Gyrating, Rotating, Arching, Curling; Maintaining Health in The Time of COVID

Before the pandemic, my husband and I were spending countless hours driving hither and yon to studios practicing Gyrotonic and Pilates. We were spending hundreds of dollars each week and suffering through traffic jams and beach traffic to attend them.

Once we sheltered in place, we began taking an online class that has revolutionized our lives. Not only have our physical bodies improved, but our relationship has deepened because we are learning and practicing together.

The practice is called Gyrokinesis, and it doesn’t require any fancy equipment or costly gear. We wear comfortable clothes and sit on a simple stool, leaving a space about 5-6 feet away from each other to move. Now, that’s a safe social distance.

If aliens were looking down from above and saw us exercising on a chair, they would think we humans weren’t very athletic or fit.

But I tell you they would be dead wrong.

This movement, called Gyrokinesis, is engaging and allows us to move in ways we normally don’t practice in our everyday linear lives.

We have begun to understand that our bodies are meant for circles and spirals, for stretching and full-body breathing.

Rotating and feeling all the crinkles and crackles that come from the stress of our world. Releasing that stress rejuvenates  tight muscles, kinked necks and  tight hips. We feel springier and more alive for the rest of the day.

I once caught my husband popping bubble wrap after a class by dancing on it!

What is this practice of Gyrokinesis?

Gyrokinesis is a kind of moving “yoga.” It’s a method of movement that addresses the entire body. It opens energy pathways, stimulates the nervous system and increases one’s range of motion. It creates functional strength, all through a sequence of rhythmic, flowing movement.

The class we take is offered by Megan Reisel, who is certified in both the Gyrotonic and Gyrokinesis methodology. She began offering this practice at her studio in Lee, Massachusetts, in 2003.

Once the pandemic sent everyone scuttling indoors, Megan moved her classes to Zoom, with no driving or greenhouse gasses required.

This is one of the blessings the COVID virus has afforded us.

Megan improvises each session with sequences done both on a stool and standing. Sometimes we simply hang upside down from the waist!

Each class utilizes the same principles but in various sequences, keeping us engaged and intrigued.

Megan has been a teacher and student of various movement forms since 1971 and has developed expertise in corrective movement therapy. She holds two degrees in Dance, both choreography and pedagogy, advanced degrees in martial arts, certification and post-graduate degrees in Laban Movement Analysis, Gyrotonic and Gyrokinesis.  She is also a registered Somatic Movement Therapist.

Her 40+ years of teaching gives us an effective and enjoyable study of our own movement capacity and our human potential.

Her classes are simple to follow yet can be challenging at first.

We hook the Zoom up to our television screen and follow along with her movement and voice cues that help us through each session.

Each class utilizes principles that she has woven together from the Gyrokinesis method and her years as a Somatic movement therapist.

Her intention is for us to understand how to create a movement that supports our skeleton with healthy alignment. The exercises stimulate hydration throughout the body’s fascia, creating integration and flexibility.

Now anyone anywhere can enjoy the blessings of her expertise!

Megan offers daily classes in Gyrokinesis via Zoom online.

Each session promotes flexibility and integration throughout your body, focused on breathing through flowing full-body sequences.

We treasure Megan and her work. It has brought us a deeper understanding of our bodies and the connection to moving intentionally.

These changes have been a gift for us during the time of the COVID, and we intend to continue as we move into a world of new realities and potential.

You can find out more about Megan’s work and how to sign up for a class here: http://kinespherestudio.com//

Give it a try! You’ll feel more relaxed and focused, and better equipped to handle the stress we all find ourselves living with during these tragic times.

I bet even the aliens would enjoy it!