Hello dearest Warriors of Light, today I would love to share some of the work I have been doing to try and encourage the community to get moving. By making short capsules, my hope is to make physical training feel achievable and as though it should be embedded in one's schedule, however busy. It feels great to share my passion with the world, it is something I believe in deeply. Being active has countless health benefits both physical and emotional not the least of which is preventing heart disease. By taking care of yourself earlier in life, you can reap the benefits for the rest of it.
You can also increase bone density, fend off depression and be able to enjoy any flights of stairs you come across visiting waterfalls, bridges or cathedrals (Can you tell I miss travelling?)
Because I have been making my videos at different times of day, mindfulness has been instrumental in summoning the calm and focus I need. I try to be present in the moment as much as I can, and I fight the automaton that is constantly fed by our contemporary lifestyle. Rituals are best done at a specific time, but it needs not be the case as the more you embody the practice, the more it becomes part of any mundane thing you do.
I enjoy getting my camera (a phone) on a tripod, look at the lighting and preparing the exercises meticulously, the video is taking shape before I even press record.
I call them fitness snacks because they are nice and short.
This next video was made early in the morning when I am seldom up. My body had decided to awaken and I felt an urge to take my bike about 30 minutes from home and catch the light of dawn.
A group of Tai Chi practitioners were already on location, creating an invisible field of energy that was both nourishing and Zen.
I shot the content in 4K with the device quite far away, talking more quietly than usual. I had to use the Adobe Premiere noise cancellation to make it all work. The resulting sound is quite interesting as the growling of the city becomes louder and louder as it awakens; all of this to the sound of Chinese traditional music.
This yogic edition starts with a shaking ritual designed to reboot the nervous system. I believe it is good for immunity to tremble vigorously in this way as it helps all the chakras work together.
Among other exercises you will find:
- Lunge and Twist
- Circling the wrists and ankles
- Arabesque
The seagull cries
It's been so long
We are friends
Maybe...
Silence
Actual snacks are also encouraged, I would not want people to think that these fitness snacks are meant to replace delicious yummy food.
This next one was filmed on Zoom with my good friend Gillian whom I had been neglecting a little bit. She was so elated to do this dance workout with me, I'm not sure they make Warriors of Light much fiercer than this. What the video lacks in quality, it more than makes up for in energy!
We did another workout this week, this time with more individuals from her social circle. We will practice our choreography before we publish such a capsule once again.
Gillian is my favourite girl in the whole world. Every time I see her, my universe lights up like the sun came in the room! I love her joy, her melodic laughter and her creativity which is sure to get you moving to the rhythm!
Last but not least, I brought my fitness ritual to the peak of Grouse Mountain. We decided to go to the Bistro right when we arrived and my friends wanted to wait for a table indoors. I did not, my desire was to taste every second of snowy sunshine so I made this High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) video which consists of energetic bursts peppered with little rests.
I was elated to be there which is palpable.
At first I wanted to make these exercise videos as often as possible for a month. Two weeks in I am satisfied with the result and will continue to live out my passion but perhaps not as frequently because there are just so many things to do.
Every one of these snacks is special, it helps me cope with the fact I cannot teach group fitness in person at the moment which was such a big part of who I was.
With the onset of the pandemic and society at large slowing down, I have been enjoying increased mindfulness. Every moment is open to being filled with a ritual strengthening mind body and soul. Taking care of my physical self, a legendary machine I believe I have but borrowed for this existence, is a source of countless exciting adventures.
This post was inspired by a @naturalmedicine initiative, a terrific opportunity for the community to choose among 6 topics to write about. I decided I would talk about my exercise snacks in order to expand the rituals that have been keeping me sane and healthy of late. You can find the post here should you feel the urge to participate.
