Dojiva samples part two - MOBILITY class

Have you noticed that after years of stretching you’re not that much more bendy
Please read on for a new approach.

This is number two in a six part series of blogs show-casing the Dojiva Online Studio. 

Please join in with the above video that until now has been exclusive to the Dojiva Online membership site. It falls under the TAB of 'Mobility' and is a gentle movement class designed to improve your posture and suppleness and reduce overall tension.

The result... a more comfortable and functional body - all in just 32 minutes!

It's a free sample from the Dojiva archive
that has of over 100 classes available right now

The Dojiva difference

My philosophy on flexibility does not fit the normal modal. Too often, I see coaches and people pushing a stretch with the belief that the harder they push the more flexible the muscle will become. However, forcing a muscle while at it's full length is not natural and the body's response is in fact to protect itself by shortening and the connective tissues such as fascia, nerves and tendons become irritated. What to do… first of all, flexibility/suppleness flows best when the body is in balance.

To bring the body into balance we need to be conscious of our movement and posture in daily life. Having good alignment for 16 waking hours a day (112 hours per week) is far more effective than taking even five, one hour stretch classes a week.

Let’s consider a common postural complaint - round shoulders.

When the front and the back of the shoulders are at approximately equal length, we can say that that body part is in balance. Tension dissipates and function improves. If you then slouch and round your shoulders, the front of the torso becomes too short and the back too long.

Before long, you might experience some negative symptoms such as neck ache, reduced breath capacity, a stiff upper spine and an unsightly posture.

Let's continue this example... next, we need to join the dots.

The body never moves in isolation. To further improve the posture of the shoulders and for changes to be maintained, we need to consider the flexibility and function of the ribs, spine, pelvis, hips flexors, hamstrings and other body parts… they're all connected and very good friends who might just need to be re-introduced!

Dojiva ‘Mobility’ classes offer a return to neutral... to natural, to being at balance in your body. The Dojiva way is to flow with stretches, to be conscious of your movements, to allow your body time to adapt to a new more optimal alignment.

We often have a body part in focus, e.g. knees, hips, pelvis, spine etc, however we also move with consideration of the whole. Everything gets integrated through the body and into daily life. We have a name for it… functional movement.

The final part here is the way we stretch. Gone are the days of holding a static, isolated stretch for 40 - 60 seconds. My philosophy on all forms of exercise lies in finding a flowing version.

If our cave dwelling ancestors were able to watch a stretch class, I'm sure they wouldn't have a clue what we were up to! However, caveman/woman wasn’t put in such a posturally challenging environment; think chairs, cars, shoes computers, sports, extended periods of being sedentary, etc. Because of these more modern tendencies, our body easily gets compromised and even exercise can send us out of whack.

The body gets tight in one place but loose in another and this creates the imbalance with our posture and musculature. Left unchecked, tension creeps in and before long, the potential for injury increases. So, I believe we do need to neutralise our body on a regular basis and the right form of stretching can be very useful.

In summary, I want you to develop a harmonious relationship with your body... a new understanding of movement that leads to a natural and graceful suppleness.

Please check out the above video and if you would like to read more about the Dojiva studio, click on the link below that has full class descriptions and a short 'look on the inside' video.

Click here for that link

If you have any questions, please click on the 'contact' tab above to send me a message.

Take care

Many thanks

Danny

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Other Dojiva topics in this blog series will arrive early in 2021:

Interval training - you choose the intensity... low, medium or high
Meditation - a soothing practice to raise awareness and calm the mind
Mindfulness practice - how to bring your goals into reality (guided audio).
Health - interview with functional medicine doctor Robert Ruess MD

Already produced

Strength class - exercises for muscle, bone and connective tissue health
(For a one a hour workout, click here)