Alright, so can we be as supple as a leopard? And, why would we try and be anyway? Well, I think that this questions points us in an interesting direction. Inherent in the question is the idea that animals, especially wild animals, are more supple than people. This might be an interesting idea to debate, but I think we can all agree that many animals certainly display abilities that we human beings are incapable of.
But, aren't we capable of being supple, lively, bouncy, and vital too? Can't we stay nimble as we age?
I think the answer is yes, and how we go about doing that is probably up for debate. There's a lot of amazing work out there being done these days in the field of Natural Movement. Teachers like Katy Bowman and Erwan LeCorre have looked deeply at the impact our sedentary lifestyle has had and is having on our bodies. Their work seeks to undo the impact of civilization on our body and discover a more natural way to move:
WHICH I AM FULLY IN SUPPORT OF AND IT'S SOMETHING I'VE GOTTEN TO TEACH AND SHARE FOR TWO DECADES
While there are many approaches to this process, my favorite approach involves a very ancient method: moving like the animals themselves. If we we want to cultivate the suppleness of a cat, why not move like one? If we want the grace and poise of a crane, why not move like one? If we want the power and strength of a bear, why not move like one?
This might seem like an oversimplification, but modern science is showing us the power of mirror neurons and how what we watch we become.
And, it just so happens that there are several systems using these ideas that have been around for hundreds (perhaps thousands) of years.
Guess what? That's exactly what I will be sharing and exploring in my next 10-week movement series The Way of the Animals.
The class starts one week from today on February 25th and early bird pricing is available through Saturday at midnight.
You can REGISTER HERE
Tomorrow I'll conclude this blog series, and we'll look at how integrated whole body movement may be the key we're looking for. And, we might just take a look at some exercises that have been around for 3000 years.