This Thing Called Movement

In today's episode we dive into understanding the link between emotions and the body. Emily Wishall is a Certified Rolfer & Embodiment Coach based in Denver, Colorado, who is passionate about supporting women through the path from disliking their body to loving it. When you are not comfortable in your body, it affects everything — your confidence, career, relationships, you name it. Emily is publishing her first book this Fall 2021, Hating My Body Was My Greatest Gift (working title).

What We Discuss

• How emotions influence the physiological structure of our body: our fascia, our tissues and our posture.
• Changing Emily's relationship to movement from one that was punitive and focused on being skinny to one that was for joy, pleasure, and enjoyment.
• The importance of authentically connecting with our emotions versus suppressing, avoiding, or bypassing them.
• Why practicing embodiment is a game-changer in relationship to movement and your body.
• Examples of simple physical practices to deepen our mind-body connection and practice embodiment.

Resources 

• Join Evolna's Virtual Studio for Free
• Newsletter
• IG @evolna_
• Facebook
• Our host's IG @mariejanicek

Get in touch with Emily

• www.wishallwellness.com: Join her newsletter & receive a free Find Peace In Your Body Now practice to stay in the loop.
• Facebook
• Instagram

Thank you for tuning in! Please leave a review and share with those you think would enjoy listening!

Welcome back, friends! It's Mental Health Awareness Month and today we're shedding light on dance/movement therapy. We had the pleasure to interview Erica Hornthal, CEO of Chicago Dance Therapy, the premiere dance/movement therapy practice in the Midwest. She has 10+ years as a board-certified dance/movement therapist and licensed clinical professional counselor. Known as “The Therapist Who Moves You,” Erica has truly changed the way people see movement with regard to mental health. She has worked with thousands of patients aged 3-107 and is passionate about bringing awareness to the field of dance/movement therapy to mainstream culture.

What we discuss

• Debunking dance/movement therapy and how it differs from other types of therapy, specifically talk therapy;
• The mind-body connection vs. mind-body communication;
• Being mindful of our relationship to exercise relative to our varying nervous system states;
• Learning how to "invite the body in" — into the conversation with ourselves, into the self-reflective/awareness space;
• How the need for our bodies to be "comfortable", "familiar", "safe" can actually keep us in unhealthy patterns, because we are unwilling to withstand discomfort in service of improving our well-being;
• Moving our bodies is the bottom-up approach we need to address imbalances with our mental & emotional health;
• Finally, Erica leads us through a few movement practices you can implement right away to tap into your mind-body connection and shift your energetic state!

Evolna resources

• Evolna's digital movement studio is live! Try our 14-day free trial + 20% off any subscription (code EVOLNA20);
• Evolna's website to learn more
• Follow us on IG @evolna_
• Our host's IG @mariejanicek

In this episode

• Book: The Body Keeps The Score, by Bessel Van der Kolk
• Rudolf Laban's Dimensional Scale

Get in touch with Erica

• IG @the.therapist.who.moves.you
• IG @dancetherapysummit
• Facebook: EricaHornthal

Thank you for tuning in! Please leave a review and share with those you think would enjoy listening :)

Our bodies are made up of 70% percent water, yet by and large we do not encourage movement practices that cultivate that natural fluidity. Bobbie Ellis joins us today for a very special episode in which we discuss the nexus of how fluid motion, sensation, and intuition all work together to create coherent alignment in our bodies and minds from the inside out.

Bobbie has spent the last 37 years of her life devoted to understanding and connecting with the wisdom of the body. She is an esteemed teacher of Continuum Yoga and one of the founding members of the Continuum Teachers Association, having shared her work through prestigious organizations such as Omega Institute, Kripalu Center and Esalen Institute. We hope you find this discussion as revelatory and nourishing as we did, so without further ado, let's tune in!

What We Discuss

• Importance of embracing softening in the body and how it is crucial to supporting our health;
• Links between our sensory perception and how they help foster our intuition;
• How when we take time to connect with ourselves, we actually create positive changes in the world around us;
• An accident that caused paralysis led her to the Continuum of Yoga, helping her heal and feel at home in her body;
• Continuum of Yoga vs other forms of Yoga; its focus on the process of creativity and inquiry, rather than goals;
• The process of teaching 70 to 90 year olds to continue to be flexible, mobile and inherently healthy;
• Being hard vs soft-bodied, and its impact on our mental & emotional health;
• Understanding how water in your body can be fluid or solidified, and how this affects your overall health and bodily aches and pains;
• How practicing the state of safety and trust in our bodies via parasympathetic nervous system is critical to our wellbeing.

In this episode

• HB Studio https://hbstudio.org/
• Soma with Bobbie Ellis, Resources for Embodied Living https://www.somactr.com/
• Continuum Teachers Association https://www.continuumteachers.com/
• Dr Fabian Garcia, NY Physical Therapist focused on lymphatic system http://fabiangarciadpt.com/
• Heart Math Institute https://www.heartmath.org/

Get in touch with Bobbie

• Movement & meditation: www.somactr.com
• For ceremonies, like weddings, memorial services, eulogies and baby blessing: www.meaningfulceremonies.net
• Facebook : Soma with Bobbie Ellis
• Youtube - Bobbie Ellis and/or The Continuum of Yoga

Get in touch with us at Evolna

• Evolna's website
• IG @evolna_
• Facebook
• Our host's IG @mariejanicek

Hello Everyone! We are beyond honored to introduce today’s guest on the podcast, Ryan Hurst, Co-Founder and Head Coach at GMB Fitness. After a training accident ended his competitive gymnastics career, Ryan moved to Japan and competed in various martial arts until another injury made him reevaluate his priorities in life. Since then, Ryan has devoted his life to coaching others in strength and movement, but always lets his philosophy of “training for a healthy life” lead the way. He has lived in Osaka, Japan for the last 25 years, is a father to two young children, and the most important thing to him is to be able to play with them without pain or fear of injury. His mission is to show everyone that you can define your own fitness as a sustainable and enjoyable part of your life. He holds black belts in Kendo, Judo, and Shorinji Kempo, a purple belt in BJJ, and practiced 10 years as a competitive gymnast.

• How Ryan's long history with gymnastics, martial arts and the outdoors shaped his mindset and work ethic;
• His move to Japan as a student and dedication towards the practice of Kendo and Judo;
• Meeting his business partners Andy Fossett and Jarlo Ilano, and the beginning of GMB Fitness;
• The importance of making fitness simple, accessible and efficient for each person's personal needs;
• Truly understanding the WHY behind your movement practice and how it helps streamline the path to results;
• Prevalent myths of fitness and how they actually limit our health & well-being;
• Significant benefits of being process-, rather than results-oriented in our movement practices.

Resources 

• Evolna's website
• Newsletter
• IG @evolna_
• Facebook
• Our host's IG @mariejanicek

In this episode

• Book The ONE Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results
• Book Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art

Get in touch with Ryan Hurst

• GMB Fitness Website
• Instagram
• Facebook
• Youtube

Thank you for tuning in! Please leave a review and share with those you think would enjoy listening!

Hello Everyone, today we’re going to take a trip down south and dive deeply into the world of our feet! We had the privilege of speaking with Dr. Emily Splichal, Functional Podiatrist and Human Movement Specialist. Dr Emily is the Founder of EBFA Global, Creator of the Barefoot Training Specialist® Certification, Author of Barefoot Strong and CEO/Founder of Naboso Technology. With over 20 years in the fitness industry, Dr Splichal has dedicated her medical career towards studying postural alignment and human movement as it relates to barefoot science, foot to core integration and sensory integration.

What we discuss

• The problem with today's segregation of podiatry from the rest of our physiological health and movement practice, and how functional podiatry addresses this issue;
• Why feet are critical to our health and well-being;
• How sensory stimulation works and why it's a major component to our foot health;
• Advice on how to avoid excess stress on your body through your feet;
• How foot type impacts your overall energy disposition;
• For children, the importance of foot screens to curb childhood diabetes and obesity;
• Why foot health is brain health, and how integrating it into your lifestyle is the secret to longevity.

Resources 

• Evolna's website
• Newsletter
• IG @evolna_
• Facebook
• Our host's IG @mariejanicek

In this episode

• Barefoot Strong Book By Dr. Emily Splichal
• What is interoception
• Naboso Technology

Get in touch with Dr. Emily Splichal

• www.ebfaglobal.com
• www.dremilysplichal.com
• www.naboso.com
• www.barefootstrong.com
• IG @dremilydpm

Hello Everyone! We’re so excited to share today’s episode with you, featuring Quinn Tew. Quinn is a fitness, nutrition and mindset coach who specializes in women’s health and has worked in the industry for 14 years. She is devoted to helping women harness their overall strength and resilience by embracing the physiological power of the female body.

What we discuss

• How participating in aesthetics competition in the fitness industry led to self-judgement and an unhealthy relationship with her body;
• How pregnancy has shifted Quinn's relationship to her body by learning how to be more intuitive and listening to it;
• Syncing nutrition with the baby's physiological development process helped decrease her morning sickness, made her feel strong and capable and eliminated the risk of preeclampsia and gestational diabetes;
• The science of interoception and its impact on improving your relationship with your body;
• Understanding the menstrual cycle and infradian rhythm to harness the power of the female body and improve women's competitive advantage
• Why scientific studies have historically been damaging for women
• The importance of optimizing rest and the REM cycle

Resources 

• Evolna’s On-Demand App: 30-day trial for only $1 
• Evolna's website
• Newsletter
• IG @evolna_
• Facebook
• Our host's IG @mariejanicek

In this episode

• Eating for Pregnancy Book
• Interoception
• Dr Stacy Sims
• 23andme
• Infradian Rhythm
• Dr Alisa Vitti
• Women’s Code book
• The Period Repair Manual
• Interview with Charlotte Mia Rose

Get in touch with Quinn

• IG @quinn.tew
• [email protected]

Thank you for tuning in! Please leave a review and share with those you think would enjoy listening!

Hello everyone! Today’s episode features long-time educator and fitness professional, Jason C. Brown. Jason is the founder of the Kettlebell Athletics certification program. He is passionate about humanizing our movement practices, namely simplifying them and adding more play and pleasure in the process.

Today we discuss the problems behind the fear and intimidation motivations promoted in the fitness industry; why they fundamentally fail; how pleasure and play within movement practices fundamentally impact our mental and physical wellbeing. We’re excited to share Jason’s experiences and insights with you all!

What we discuss

• On the kettlebell, running the certification and the authentic, natural patterning it offers;
• Problems that fitness is not addressing when it comes to health and well-being for the average person;
• How the fitness industry uses fear and intimidation to promote its services, scaring people into moving;
• Shifting from health metrics to more artistic, expressive forms of moving;
• Finding more pleasure within movement, providing sustainability and productivity, finding movement practice that excites you and makes you want to come back to it ;
• What happens in your brain happens in your body, what this means and how it impacts your longevity;
• The importance of play and being in your body, rather than necessarily working out;
• Considering movement a practice, rather than a workout;
• Jason’s work focus shifting from kettlebells to bringing back depth and awareness to one’s movement practice and life;
• Going back in time and practicing what turned us on and brought us joy in our childhood or adolescent years (is that cycling, basketball, running, etc?);
• Why art is such an important component of our humanity, health and movement practice;
• Specific lessons that movement has taught both Marie and Jason;
• How simplicity is inherently complex and why this matters in movement.

Resources 

• Evolna's website
• Newsletter
• IG @evolna_
• Facebook
• Our host's IG @mariejanicek

In this episode

• Kettlebell Athletics Certification
• Pavel Tsatsouline
• Krebs Cycle

Get in touch with Jason

• Jason's website
• Jason's IG @ironkimono

Thank you for tuning in! Please subscribe, leave a review and share!

Hello Everyone! Today we are introducing a spicier subject on the podcast, pleasure and sexual wellness! We spoke to somatic sex educator, Charlotte Mia Rose, who is devoted to helping people find their path to a happier, healthier and more pleasureable sexuality. She and her partner Chris Maxwell Rose are the co-creators of Pleasure Mechanics, an online course platform teaching the techniques of sexual pleasure, as well as hosts of the Speaking of Sex podcast, which dives into erotic education.

Today we talk about how something as simple as touch is underestimated and neglected, yet critical to our well-being; how shame inhibits our sexual health and steps we can take to dismantle its hold on us; and the power of pleasure in improving not just our sex lives, but also our overall health & happiness. We’re honored to share Charlotte’s seasoned expertise with you all, so without further ado, let’s tune in!

More about Charlotte:

Charlotte Mia Rose co-created PleasureMechanics.com with her partner in love and life Chris Maxwell Rose in 2006, devoted to generating online resources about erotic pleasure, joy and connection. They combine their body based expertise with game-changing cultural insights that provide a unique path to a happier, healthier and more pleasurable sexuality. Their soulful and effective online courses teach the techniques of sexual pleasure to a global community of over 10,000 members, and their podcast Speaking Of Sex offers hundreds of hours of free erotic education to anyone ready to expand their capacity for pleasure, love, arousal and connection. You can find all of their offerings at PleasureMechanics.com

Connect with Charlotte:

PleasureMechanics.com

The Erotic Essentials Course

Instagram

Connect with us:

Evolna's website

Instagram: @evolna_

Facebook

Marie's Instagram: @mariejanicek

We are so excited to share our interview with Helen Phelan! Helen is a certified pilates instructor, integrative health coach, and prenatal/postpartum corrective exercise specialist. She is a former professional dancer who struggled with body image and disordered eating for years- and when she became an instructor she was determined to find a way to share the empowering aspects of a movement practice without diet culture's toxicity, and her method and online studio, Helen Phelan Studio was born. Inspired by the intuitive eating movement, Helen's method is designed to enhance your self trust and intuition by creating workouts that connect you more deeply to yourself while challenging you physically and allowing space for self compassion. She's been featured in Huffington Post, Well and Good, Mind Body Green, InStyle Magazine and more. 

In this episode we discussed body neutrality (what it means & how it benefits us), the politics inherent within health & wellness, and how sensation-focused movement practices support our mental & physical health. It was an incredibly powerful conversation offering so many lightbulb moments, and definitely one of our favorite episodes to date!

Where to find Helen:

Helen Phelan Studio 

Start your free 10 day trial to HPS

5 Step Guide To Stop Using Exercise as Punishment And Learn To Love Your Practice

@helenvphelan on IG

Where to find us:

Evolna's website

Instagram: @evolna_

Facebook

Marie's Instagram: @mariejanicek

We’re thrilled to welcome today’s guest on the podcast, Dr. Kellen Scantlebury! Dr. Kellen is a certified strength and conditioning coach as well as a licensed doctor of physical therapy. He’s the founder and CEO of Fit Club, a NYC-based physical therapy and sports performance clinic. Dr. Kellen is incredibly passionate about movement and helping others reach their goals through manual therapy and prescriptive exercise.

What we discuss: 

• The pitfalls and shortcomings of traditional physical therapy;
• Hybridization of training & physical therapy;
• Why mindset is critical to our mental and physical health;
• How Fit Club has adapted to online physical therapy, delivering even greater outcomes and improvements for their clientele during the pandemic. 

Where to find Dr. Kellen and Fit Club: 

• Dr. Kellen’s Instagram @dr.kels
• Fit Club’s Instagram @fitclubny
• Fit Club's Website
• Fit Club's Facebook
• Fit Club's Youtube

Resources:

• Evolna's website
• Instagram: @evolna_
• Facebook
• Marie's Instagram: @mariejanicek