Heart and Soul Method is an exercise movement method built upon the foundations of 7 core body plexus classes. The 7 core body plexus classes develop strength, flow, and balance through 3 different modalities within each class: hatha vinyasa flow, dance movement, and fitness fusion technique.
Practitioners are encouraged to connect the body, breath, music, and movement together for all of the benefits of Heart and Soul Method. This is a well-being maintenance strategy to sustain the energy behind vitality and longevity throughout our lives, taking care of the physical, mental, and emotional layers of our human system. When we have an exercise method that is fun, playful, cathartic and nurturing, we can heal faster for better health.
By practicing heart and Soul Method in the studio or at home as a wellbeing foundational structure through out the week, other forms of exercise become easier. We are motivated to be more mobile. Health flourishes when we are more mobile. As we age, we need more things to maintain our health such as exercises in nature. Weights, skiing, biking, surfing, etc can be done more optimally with confidence when we have an exercise movement method as this foundation to sustain strength, flow, and balance. A 75 minute class 3-5 times a week can build confidence with more action sports as we age.
This is how I incorporate strength, flow, and balance into the Heart and Soul Method to meet you where you are at and where you would like to go:
Strength
Hatha Vinyasa Flow: Asanas use intrinsic equilibrium, which is a way of supporting the natural weight of the body with the natural pull of gravity so that just the right balance is present in mainting each Asana posture. With practice, your body attunes to this balance more quickly, activating the right muscles in each posture to build strength. Each posture is held no longer than 15 seconds which is about 5 medium ujjai breaths.
Dance Movement: Dance Movement is in-between dance dance and dance therapy which is why it is called dance movement. The strength is in learning the discipline within your system overtime on agility of mind, body, and spirit working together in space and time to act quickly on your feet. Precision, memory, coordination, and just learning to be playful with the dance is fun to learn. It’s cathartic expression within’ boundaries is also developing a great strength in emotional intelligence.
Fitness Fusion Technique: The strength in this modality is building and toning the muscles. Getting a little deeper than asanas as more tension is applied to the muscle for faster twitch movements. This creates a burning and conditioning. We then had a full range of motion to the movement to massage out the burning so that there isn’t too much inflammation. This is apart of the fusion. It produces long lean, toned muscles. This is only 5-10 minutes and sprinkled throughout each class.
Flow
Hatha Vinyasa Flow: Linking Ujjayi breath with movement at a moderate pace induces flow. When all elements are adequately synergized together, moving consciousness in, through, and around sushumna, or central channel of the body, we can feel a sense of ease in body, mind, and spirit. Movements become easier as the body loses rigid “shell” like energy, allowing a freer sense of self to emerge. We become more turned on to life, we become more joyful which attracts what is good for our wellbeing to thrive more often… because we feel more connected to the flow of life. The moving meditation of linking breath with asanas that reflect nature science, invokes flow. Practice overtime brings about more ease to life.
Dance Movement: As we attune to the body, breath, music, and movement, integrating those aspects, the ability to flow in dance with accuracy improves. We practice the same dance sequence choreography for a few months so practitioners can sharpen their dance skills. When you know something well, you create more of an ease and flow.
Fitness Fusion Technique: this modality is meant less for inducing flow, however, as your ability to regulate your system improves with the other modalities, as your ability to control your muscles improves, your fitness fusion movements will take on a more fluid quality because you have then broken through the mental constructs that create lapses in movement control.
Balance
Hatha Vinyasa Flow: One of the body plexus Heart and Soul Method classes is called Standing and Balancing. The body plexus located below the feet and in the Coccyx area of the spine assist in finding and maintaining our sense of balance. In this class we focus more on standing and balancing postures for this purpose. Everything learns to work together to balance in crow pose, tree pose, and sunrise to name a few asanas. Asanas help to absorb involuntary movement wobbles, falls, and tiredness, so that intrinsic equilibrium can be more felt. This creates a deeper sense of balance.
Dance Movement: Shifting from one dance move to the next, moving the feet in time with music developes more balance. The agility to hold your own frame, energy, and presence will improve an overall sense of balance.
Fitness Fusion Technique: In a lot of the movements there is a strong place of stability, especially in the core of the body, also known as center or the solar plexus. We develop stronger muscles to help maintain balance in doing various activities. Asana is good for this too as it strengthens the legs for optimal balance, but acute focus to particular muscle groups, developing the core of the body, is just as important.
All movement modalities within The Heart and Soul Method Classes improve strength, flow, and balance. They synergistically work together so the body learns how to regulate the system in all layers, in all body plexuses.