
When the phrase "Breathe, Move, Change" became part of my teaching, it truly came from observation. I found consistency and success with each client when we focused on the steps in this order:
How is your breath? What are you doing with your breath - can it help you?
What does the movement do to your breath? How can the breath help you or impact the movement?
Do you feel the change? How did the breath change the movement or the feeling?
From the marketing perspective - I felt like it needing to be something more "catchy" or have a bit more of a trendy vibe to it. The words seemed a little too simple... something like "evolve" or "transform" seemed more impactful...
But ... it just kept showing up. Every single time.
Breathe... then move... then feel the change.
What I realized is I was trying to make something more complicated ... that really wasn't. It really is that simple, and it works every time.
What was most amazing to observe was to see clients feel such dramatic differences when I kept it simple. When I added in more words or instruction, they would get lost. I would sometimes often trail off and get away from the main intention or focus.
Keeping the words simple - Breathe, Move, Change - in my teaching and in the approach, has resulted in the most impactful moments for the clients I've worked with.
So ....
Are we making things too complicated?
From the client perspective:
We are constantly bombarded with all the things we 'should' be doing - fitness, nutrition, sleep, meditation, shopping, sustainability, reading, writing, chanting, walking, resting, gardening, working more, working less...
What I've witnessed is when we make things simpler and do less - it makes a bigger impact. But IMMEDIATELY the client feels like they are doing it "wrong" because it feels "too easy."
We've now been trained even with feelings in our body that if it is simple or if we get it right quickly, we must be doing it wrong because it "probably should be harder."
But what if it's not?
What if feeling better, moving better, and feeling changes within ourselves and our body is actually much more simple than we have been taught?
From the instructor perspective:
I've taken a lot of trainings (.... a LOT of trainings...) and they have all been impactful in my teaching journey. I've been able to pull from each training in every class or session I've ever taught.
And ...
the most impactful sessions and classes have been when I have simplified, focused on the breath and anatomy, and just moving on the equipment based on how it feels.
So - as with everything we read from someone else:
"that all sounds great, but what does that actually mean for me? What do I do or how do I start?"
What has to happen, in my opinion and observation - is going back to the breath.
NOT how we've been taught to breathe by anyone else.
... what does it feel like to take a breath in your own body?
What happens to your chest when you breath? Your throat? Your ribcage? Your shoulders? Your abdomen? Your stomach? Your back? Your sides? Your pelvis/tailbone/pubic bone space?
If you don't feel comfortable connecting with the physical body at this time - what does it feel like to take an inhale? Is it energizing? calming? supportive? What does it feel like to take an exhale? Does it change how you feel?
The first step in creating true change is to find what things feel like to YOU. In your body.
Taking instruction and following steps from someone else is great. Lots of change can happen from other concepts and ideas.
But if you don't know what it feels like to you first - you don't have any grounding to start from.
So, take some time today, and then possibly once each day, to just breathe.
In through your nose if possible,
out through your nose if possible.
Just notice what happens.
Feel what happens.
Feel where the breath goes, what moves, what doesn't.
What feels good about taking that breath in?
What do you notice that doesn't feel as good?
Do you need to shift or move a little to make it feel better?
If you did move, did you notice a change?
How did that change feel to you in your body?
Does it feel good to stay? Or do you feel drawn to shift/move a little more?
Oh... look at that.
Breathe, move, change.
Keep it simple.
You practice this anytime, anywhere to connect with yourself and your body.
You then connect back to YOU, your body, how you feel, and your space.
NOW you've got somewhere to start from if you felt you didn't before.
*one note: if you are struggling to connect with your body at this time, then MOVE might be where you want to start. I'll touch on this next, but please know if the concepts above seem a little out of reach at this time, then figuring out movements that feel good may be where you feel more grounded. The breath might be the starting point to determine if movement is where you connect with your body better, which allows you to change your approach. Know you have lots of options available!
Deep breaths,
Emily Freeman
Please remember these are my observations and approaches that can change moment to moment, client to client, and class to class. If they do not resonate with you or feel right - that's ok!
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