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 8, 2015

Why I Stand For 1h30m Training Sessions

Ever since I began practicing Karate, 20 years ago, I learnt that training is at least 1h30min long. Not 1h, not 45 min. And I kept it this way. Here I will explain WHY this is so important.

Today we have all sorts of sessions. And they are all good. They target different things, mostly weight loss or general fitness. And I agree with them all.

However, what they also do is turn us into little robots. Sorry…but the attitude of “get in and get out” is like programming a machine.

What is the general 1h training:

1. Rush inside the gym with the sole purpose of exercising and leave as quickly as you can. This is called “me time”

2. Warm up 10min

3. Stretching 5 min… most people don’t even remember that. That’s not even half of I do with my clients

4. Main session. This is usually a circuit of general exercises to target specific goals. The circuit, in many situations, is not actually broken into small pieces and each exercise explained thoroughly: how not to injure yourself, why that’s important, what muscles you are working and how to BREATH

5. Cool down and stretch….maybe….5min??? Noooo…..that’s not enough. And most importantly the exercises in the main session seldom improve mobility and flexibility. Read here why they are so important.

6. Rush out the door

So much rush and lack of attention and focus leads to all these injuries we see everyone suffer from. I’m not saying that not rushing will definitely lead to no injuries, ever. But the risk is far greater when we rush.

What a 1h30min session does:

1. Brings you THERE. Not just your body, that’s not enough, you are there with the mind. You are focused and prepared. That’s a true “me time”. This can be done through meditation or some deep breathing exercises (which by the way helps with warming up your body besides many other benefits).

2. Warm up, without rushing, ok…..that can be 10 min

3. Stretching 20 min!! Yes, 20 min if your training has a limited number of exercises which improve flexibility and mobility as well as working towards your final goal

4. Technique. Before the killer cardio session you go through ALL exercises which will be in the session. You break them down to its smallest elements. You adjust and make sure your body understands how to move and what to expect. This way you reduce the risk of injuries….a lot.

5. Cardio session. This is where you put into application what you practiced earlier.

6. Cool down and stretching, 20 min stretching again. If your session had elements of mobility and flexibility it can be shorter. But most routines don’t. Many of them tighten muscles and with 5 min stretching you are no actually doing too much.

And these are only the basics 😉

Benefits of such long sessions

I train myself and my clients like this all the time and here’s what happens

1. It takes you about 20 min to get out of the rushing world and work/family related thoughts. The world full of noise and clutter and into a moment of peace and focus dedicated to yourself. That’s the “me moment”. Twenty minutes.

2. Reduce the risk of injuries because you actually warm up properly, stretch and you go through technique. You understand how to move your body, how to adjust, why you are doing all those things you chose to do.

3. Your Coach is not rushed when explaining the elements of good posture, breathing and efficient body use which can make the greatest difference in reaching your goals and protecting your body. If they do explain these at all

4. You get the most out of your Coaches’ knowledge. Knowledge which you can take home and apply yourself whether in your individual training or daily life (like posture and breathing for example).

5. NO RUSH. I cannot stress this enough. We are always on the run. We NEVER ever have time. There is enough time. You can make time. You can stretch time. If you only take a moment… and breathe

6. You pay attention. Rushing around will only cause chaos, mistakes and injuries in your mind and body. Is a hardcore training worth all that? Causing your body extreme pain (the wrong kind of pain). Pay attention to yourself, your body, your movement and the world around you and you will be HAPPIER, FITTER and HEALTHIER

[tweetthis]Cultivate the art of attention and focus and your life will change[/tweetthis]

These are some benefits from the top of my head. But these 1h30min sessions are priceless for me as a Coach and my clients. They get the very best of me and my knowledge.

I have time to explain every little details, building strong foundations for 12 weeks before I let them go knowing they know what to do by themselves in the correct way.

April 3, 2015May 23, 2015

STOP Exercising! Do This Instead

Stop exercising and start Developing skills

Stop exercising and start Exploring yourself and the environment

Stop exercising and start Playing around so you enjoy life

Stop exercising and start Being Mindful of what you are feeling, seeing, hearing and doing

Stop exercising and start Listening to the life surrounding you

Stop exercising and start Discovering what your are actually capable of

Stop exercising and start Moving in ways you’ve never done before

Stop exercising and start Acknowledging the world around you

Stop exercising and start Paying Attention to how you move, live and breathe

Stop exercising and start Experimenting with new ideas and concepts

Stop exercising and start Being Creative with your body and mind

Stop exercising and start Learning & Growing

Stop exercising and start Feeling Alive for a change

Stop Being A Zombie.

For many exercising can become boring or feel like a chore. That’s because there is no passion in it. So many of us exercise just because it’s healthy and we have to because we were told we should.

Thus we end up doing it for the sake of it. There is no pleasure in what we do. And that for me is a waste of time and a waste of life.

[tweetthis]Learn, develop and be mindful and you will never ever have to workout a day in your life.[/tweetthis]

The Merisoiu Technique was created by bringing all the above elements together and more. The 15 elements above at the philosophy of the technique.

The Merisoiu Technique is not another fitness routine or bootcamp, it is based on technique, smart coaching, focus and creativity which enables women to push boundaries for physical, mental and spiritual growth and development.

So stop exercising and embrace The Merisoiu Technique philosophy right here at Urban Women Fitness. To find out how you can work with Founder and Coach Alexandra Merisoiu click here.

January 31, 2015January 31, 2015

3 Mindfulness Lessons From Practicing Target Shooting

Lately I’ve been thinking and talking about the time when I practiced target shooting. I practiced for more than 1 year, I even entered some competitions. Sorry, unfortunately I have no pictures from that time.

I also practiced archery but not as much.

I practiced target shooting on rifle but the pistol was my favourite and I was also better at it so that’s what I trained for mostly.

I was always amazed at how good I’d do in training and how everything changed when competing.

Target shooting is indeed a sport of the mind. It also teaches you about relaxation, mindfulness and focus. It’s a challenging sport.

Nowadays I still practice some of the mindfulness and focus exercises I learnt from my coach. And I wanted to share 3 of them with you. Here they are:

1. The finger on the trigger

Pulling the trigger does not just happen. If you pull the trigger just like that you will certainly be off target. The trick is to breathe in half way and hold your breath for 10 seconds then slowly push on the trigger, millimetre by millimetre.

Do you have any idea how difficult that actually is? :)) And how annoying it is when you pull it a little too fast and you are waaaay off target.

Awareness of how you use your arm, hand and fingers is essential in target shooting. And the millimetre by millimetre requires relaxation, focus and so much control.

2. Mindful of the breath

I remember this as if it was yesterday: “feel your breath on your upper lip”- my coach said one day. And you know what…this made a huge difference, it made my mind focus on the present moment.

I still do this from time to time. The feeling is unique. Try it…

3. Posture

Again with the posture. No matter what I talk about I still end up here.

That’s because no matter what you do, posture is the first thing you need to be aware of. Whether it’s showering, making toast or practice target shooting, good (and relaxed) posture should come automatic.

In target shooting, every millimetre of your body, of how you position and use your body can make the difference between shooting in the centre of your target or off it. One millimetre makes a huge difference.

This is what I wanted to share with you. Learn from everything in life, good or bad. Gather wisdom and later on, when you’re ready, pass it on.

Want to learn or practice some of my unique exercises or learn a good and relaxed posture? You can always book a free call with me. I’d be happy to share my teachings with you.

And, of course, to learn more about my philosophy download my free ebook The Merisoiu Technique

January 15, 2015January 15, 2015

How to relax your shoulders while you sit tall

This is another question from one of my readers who downloaded my ebook “15 healthy habits for the body“. She asked me how can she possibly relax her shoulders when she drives and sits tall.

Indeed this is a good question. We are taught since an early age that to sit or stand tall, with a nice straight posture we need to bring our shoulder blades together, push our chest out and pull the front of the shoulders back, chin in the chest. That is an army posture and it’s certainly a straight one.

You stand or sit straight tall no doubt but at what cost? You stretch the front of your body while the back of your body takes all the tensions. Your shoulder blades, your spine, your erector spinae (the muscles left and right of your spine), your lats, your neck they are all tensed and compressed. That uses a lot of energy and strains your body and adding everything else by the end of the day you are exhausted.

Where does this take us

This tension leads to pains in the shoulder region, neck, back. Physical tension leads to impatience, mood changes, frustration and mental stress. This in turn lead to lack of focus, creativity and productivity.

The how do we do it

The Alexander Principles teach us the opposite. That to be tall we need to be relaxed. It is about slowly re-aligning the body. Easier said than done I know.

But if you follow these 3 steps you posture will begin to improve as well as reduce the aches and pains your feel when you try to stand or sit tall.

1. Align your neck and head, shoulders, hips, knees and ankles. When you sit you align from the head to the hips. Imagine a straight line or a column going from your head all the way to your hips or ankles depending on whether you sit or stand. Now you are aligned.

2. Imagine a piece of string attached to the top of your head.

Let your shoulders drop on every out breathe. You can also sigh, it will help release the tension in the shoulders.

That piece of string slowly pulls your body out of the ankles, shins, knees, thighs, hips, pull the neck out of the collar bone and the head out of the neck.

This is the first thing I learnt when I began my natural movement journey.

3. Breathe in and out.

Breathing is one of the best ways to release tensions and pressures around the body. Anywhere you feel tension breathe into that area and when you breath out let go of all that physical stress. Feel your body melting with every out breath.

I cover all this and more in UWF The Merisoiu Technique Home Study Program as well as 1:1 Mentoring.

And this is how you relax your whole body when you sit or stand. The more you practice the easier it gets, the more automatic and natural it becomes. In the end you will be able to do it when you drive.

Please be careful in the road when you need to focus at traffic not on relaxing your body. Practice this when you are not driving until it becomes easier so you don’t need to think about it too much.

As usual with everything you do BE MINDFUL

If you’d like to learn more please download my free eBook The Merisoiu Technique or book a free consultation with me.

December 18, 2014December 18, 2014

3 steps to Mindful Eating and its benefits

Mindful eating is not about how many calories you get it but more about what you’re eating and why you’re eating it, what’s the benefit you get out of it.

Many times we do things for the sake of it. When it comes to eating, sometimes we eat just because we have food in front of us. Think about weddings, they bring you so much food you end up eating it just because it’s there.

About Mindfulness

NHS actually encourages mindfulness for mental wellbeing. Mindfulness is about being aware of what’s going on inside of us as well as what’s going on outside of us.

Whether we talk about mindful eating, walking or running, they all contribute to our mental and physical wellbeing.

There are many ways to be mindful. You can and should be mindful every moment of the day. But when “life gets in the way” we lose sight of what’s happening around and within us. It so easy to do that.

However we forget that mindfulness is an actual solution to our problems. When we are stressed about work, the only way to get out of a tough situation is to find the best solution. You find the best solution when you are relaxed, in the flow, mindful then you can get creative.

But we end up saying “I have no time to be mindful”. On the other hand we do have time to stress out without finding a solution to our problems. Isn’t that a waste of time?

Mindful eating

You eat every day. How many times do you actually see your food, smell it, taste it? I mean really feel its essence. Not a superficial experience.

I will be honest with you, I’ve struggled with this. Since I was a child my mother kept telling me off for eating too fast and no chewing my food properly. I’ve been working on it myself I know it’s difficult.

Instead of giving you many things to think about when you eat I would like you to focus on 3 things only.

3 Steps to mindful eating and its benefits

1. Have a sit

I used to eat standing and walking. I used to do this many many times, and I’m still doing it sometimes. This is mostly due to lack of time and the fact that if I am not home I don’t like eating out so I eat walking to my next destination. But these are some the excuses we all use, especially lack of time. Not a very good excuse.

Sitting encourages you to eat slower and pay more attention to what you are eating. It’s a break in the routine which slows you down and brings you in the present moment where you can truly experience the moment you are in. Your mind is nowhere in the past or in the future..

2. Chew your food

When you are mindful about chewing your food, you feel its texture, its temperature, its taste. You are in the moment where you can feel, listen, taste, touch and see.

From a nutrition point of view chewing your food has many benefit, among them:

– your body has access to more quality nutrients from the food.

– your digestive system doesn’t have to overwork, as the food reaches it already well chewed, so less chances indigestion.

– it slows you down and you are more aware of what you eat and how you eat.

– more aware of how much you eat

– it takes about 20 min for the feeling of fullness to reach your brain. So by chewing properly, you will slow down so it takes 20 min to eat your food (or less of it) of 10 min, you feel fuller faster with less food.

3. Disconnect

When there are several things happening around you there is little chance you are actually paying attention to what you are doing, let alone what you are eating, why and how much. So you end up overeating.

When watching a movie or the news the flood of information affects us at a mind level but also physically. Depending on what you’re watching you automatically frown, tense your lips, your jaw, you start tensing your whole body. Experiencing the moment is out of the question at this point.

Physically you are no functioning properly, you are not relaxed and you experience nothing. You end up eating for the sake of it, no matter what, why or how much.

If you want to experience the benefits of mindful eating, you have to cut out all distractions as much as possible.

To fully experience the moment you need to actually be in the moment.

If you would like to learn more please download my free ebook “15 Healthy Habits for the Body”