This evening was nothing groundbreaking.
In fact, it was highly repetitive of my last two solo sessions here in the hall. But as I stood there at the end, letting the blood settle back down into this humanoid form, letting my thoughts settle, I realised that’s exactly where the potency lies.
The session started with my regulated opening warm-up: 30 minutes of walking, going to the ground, getting up again, lunges, ostrich dips, and finalising with 10 minutes of smooth Qigong exercises just to open up the body.
This time round, I chose to explore the ostrich dip. I wanted to see how it impacts the breathing when we put our hands on the floor from a standing position while walking forward. I did it slow. Then I did it fast.
Moving at different speeds changed the data entirely. It got the heart rate going, but more importantly, it helped me see exactly where things were locked around the diaphragm and the intestines. It’s an interesting thing to explore, slowing down, becoming entirely conscious of the mechanics, and realising just how close that shape is to the monkey and frogger.
Next came 10 minutes of just rolling on the ground. Stretching out the shoulders, the back, the hips. Returning to old favourites like the pretzel and the gorilla, just letting my body do what it wants to do.
Then, 10 minutes of A-frame leg threads and incredibly slow bear crawls.
During the bear, I found a nice kind of flow, taking the alternative hand and foot off the ground and letting myself just fall forward onto the hand. It lets the body float, just for a moment, on two opposing limbs. It’s fascinating to find the levers there when you refuse to rush. You move to a deep, deliberate breath.
Of course, exploration shows you the limits, too. Transitioning from a leg thread into a backward crab movement, I noticed my coordination was somewhat off. You certainly start to recognise where things are tight in the lower back and hips with that one.
To counteract all the sharp angles I was making previously, the next 10 minutes were just more rolling. Into the plough, rolling backwards and forwards to the side. Finding myself just flopping onto the floor at times.
Sitting there, I inevitably question if I'll ever become as mobile as some of the people I see online. But I accept that that’s not what I am here for.
The final block was an exploration of the squat. Moving from a four-pointed bridge, into a squat, into the hunter squat. Alternating sides without using my hands to get into position, feeling that deep rotation and opening in the hip joints. Moving from Frogger to monkey, to then just sitting in the squat for a while. Breathing.
I’ve been doing a lot of walking lately, so the tightness in the ankles was right there, especially during the hunter squat practice. But sitting there, bringing my spine into my chest to shallow out the rounded back for counterbalance, the breathing becomes incredibly healthy. I felt everything getting right into my gut. feeling alive, open.
From the squat, I did a couple of minutes back into the A-frame, into the bear, and finally back into the walking position where the whole session started. Coming back to a standing position. Spending 10 minutes just letting things settle. Reflecting on what was achieved.
The modern world constantly tries to steal something from us, a groundedness, a connection to our own form. But it can be reclaimed.
It doesn't require groundbreaking novelty every time you step into movement practice. It requires showing up. It requires consistency from the body. The strength lies in the promises we keep to ourselves to move towards something we already know we are inside.