503-705-4762

Category: Pilates, Yoga & Tai Chi

Lower Your Stress, Reduce Your Arthritis Pain and Sleep Better With Taijifit!

Taijifit is back by popular demand. Come flow with us!

What is Taijifit you ask? An hour long movement class, or “experience” as founder David-Dorian Ross describes it, that immediately brings you into a state of “flow”. Here is a video of DDR leading a class (accompanied by music so watch the volume if you are at work)

In traditional Tai Chi Chuan you learn to flow slowly and gracefully through a specific series of exercises, or forms. By focusing your mind solely on the movements of the form you lead yourself into a state of mental calm and clarity. The proven health benefits that come with this type of movement include decreased stress and anxiety, lowered blood pressure, decreased arthritis pain, improved sleep, and greater balance. The difference with traditional Tai Chi Chuan and Taijifit is that with Taijifit there is no form to learn, nothing to memorize, you just follow along, and before you know it you are flowing!

I have been incorporating these movements into my warm up exercises and within a matter of minutes my clients become focused, relaxed, and more in tune with their physical bodies.

Sound good?

Join us this Thursday October 17th at 6 pm at Fluid World Headquarters 1626 S.E. Sherrett St. This is a five class series that runs through December 5th. The dates are not consecutive, please see the updated class schedule for specifics.

Questions? Call Anne (503) 705-4762.

Yoga “Camel” Pose – Back Strength And Flexibility

We took advantage of the end of summer weather this month with outdoor yoga! Here Betsy demonstrates one of our September Five – Camel Pose.

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This is a lovely back bend that when executed correctly feels like a wonderful stretch for your back, neck, quads, abs, almost your entire body. I like to cue my clients with the “Fosbury Flop” image, or feeling as if you are clearing a high jump bar by lifting up and out through your chest (rather than hunkering down).

As with all of these exercises you should not feel pain in your back, neck or knees. If you do feel pain, modify this move so that you can hold this position and breathe.

 

Anne McCranie, owner of Fluid Movement + Massage in Sellwood (Portland, Oregon) is a licensed massage therapist and ACE certified personal trainer.  She loves to help her clients find pain relief by incorporating movement and massage into their self care program. Please see your health care professional for specific medical advice before beginning a new exercise program.

Bridge – One of Fluid’s August Five

How lucky are we to have such lovely summer weather? I have been taking my Pilates and yoga classes outdoors this month.

Here Kate demonstrates Bridge – one of our August Five.

Start with knees and feet hip distance apart. Relax your back.

 

Kate Bridge 8.13

Press into your feet to lift your spine one vertebra at a time. Think of stretching the whole front side of your body.

Kate Bridge 2 8.13

In the Pilates variation you continue rolling up and down, breathing and relaxing your back. The yoga version you hold for five breaths then slowly come down. Take your pick and see if you can do this move once a day for one minute.

Pilates Helps Golfer Develop Muscular Strength And Power

This week in Pilates class one of my ladies mentioned how Pilates has helped improve her golf swing.

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She has been doing Pilates and strength training with me for five years and has noticed improved core strength as a result. A competitive athlete, she plays soccer here in Portland. Her recent vacations have included hiking and camping in a remote Hawaiian jungle and ascending a snowy mountaintop.

This month her vacation included daily rounds of golf, in fact she often played 36 holes each day. She felt strong and relaxed while playing throughout the week and attributed her new found strength to the Pilates core exercises. Her internal dialogue used to be “ground your feet to the earth”. Now she has added “pull your belly button in” to activate her core while playing. I have noticed that she has developed a new awareness of her breath and greater muscular control.

Would you like to be a Pilates success story? Contact Anne to set up your initial consultation and see if a class, duo, or private session is the best place for you to start. (503) 705-4762

 

Anne McCranie is a Portland, Oregon based personal trainer and licensed massage therapist. She offers Pilates, Yoga and Taijifit classes, and private training sessions at her studio in Sellwood. To view Fluid’s current class schedule click here.