Follow the Breath

Aaron Baulch, NSCA - CPT / MCT Level 2, / Restorative Exercise Specialist Student, is the owner of Mindful Body Fitness Studio in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Mindful Body Fitness is a MovNat Licensed Facility and is MovNat Tulsa. Contact him at www.Mindfulbodyfitnesstulsa.com.

Three Words

I often look back to the first time I stepped onto a yoga mat. I remember the exact date and time of day, the energies in the room, the smell of incense and the soothing voice of the instructor. He asked us to get out of our own way and reminded us to allow our bodies to move into and through each posture without to much "doing." He told us our bodies would unfold if we
were patient and our minds would quiet if we simply followed the breath.

Patiently allow unfolding?
Follow the breath?
How, Where, and to what end?

I was a beginner without any concept of a beginner's mind and I was searching. Searching and hoping to find something that might be able to stop the avalanche of past and present training injuries that were seemingly unstoppable. I wanted to stretch out muscles that I thought were tight. I wanted to work HARD...not just simply follow my breath! The instructor spoke of Patience, Balance, Mindfulness. He urged us not to force ourselves into places our bodies and minds were not ready to go... but I was a beginner and I was searching, as so many of us are, so I did what came naturally at that time. I forced myself into postures that I had no business attempting and struggled as my mind and body battled one another. Patience, Balance, Mindfulness...three words that compliment each other but have nothing to do with force.

In an Instant

No force necessary...

Learn patience, balance and mindfulness through MovNat

Today, more times than I can count, I remind myself and ask my students to follow the breath and to get out of their own way. Interesting how things can evolve. Typically, at our studio, we do not confine ourselves to a yoga mat. Choosing instead to practice locomotive skills such as walking, running, balancing, crawling, rolling and climbing. We use the manipulative skills of lifting, carrying, throwing and catching while moving naturally as we were intended; practicing patience, balance and mindfulness and visualizing the three words as we move. We hope to cultivate an awareness of each word while practicing necessary skills to establish a solid foundation in our MovNat practice. We can all move naturally, but moving naturally with efficiency is another animal in, and of, itself. It takes Patience to incrementally learn the skills that build solid technique - Balance as we develop every element possible in all aspects of our practice and daily lives - Mindfulness to be aware of how we feel day to day, movement to movement, both inside and out. MovNat has the ability to deliver these three words to us without force as it allows us to return to our true nature and to connect our natural movement dots in the process. Patience, Balance, Mindfulness...these three powerful words form a triangle. A three word triangle with equal sides and equal importance. We often close our sessions at Mindful Body Fitness in quiet and with lights down low. Three boards on the ground, forming an equal sided triangle, symboling the three words. We Patiently search for Balance through Mindfulness together.

Mindful Journal

Patience, Balance, Mindfulness...three words. Three words that have the ability to synergistically work together in our movement practice. As a teacher, I continuously refer to these three words. As a student, I continuously remind myself of these three words. Patience, Balance, Mindfulness...Three words that I now know are major pieces of куда сходить в Питере our natural movement foundation - MovNat pillars. Three words, that until several years ago, I knew very little about.

More than seven years have gone by since I was asked to follow my breath for the first time. It made no sense to me then, now it means everything. Since then, I have practiced and studied with many teachers in several movement disciplines learning that the importance of gaining and understanding of breathing should not be overlooked. It gives us life energy, guides us through our movements and is able to dissipate tension helping us to relax. My interest was awakened that day on a yoga mat. I had little patience, zero balance and had NEVER heard the word mindful. The breath, and learning to move with it, to use it as an ally, became a quest.

Patience-Balance-Mindfulness...
One year - three years - five years...
Yoga - Kettlebells - MovNat...
Mindfulness - Balance - Patience...MOVNAT...
Patience - Mindfulness - Balance...MOVNAT!!!