No Bad Movements

Have you ever been under the impression that if you move a certain way, it could have serious negative consequences?

For instance, if you let your knees bend past your toes…

or your elbows lock out when bearing weight?

I remember when a teacher warned me against spinal flexion in forward bends, implying that if I wasn’t careful, my discs would surely explode out of my back.

For years I practiced according to an “If this, then that…” approach. As long as I remained allegiant to my teacher’s instructions, then the consequences of my practice would be something altogether enlightening: “If I soften my glutes, then I’ll experience the best backbends of my life.”

But if I failed to obey instruction, I’d suffer a drastic fate: “If I keep my glutes engaged, I’ll only have myself to blame when my SI joints crumble into tiny pieces.”

Can you relate?

It took me years before I stumbled upon a game-changing realization:

There are no bad movements. There is no guaranteed correlation between [doing this] and [experiencing that] when it comes to your practice. There is only lack of appropriate preparation.

If more students understood this, they wouldn’t rely so much on teachers for concrete answers.

But the unfortunate reality is that too many instructors and coaches want people to believe their word is gospel. And too many students are willing to be told what to do, when, without questioning anything.

I’m asking you to be the exception to that norm.

I’m asking you to acknowledge that the body is complex and mind-blowingly unique to every individual.

Your body isn’t an appliance, or a machine. It’s also not a sandwich.

It’s something that warrants inquiry, investigation and exploration. And even then it will continue to surprise you.

So why not immerse yourself in a community with others who are just as interested in asking questions as they are in getting answers? Those who aren’t frustrated with being told “it depends” and who actually appreciate being asked to think for themselves.

These are the people already jumping into Detour Method Online.

People like Noé, who operates a studio in Belgium where she and her partner Kevin endeavour to offer Ashtanga in a way that is intelligent, gentle and customized to the individual.

Or Robin, who just this year launched a one-of-a-kind yoga/Pilates/movement teacher training program in Hamilton, Ontario that sold out months before the first day of class even began.

Then there’s Katie, a mom of five girls who is also a yoga and classical Pilates instructor, paving the way for inquisitive and inclusive movement in Louisiana!

And Laurence, who was once a professional contemporary dancer in Montreal and has now discovered the work of Katy Bowman and Mary Bond, pioneers in the world of functional movement.

That’s just a taste of the awesomeness that awaits you inside Detour Method Online. Hours after registration opened yesterday (once we got those kinks worked out), people were already introducing themselves to one another in the course discussion group. The magic is brewing and we haven’t even started the training yet…

Talk soon,

Cecily