Movement Coaching
It sounds silly – coaching about movement..? But the reality is is that there is an array of pain and dysfunction inhibiting our movement patterns these days. It’s rare for somebody to say that they have a happy and free body – everyone seems to have tightness, pain, restriction or tension somewhere. And this gets accepted as the norm. It needn’t be. And it shouldn’t be. Long term pain is one of the biggest stresses on our lives; it seriously drains our energy and our experience of life. The great news is is that we’re determined to do something about it. And we can. By using an abundance of tools and appraisal methodologies we can search for the potential of improved movement and movement capabilities. And this will help us not just physically, but mentally and emotionally too.
Purpose
The physical benefits of movement coachinginclude greater ease and range of movement, improved balance, strength and flexibility, enhanced muscle tone and coordination, joint resiliency, cardiovascular conditioning, enhanced athletic performance, stimulation of circulation, prevention of injuries, greater longevity, as well as pain relief, and relief of rheumatic, neurological, spinal, stress, and respiratory disorders.
Movement coaching can also be used as a meditation practice to quiet the mind, foster self-knowledge, and increase awareness of your posture and one’s physical body – your intuition about what your body needs becomes heightened in the process. In addition, movement coaching is beneficial in alleviating emotional distress that is expressed through the body – anxiety, stress, depression and more. Since movements and postural patterns are related to thoughts and feelings, movement coachingcan also bring about changes in attitude and emotions. People report an increase in self-esteem and self-image. The physical openness facilitated by movement coaching leads to greater emotional openness and creativity.
So how do we do achieve this? Through our Advanced Health Coach learnings with Dave Liow (Kaizen Institute of Health) and Movement Coaching education with John Polley (Be Free and the Next Level Mentorship), we have acquired an effective array of tools and appraisal methods that enable us to appraise movement mechanics and postural patterns. We gain an appreciation of the individual in front of us and together we construct a plan of action. We take into account how connective tissues (namely the myofascial lines of the body) affect the physical experience of the individual – be it in muscle or joint restriction, pain, neural discomfort, acquired movement patterns and even emotions. We’re about considering the whole body as one – an integrated model of existence whereby we gain an insight into the ENTIRE body, not just isolated parts. It’s this whole-body integration approach that helps us and clients to make sense of what they’re experiencing and why. And we don’t just look to alleviate the symptoms – the process involves us trying to hunt down the cause of the issue too – so that we can promote a healthier and happier body for life.
And you might just have some fun along the way too!
