Our bodies have their ups and downs. Injuries happen, life happens, and as we age we just don't bounce back as quickly. Training resiliency is key at any stage in life so we can jump into a variety of activities easily. The GYROTONIC® Method helps just that by moving every part of us in a fluid three dimensional way.
Although it sounds like an overpriced Greek sandwich-flavored cocktail, The GYROTONIC® Method is actually a thoughtful and sophisticated movement system that addresses areas most people miss. It is not a new method but it will make you move in new ways, specifically in ways that are circular and rotational (‘gyro’), and that support overall health and vitality (‘tonic’). Like the name suggests, Gyrotonic exercise sequences are composed of spiraling, circular movements which flow together in a rhythmic way. The goal is to integrate the whole body and all the systems of the body to find balance, efficiency, resiliency, and supple strength.
This unique movement system was adapted from what was first called ‘yoga for dancers’ by founder Juliu Horvath, a dancer himself who started to develop his method throughout New York in the 80’s after an injury forced him to stop dancing. His method was inspired by different forms of yoga, energy work and his dance background. In that way it is a lot more fluid and three dimensional than yoga; it sometimes feels like dancing or swimming. He progressively adapted his method from ‘yoga for dancers’ to a more well rounded method he called GYROKINESIS®, to benefit all levels and all backgrounds. He then created different pieces of equipment to help support and challenge, into what is now called GYROTONIC®.
Both methods are known together officially as The GYROTONIC® Expansion system, emphasizing that strength comes from becoming more expansive, which we create with physical and energetic opposition in our movements. Like a web that is evenly spread, force can then be distributed evenly and not only on one part of the body over and over (a common way for injuries to happen). This is a resilient body, one that is adaptable because it is worked evenly in many ways without compression. The machines are designed to allow full range of motion in all dimensions, and they are built on a cable system to help support traction.
Every action in life or sports also requires spinal movement, which is at the heart of the method. In a Gyrotonic practice you will move the spine in all the ways it was designed to move, which is a lot more than you realize. And you will learn to do so in a way that supports decompression of the spine, specifically the lumbar spine which is quite vulnerable to injury. Beyond the spine the method emphasizes moving through all the joints in this fluid three dimensional way emphasizing arcs and spirals, strong and resilient shapes found throughout nature. Because of that all the smaller connections, joints and ligaments are also worked to help prevent injury.
Stagnation is at the root of disease and sometimes injury and The Gyrotonic Expansion system allows us to move in ways that clear stagnation and restore flow. There is a big emphasis on breath like in yoga; movement creates breath and breath creates movement. The fluid movements help start to feel more natural and not forced. Breath is also where we find our deep core strength, and once our core is awakened the rest of the body starts to align better.
Gyrotonic exercise feels really good too. It scratches an itch you didn't know you had, it is like a massage from the inside out. It is a creative, expressive system that encourages getting in touch with our 'qi', our energetic life force. When you become connected to your life force it helps you become more resilient. We must remember resiliency is something to strive for not just in our bodies but also our minds and spirits. In the work breath and imagery feed the spirit and the rhythmic continuous flow feeds the mind so that balance is attained by our whole beings.
A quote I love by founder Juliu Horvath is: "The ultimate aim is to be at home in one's body, to be at home with the nature of oneself. and to experience exercise as a creative and delightful experience." Movement is not punishment and it should be something that we enjoy and helps us live better in our bodies. That is what The Gyrotonic Method strives for. That does not mean it is not challenging, but instead it meets you where you are at and gradually pushes you to feel your best.
Julia Chubaryan is the owner of Studio Fala Moves in River North and has been teaching The Gyrotonic Method for more than 13 years. She continues to find ways that The Gyrotonic Method changes her body and helps clients feel better in so many ways. Fala means wave, a spinal undulation done in Gyrotonic and it inspires how she sees movement should feel: strong, fluid and rhythmic. Find out more at www.falamoves.com
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