The Movement Puzzle was born out of my love of movement. Movement is functional. It can also be blissful. We are embodied. Whatever our experience of our body is, we cannot choose not to have one.
When it comes to my own body, I challenge it through movement. This feels good to me. It gives me a visceral experience of not just being alive, but really living.
I like the phrase “functional movement”. It’s what I want to support as a massage therapist and yoga teacher. The phrase suggests to me the kind of movement that has meaning for each individual. Movement need not be glamorous or dramatic to be meaningful. I had a yoga student for several years who was motivated to start a practice when she realized that she was reluctant to get down on the floor to study a map she’d spread out to plan her family’s vacation. Getting up and down from the floor had started to become an effort for her. She started a yoga practice because “she didn’t want to turn to stone”.
I spend a lot of time thinking about movement and The Movement Puzzle blog is just the place to share some of those thoughts. I’m curious about all things movement-related. Currently, I do a lot of Ashtanga vinyasa yoga. I hike and backpack. I ride my road bike. I dance, mostly swing dances like Lindy hop, a little bit of salsa, and a little bit of modern and free form. I do all of these things because they feel good and make me happy. I’ve been slowly prioritizing more and more movement in my life because it feels great.
But movement is not often a priority in our culture and I’m curious about that. What happened to movement? Where did it go?
As a professional, I have taught Mysore-style Ashtanga yoga since 2007. I’ve been a massage therapist specializing in Connective Tissue Therapy and Structural Integration since April 2016. I was drawn to both practices primarily to help clients move with more ease and strength. At The Movement Puzzle, I’ve brought these complementary practices together!
My intention with The Movement Puzzle blog is to offer you some thoughts from both perspectives: personal and professional. I’ll share some thoughts from my professional experiences about what Ashtanga yoga and massage can contribute to your life. I’ll share my personal movement experiences and hopefully transmit some of the joy I feel out hiking, biking, or dancing! You can consider this part wellness blog and part travel log. I hope you’ll enjoy reading and taking part in the conversation.