Hey
Happy 🍁 Wednesday!
Today's post is the last one in the four-week series spotlighting Satori Yoga philosophy. I believe that sharing the ideas that shape my teaching is crucial
because finding the right teacher can often feel overwhelming.
A teacher you "click" with will become an integral part of your success story; a teacher whose philosophy doesn't align with your goals will hinder your progress and can even discourage you altogether
(been there, done that!).
The first post in the series - "Embracing The Rhythm" - explained why Satori has a no-drop-in policy. The second post, "Why Shiny Sells and Basics Work," discussed the dopamine-charged allure of novelty and the advantages of starting with movement
fundamentals.
Last week, I gave you an idea of what it takes to build a meaningful movement progression. This week, I want to introduce you to the joys of repetition - a concept you are undoubtedly well familiar with.
Let's take "boring" out of repetition:
Repetition is not just about doing the same thing over and over. It's also about tracking our progress. When we consistently practice a particular exercise and gradually increase the number of repetitions
or their difficulty, we can see (and feel!) tangible improvements in our performance. This sense of progress and accomplishment is a powerful internal motivator.
Repetition is also about mastery. It's the journey from the broad strokes of a movement to the fine
nuances and intricate details. This transition may take time, but the feeling of everything falling into place after weeks, months, or even years of practice is immensely satisfying. That sense of accomplishment is hard to beat and will have you coming back for more!
It's some kind of magic✨:
Do you know how you get
sore all over when you try something new? For those living with chronic pain, movement repetition is especially important. Repeating the movements not only conditions our tissues but also teaches our nervous system that movement can be safe—and even enjoyable!
When we
repeat an exercise or movement, our muscles learn and adapt to perform it more efficiently. With each repetition, the neural pathways between the brain and muscles become more refined, improving coordination and muscle control. This process enhances muscle memory, giving us more confidence in our physical abilities.
The more we practice a new skill, the better our results. Mindful movement relies on muscle, motor, and cognitive memory, all enhanced through repetition. The more we repeat these types of exercise, the more they become 'encoded' in our mind and body. Eventually, healthier movements begin to inform our daily activities.
You become what you
repeat🤔:
There's one caveat here, albeit an important one.
When a movement pattern is dysfunctional, this dysfunction
is imprinted in the muscle memory - our muscles remember the movement we repeat, whether it is healthy or not. This is how we end up with sore feet, bummed knees and stuck hips.
Humans are not born with good or bad biomechanics. Instead, we learn to move by mirroring people
who take care of us - in the same way we learn to speak our language. So, if your parents had poor biomechanics, unfortunately, you most likely would as well.
On the bright side, your biomechanical story is not written in stone. A good teacher can help you fine-tune your
movements and find the right pace, so you have fewer flare-ups and more progress.
P.S. I am taking a two-week break from writing to catch up on a
few website projects. Happy Thanksgiving!
