Mindful Movement is a practice that is based on principles from yoga, dance, breathwork, and mindfulness. I have drawn on a decade-plus of my own personal experience using these practices to live a more healthful and fulfilled life in order to create the Mindful Movement experience. Music and meditation are central to the Mindful Movement practice.
In a typical Mindful Movement class, we begin with a brief meditation and a few rounds of breathwork in order to center ourselves. We then begin to integrate our practice with music, beginning with slow, repetitive yoga-based movements and stretches designed to awaken the body and begin to fire up the muscles. As we make our way from working grounded on a mat to standing up, we begin to move into the freestyle dance portion of class. No prior dance experience or education is required here! During this portion of class you are invited to move as your body responds to the music in its own individual way, starting to connect with your inner self. I will then begin to guide us in some simple dance moves designed to warm up the body and elevate the heart rate. After working up a bit of a sweat (again, modifications and a go-at-your-own-pace approach is highly encouraged) we will begin to slow back down, and make our way back to our mats. From there, we conclude with more traditional yoga-based stretching and a meditation/savasana (corpse pose) to quiet our bodies and minds at the end of practice.
Inclusivity is one of the most important guiding principles of mindful movement, and we welcome all bodies and all levels of experience. Each of our journeys through Mindful Movement is unique, and I highly encourage you to modify your practice throughout class in whatever way fits you best. You know yourself and your body better than anyone else does, and I encourage you to honor that inner wisdom throughout your Mindful Movement journey.
There is no special equipment required for Mindful Movement classes, although a yoga mat is highly recommended for your own comfort and safety during the floor portion of class. Each class is held virtually and you can stream them on Zoom from the comfort of your home, the park, or wherever else inspires you to move mindfully. I encourage you to use headphones or a speaker system so you can follow along to the music and the sound of my voice, and I encourage you to stay muted so that you can exhale loudly, sing along, or otherwise use your voice in whatever way you may feel moved to do so in a way that doesn't disturb the other participants. I recommend wearing comfortable clothes that do not feel too restrictive to move and dance in, and going barefoot or wearing socks during class. Shoes are especially not recommend for the mat portion of the practice. I also highly encourage you to properly hydrate before and after class, and take sips of water as needed throughout your practice.
Most importantly, I am thrilled you are here and I can't wait to move mindfully with you!