Michelle Mark- movement

White trail shoes should not be a thing

Just 2 Wasian/Hapa mamas doing west coast things with our shockingly blonde children.

Lately I’ve been reflecting deeply on how culture impacts how we show up, our preferences, our values, our authenticity as individuals and in relationships. Culture is so much deeper than what colour your hair is.

You have your own story, unlike any other.

PS. I’m not a fan of “Wasian” it sounds whiney to me. What about you?

My latest movement obsession- pickleball!

Last year I ran a trail race with a group of friends and I felt flat and unenthused. One friend was soooo pumped before the race and even more excited after! I was jealous of the high she was riding as I sat hunched over in the rain watching her finish the 50k!

I later asked her about her enthusiasm, she told me that she was new to running and every race was so exciting. She got a “runner’s high” after every run and even finished craving the next one. To me running has become a habitual practice that I maintain for other reasons, but it does not bring me joy or pleasure.

“Novelty is the great parent of pleasure” (Robert South)

With this in mind, I sought out something new, exciting and accessible in my current season of life- pickleball! So much to learn, new people, new courts, and constant improvement (as is the case with most new things that we stick to consistently!)

Last year I was pretty humbled by the McDonald classic, since then I’ve played much more consistently and even taken a few lessons so I was pumped to podium, and am riding the high of that novelty still today.

How are you keeping things fresh movement-related or not?

Are you putting bandaids on your injuries? Only to have them rear their ugly heads over and over again?

Holistic Kinesiology considers the whole YOU, not just the obvious anatomy, physiology and biomechanics but the psycho-social, cultural, spiritual and emotional self that inhabits your body.

True healing involves more than treatment or manipulation, it involves reconnecting with yourself through awareness, nervous system regulation, learning and changing your habitual patterns of not just movement, but how you think about movement.

🚫Stop putting bandaids on tightly wound knots.
🏃‍♀️Instead let’s begin the process of untangling and find spaciousness and freedom.

Walking with my 13 year old the other evening, I glanced over with wonder at why she seemed so much “free-er” than I felt. Attentive, present, and deeply absorbed in the moment.

Meanwhile I felt hurried, distracted and weighed down. Finishing texts, thinking of future appointments, overdue invoices and emails that needed to be sent.

Then I noticed it, her hands were free. I couldn’t remember the last time I had walked hands free: no watch, no phone, no wallet, no keys, no dog leash, no poo bags, no library books, no AirPods, no groceries, no snack bag, no water bottle, no camera!

So I’m starting a new practice, a regular hands free walk. An easy and accessible way to practice mindfulness, insert more pleasure, more attention, and more joy into my life that is essential and fits within the cracks of this busy season.

So, when is the last time you have been hands free??

Fridays in my favourite spot.

Guiding clients to unlock rigid patterns and compulsive habits that are make movement harder than it needs to be.

Together let’s find easier, smoother, and more graceful ways to move through life.

I have a few spaces in June for Neuromovement lessons or Kinesiology sessions at drawHeart studio in Victoria.

PM me to book.

Life these days

Between sessions. Between shifts.

Blending beauty between the lines that separate work and play.

Forever on the journey of seeking alignment

Bring a bike. Always.

Circles often symbolize infinity and the circular nature of life.

In Neuromovement lessons I use circular rollers on the table to observe the flow of force through a well organized system.

With circular rollers under the joints a gentle movement in the foot can flow all the way through a well organized system out through the top of the head… into infinity and beyond.

Pain often arises when that flow is interrupted, or gets stuck, together we explore how to regain connection, ease and flow in your movement (and beyond).

The other (much more beautiful) circles were spotted on my walk @ willows beach in oak bay, (stequye by .laforme kent.laforme)

The funny thing about mindfulness is….

It’s so basic yet so so challenging.

To just be. In the moment.

🚫Not ruminating about yesterday.
🚫Not thinking about summer camps.
🚫Not rewriting emails in your head.
🚫Not reworking conversations from the past.
🚫Not longing for summer or shopping for Xmas.
🚫Definitely not scrolling reels

Just being. 🧘🏻🧘🏽‍♀️🧘‍♂️

But it’s a practice that trains your brain, settles your nervous system, and gives you the pause you need to be the best version of YOU.

Children (and pets) are deeply entrenched in the moment. They can pull you out of your deep thoughts and into the here and now, if you let them.

Next time you feel their pleas claw you out of the depths of your planning mind, let them. Let them draw you into their play, their current life-threatening dilemma, or their absolute bliss at the sight of a simple body of water.

And when you’re trying to be mindful for just a tiny stretch and notice your mind wanders….

🚫Don’t criticized or condemn yourself
❤️Just gently bring your attention back into the present