do this now…

Breathing straight into your heart helps you center, find quietness and inner peace. This is particularly important when you feel angry and you want to respond to the situation without regretting it later. This will help you respond rather than just react, throwing out whatever comes to you.

Photo Credit: martinak15 via Compfight cc

2. Relax your Muscles

Close your eyes and feel how your tensed muscles on your face, shoulders, back and arms just relax and drop. A deep breath or sigh can help with this.

Many times we hold our stress and frustration in our bodies. Actually most of the time and especially around the shoulders. When we close the outside world by closing our eyes, we allow ourselves to internalize the feeling, and just let go of the physical tension and with it goes the mental tension.

3. Fake the Smile

There has been scientific research done to prove that even a fake smile has the power to change your mood. Your brain does not make the difference between a fake and a real smile and it reacts the same, releasing hormones in the body which make you feel happier. Try this now…fake a smile.

All these elements are essential parts in my 6 step Outdoor Health and Wellness Program when I work with stressed out women to leave them feeling energized and transformed in as little as 12 weeks.

Please leave your feedback below, I would love to hear how all this has made a difference in how you feel while reading this.

If you’d like to know more please download my free eBook “15 Healthy Habits For The Body”