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.

June 16, 2015June 16, 2015

What Is Efficient Body Movement and Why Should You Care

Why you should care

First things first. First things first. Unusual way to start a blog but bear with me.

Your body and your mind are always connected. No matter what you do or when, they will always work together and influence each other.

When I began the journey of studying movement and teaching it I realised that the way I was using or carrying my body, my stances and my general physical state were influencing my state of mind and my emotions.

The same with some of my clients, particularly when we talk about stress caused by lifestyles, work environment, life events etc.

And this is more often than the opposite, although the mind influences the body as well.

However I noticed from experience and working with my clients that the moment we release physical stress release, psychological stress release takes place as well. And often this happens in a matter of seconds.

What is efficient body movement

I often speak about efficient body movement or body use. While my clients have a good understanding of what this means and most of them begin incorporating the elements from our sessions into their daily life, others don’t work with me so they do not know.

Everyone can move, everyone can run, everyone can breath, sit, stand and walk. No doubt about that. We do these day and night.

However efficient body movement or use is a healthy type of movement that nurtures the body, mind and spirit. It is the movement that enhances creativity, allows the mind to flow and the body to move with less restrictions.

It is the type of movement that allows all the functions of the body, internal and external, to function with as little resistance and restrictions as possible. It is the movement that allows you to thrive.

Your body is just like a musician’s instrument. You play that instrument. But unless you look after it and fine tune it you will not be able to make great music. It’s the same with your body, fine tune the way you use your body and it will function smoothly, with less problems and difficulties. And so will your mind as well.

[tweetthis]Fine tune the way you use your body to function with less problems and difficulties.[/tweetthis]

Is movement only about the body?

No. It is my belief that a relaxed physical state will allow the body and mind to function at their best. When we do not use the body in a healthy manner there is a lot of pressure and many restrictions at all levels. Movement impacts everything else, it is not only about the body.

There are 3 reactions taking place in our bodies at any given time: PHYSICAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL and CHEMICAL (i.e. digestion).

[tweetthis]There are 3 reactions taking place in our bodies at any given time: PHYSICAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL and CHEMICAL[/tweetthis]

Whenever there is an “emergency” in one of the systems (i.e. stress) the brain directs most of the resources to deal with that problem.

The downside is that it takes the much needed resources for other functions. For example it takes the resources, the energy which deals with proper digestion. So stress leads to poor digestion, which leads to poor nutrients for the body, weight gain and so on.

Can you see what’s happening here? Any imbalance of any sort, in the body or mind, will cause the brain to focus on that particular function more and leave the others aside until that “emergency” is fixed.

But what about the body?

Here I’d like to give you an example using posture.

When we slouch and/or tense our bodies we compress our torso and place unnecessary pressure on our internal organs, as the body collapses forward and head hangs backwards. And so the internal organs functioning is restricted.

And with restricted internal functioning, digestion is restricted as well as many other functions, but let’s stick with digestion, it’s easier to explain and understand.

If digestion is restricted then the body will not be able to extract the resources it needs from the food we eat.

When this happens our bodies cannot recover, nourish and thrive. And if our bodies cannot thrive then our minds will not thrive either. Besides what we eat and how we digest the food directly impacts the mental functions as well.

With restricted internal organ functioning, because of all the stress we place on them by slouching, many other problems arise at a physical, mental and emotional level.

What to look after

To achieve this balance, or rather to go back to balance, because your system will always try and get back to that, we need to look at the body and mind as one whole unit. They are not separate.

We need to address all three reactions taking place in our bodies at any given time: physical, mental and chemical.

So here’s a simple example on weight loss, because many people struggle with this.

“What is the reason I gained weight?
Is it lack of exercise – physical reacion?
Stress or depression – psychological reaction?
Nutrition – chemical reaction?”

Find the real cause. Because, for example, if your imbalance is caused by a psychological reaction you can tackle the physical and chemical as much as you want, you may even see results, but if you do not address the real cause, nothing will change, and the experience will perpetuate over and over again. Same goes for the other systems.

The brain will send all its resources to take care of that problem and that means it taking resources from the other parts. There’s your imbalance. Bring your body back to balance.

Allow yourself to thrive. Book a free call and I will help you with the first few steps.

June 10, 2015June 10, 2015

What Does The Warm Up Actually Do

A warm up simply brings your body into a state of readiness for the movements to come.

A warm up raises your heart rate, your body temperature and sends blood flow to the muscles to be used later on as well to tendons and ligaments. It also lubricates joints.

Remember the webinar I held where I talked about synovial fluid and fascia? If you haven’t seen it already you can request access here.

Benefits

Some of the benefits of warming up or preparing your body for physical activity include:

• reduced risk of injury

• increased flexibility

• better physical performance – you might have noticed that if you just start running the first 10-20 min are very difficult and then it gets easier; that’s because your body has warmed up

• better focus – you get into “the zone”; but this happens ONLY if you stop checking your phone, facebook and texting during your session (unless there is a good reason for it of course)

The warm-up is like a heater. Some heaters don’t heat up the room until they have reaches a certain temperature themselves.

Same with the body, the body needs to reach a certain temperature, flexibility and level of preparation to function at its best.

Components

1. Low intensity cardio – to raise your heart rate and body temperature
2. Dynamic movement – to mobilize the muscles, tendons and ligaments
3. Agility, acceleration, deceleration, speed drills – specific to your sport
4. Sport specific skills

Guidelines for warm-up

• start with low intensity cardio

• start slow and build up

• do dynamic movements (for example this one) and not static stretches (static are the ones you hold for 10-15 sec and are for cool down section)

• mimic movements you planned for your main section of your workout or specific to your sport

• “wake up” your core – do a couple of planks, some pressups, squats etc

• but don’t fatigue your muscles – particulalry the core as you’ll be using this no matter what you plan for your workout, even if you isolate muscle groups

Mental preparation

Having your body is in one place and your mind in another is the recipe for injury.

The 7th Guiding Principle Of Karate-Do says that Calamity springs from carelessness. That’s just lack of awareness.

Throughout time I noticed that it takes about 20 min to get the mind out of the work – family – other things and into the present moment. So this is the warm-up.

This is one of the many reasons the sessions with my clients are 1h30min and not 1h , 45min or 30min. I put a lot of emphasis on being aware of what we do at any given point in time.

This being said, do you have a proper warm up set for your training? If you need advice and guidance book a free call with me.

May 28, 2015

What To Do When You Are Short On Time To Train

If you don’t feel amazing then you will not be able to make others around you feel amazing either.

And to feel amazing you must look after your health. And part of that is movement. Not workout, not exercise but movement.

What’s the difference

Well training, circuits and training systems all have their place. As a qualified Personal Trainer I know the importance of a properly designed training program. It’s a must if you work towards a goal and need to make proper progress.

However I also advocate for creativity, flow and the pleasure or pure, simple movement. Sometimes it’s good to break the pattern, to stop counting sets and reps and just allow your body and mind to be creative.

So that’s movement and what I coach.

The benefits

Whether it’s simple movement, a properly structured training routine, a sport or just walking through the forest, crawling under tree trunks and up steep hills the core benefits are the same:

• Energy. My mother says it’s like an energy drink. She hasn’t done any type of movement in over 30 years! and how she started running, 1 min at a time.
• Reduce stress, anger, frustration, depression name it. And if you also do stretching and Fluid Movement you also reduce physical stress.
• It leads to other healthy habits, such as nutrition and healthy, quality sleep. They will automatically begin to change for the better when you start training.
• Done regularly it lowers risk of many chronic diseases, such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke according to NHS
• Boost self-esteem, mood, sleep quality and energy

You got the picture. You will feel amazing and you will make others around you feel amazing.

“If exercise were a pill, it would be one of the most cost-effective drugs ever invented,” says Dr Nick Cavill, a health promotion consultant.

[tweetthis]“If exercise were a pill, it would be one of the most cost-effective drugs ever invented,” Dr Nick Cavill[/tweetthis]

When you are short on time

Ok you have your business or are very busy at work and cannot fit a 1h or 30min full training or movement routine.

That’s fine. Because remember the things which will create a massive difference in your lie are small habits done on a consistent basis.

So when you have 5 min or 10 min you could do the following:

• A quick, short and classic routine: 50 star jumps, 30 press-ups, 30 squats, 1 min plank, 1 min side planks left and right, and add other exercises as needed depending on the time you have. Need help to decide what to do? You just need to ask, click here.

• Incorporate movement in your daily routine. This is my favourite. Here are a few examples:
o crawl upstairs
o balance on one leg when brushing your teeth (careful this can lead to injury though)
o before you sit down to have your meal do 30 squats
o crawl/inverse crawl/jump/frog jump around the house between rooms, if possible

• Stretch throughout the day.
You may think “ah stretching is no worth, it’s not going to help me with anything”. I must disagree and say you are wrong here. Stretching, unwinding your body is imperative to reduce physical and psychological stress. And if you bring in Fluid Movement that’s even better as it will release more tension in the bosy. So stretch often throughout the day.

Here’s what you can begin with. The stretch I teach all my students.

• Deep breathing exercises.
Ok, now why would I want you to do this? Well there are about 16 reasons why breathing exercises are important for your physical and psychological health.For example:

o improves and maintains your cardiovascular capacity.
o helps you heal faster by directing the breathe into areas of the body where there are injuries and illnesses.
o relaxes the mind and brings clarity, focus, allows room for more creativity and productivity.
o 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.

Read all the other awesome benefits of practicing deep breathing, here.

Breathing exercises

And here are two deep breathing exercises to begin with:

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.

I can give you more ideas but just try one of these and see how they work out for you.

__________________________________________________________

Alexandra Merisoiu is the Founder and Coach at Urban Women Fitness and creator of The Merisoiu Technique.

She works with professional women in their 30’s and 40’d helping them to relieve stress and take them feeling overwhelmed and exhausted to feeling energized, enthusiastic and transformed.

Her HODs (Habits Of The Day) series helps you

★ Change the way you feel physically & emotionally, for the better
★ Reduce aches and pains (shoulders, back, neck etc) and feel excellent in your own body
★ Be more calm, patient, focused and productive
★ Build discipline and learn to be consistent
And it’s a step by step process

To sign up for Alexandra’s 28 Days HODs, click here

March 21, 2015May 23, 2015

Why Weight Loss Should Not Be Your #1 Priority

Before I even begin to write on the topic I want to tell you my story on weight loss, or rather weigh gain.

Until not long ago I was about 10 kg heavier than how you see me now. That’s almost 2 stones and I am sure at some points I was 2 stones heavier than what I am now.

And let me tell you something. After you are an athlete training 6 days a week and eating whatever you wanted and whenever, drinking soft drinks , eating fast food and never putting any weight on, not even knowing what cellulite it, putting 10kg on brings you down like a rock in a lake. It’s really a shock.

Ok, so now you know I had to lose weight myself. Busted!

How gained weight in the first place

I took a break from Karate and for almost 2 years my physical activity went from 6 training session a week to 1….. maybe!

However my food intake was the same AND I started eating fast food and eating out with my friends as well as drinking soft drinks more than before.

#1 mistake: lack of physical activity

#2 mistake: junk food and eating out

#3 mistake: stressed out because of the extra weight and quality of food intake

How I got back to my normal weight

Habit #1

stop eating out, junk food, soft drinks, even sauces with my food.

My mother put me on a diet of grilled meat, salads, fruit and whatever else she thought I needed to nourish my body. Rice and potatoes once a week, maybe twice. Bread …..not really. Pasta never, we are not pasta lovers.

My mother is a diet genius I tell ya! She helped me lose the weight and keep it off. Would you like a consultation with her ? :)) Ah, sorry to disappoint you but you are stuck with me.

Habit #2

Stop spending time with friends so often and start training and running. That’s when I fell in love with running, 7-8 years ago I think.

Habit #3

Stop thinking about losing weight. And this is THE SECRET. Allow me to elaborate on this idea.

Focus on losing weight and it will become the most difficult thing in the world. That’s because it takes time.

You have ups and downs and it’s so easy to get demoralized when you see the scale showing you lost weight today and next week you are 1kg heavier. Drove me nuts!

This is why you should not make weight loss your #1 priority. Rather than making weight loss your priority focus on the process:

1. Eat healthy, unprocessed food. Find foods that are simple and grilled meat with fresh vegetable salads are a great starting point. Eat….more……salads!

2. Find a sport or type of exercise you like and can get better at. Where you learn something rather than just burn calories for the sake of burning calories.

Where you feel fantastic that today you managed to do that exercise you worked on for weeks. It’s exciting! And accomplishment.

Where you come with a smile on your face knowing you have no idea what you’ll be doing. It’s always a surprise.

Doing the same routine you did yesterday, the day before and last week will just make you feel like you’re not going anywhere. There’s nothing new, nothing exciting.

That’s why I love the outdoors and my clients love it as well, because every time you go out there you find something different.

Nature is never ever the same. And they learn what to do, why they do it and how to do it by themselves, they become their own mini coaches.

Of course training with me takes them out of their comfort zone, they learn more and so they make much more progress when coached.

And finally I spark creativity in them. I encourage them to allow their body to flow and be creative rather than just go from 10 press-ups to 20 and then 30.

3. Have patience

It took me over 2 years to lose the weight I put on in less than 2. How long did it take you to put the weight on?

It may not take 10 years to lose weight you put on in 9 but it will not take 3 months either. That’s is if you want to keep it off.

Lose weight without trying

Awesome isn’t it? Losing weight without actually trying. Just by giving your body the nutrients and the fuel it needs through good nutrition and movement.

That’s what our body needs to function properly. And when it functions properly then it goes back to its original weight and shape. You weren’t born overweight.

Weight loss is easy, it really is, when you stop trying to lose it and just look after your body from the inside first. And have patience

As usual I am here to give you free motivation and inspiration through my blogs. But I know how difficult it is to take the first step alone. Even I had a coach, my mother that is. Believe me, it was like in the military. No love and cuddles, I was on a serious journey to re-gaining my balance.

How serious are you about your journey? Are you committed enough? Do you do what you are told to get the results you seek? Do you focus on the process?

Let me show you the path you need to follow to get from where you are to where you want to be. And I will show you this for FREE when you book a call with me.

We will go through you initial weight loss goal. Then we will talk about your diet and finally we will see what activity you can take on to stop you thinking about weight loss and just focus on the process. This takes less than 45 min. Book that FREE call with me and let’s go.

December 31, 2014May 17, 2015

The difference between Flexibility and Mobility

Many of us understand the importance of being more flexible and the benefits we associate with it such as freedom of movement, recovery after workout and a general feeling of relaxation.

However, we use flexibility and mobility as one and the same thing. Or we talk about one but actually use the wrong terminology. So I wanted to shed some light on the difference between flexibility and mobility.

So here are the differences

By definition…

MOBILITY is the ability to move or be moved freely and easily. MOBILITY is an indication on how well and efficiently we move.

FLEXIBILITY is the quality of bending easily without breaking. FLEXIBILITY is a component of MOBILITY.

MOBILITY deals with how loose you feel, or how stiff you feel.

FLEXIBILITY deals with muscles length

MOBILITY is about the whole picture, how easy the body can move.

FLEXIBILITY is specific to a particular movement or joint and it can vary around the body.

A person with MOBILITY can perform daily activities or certain exercises with more ease.

A FLEXIBLE person may not be able to move as easily. They have the flexibility but not necessary the freedom of movement. Mobility can limit the potential we gain through flexibility.

Physical Therapist, Author and Coach Gray Cook explains that MOBILITY is actually more anatomically and physiologically correct because it encompasses any structure that could restrict motion.

FLEXIBILITY would only imply structures having tension on them. Calling all limited motion problems “flexibility problems” assumes that all can be helped with stretching. Sometimes it cannot.

Example

Mobility could limit the potential of flexibility. Let’s say your muscles (lats) are flexible enough to lift your arm vertical. But your mobility in your shoulder can limit that potential. Mobility is not limited to joints though. There is soft tissue mobility as well.

Important areas to keep flexible/mobile

Physical therapist and trainer, Joe Vega recommends we look after:

1. our neck

2. mid back

3. lower back

4. hip flexors

5. hamstrings

6. calf muscles.

It is important to foam roll/massage, stretch and strengthen these areas but not only. As your whole body is interconnected a tight muscles anywhere in your body may lead to tightness in another part of the body.

Benefits of flexibility and mobility

1. Prepare the body for physical activity

2. Reduce the risk of injuries or help recover faster from one. Whether we refer to sports injuries or simply slip on the ice or trip inside the house.

3. More ease of movement means more relaxation in the whole body thus less aches and pains, including that annoying lower back pain.

4. Helps with post workout recovery reducing soreness by driving blood flow to soft tissue

5. Improved posture. Tight muscles affect your spine’s alignment.

6. Increased endurance and metabolism

Factors influencing flexibility and mobility

1. Temperature, both body and environmental

2. Type of training. A gymnast will be more flexible and mobile than a cyclist, not matter how much the cyclist stretches.

3. Age. Although I do not totally agree with it. I have examples in my life who contradict this theory. It’s about maintaining what you gained through hard work.

4. Emotions. In his book “Stretching Scientifically” Thomas Kurz says that flexibility can be affected by anger, happiness, sadness, frustration, stress or how mentally burnt out we are.

5. Time of stretching. In the morning when you wake up you may feel a bit stiffer than normally. Although if you have a regular routine involving flexibility and mobility you could be flexible any time of the day.

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