Root of Movement-Books and more

What people are saying about us:

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“I was intrigued to start an internal practice because I heard about the benefits of having a meditative practice, but I knew I needed something physical as well. Little did I know, that even in a year so much could change within my body and my relationship to my holding patterns. After class I feel magical. As if my body is a rag, I feel like I have just wrung out all the gunk. Throughout my day I can start to sense when I am tensing my shoulders - I can’t maybe control what stressors are making me tense, but I now have the ability to relax my muscles, creating less aches and pains later. I finally feel like I understand how to breath and my breathing is so much deeper. I have so far to go in this life long practice, but I am truly grateful for all I have discovered thus far. ”

— Kenna Tuski, Professional Dancer/Nutritionist, Queens, NYC

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“The way they present the material allows us to focus on the movements and our breath which I find carries over to the rest of my day. They make it incredibly easy to understand. I highly recommend this to any company looking to institute a wellness program or even just a workshop. ”

— Jason Havens, Senior Director of Managed by Q, Soho NYC

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“When I started taking class with Root of Movement I was in constant pain from an old ankle injury that kept getting re-injured. It had been treated by acupuncturists as well as Western doctors, but the relief was only temporary. It has now been six months since I started taking class and I rarely think about that injury. I am almost never in pain. Beyond that, Qi Gong and Ba Gua have released tension that I didn’t know was there before. I highly recommend these classes!”

— Javier Picayo, Licensed Acupuncturist, Chelsea NYC

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“I started training with Root of Movement several years ago without any prior knowledge about the internal arts or what they had to offer. Since then, every training session has been a rewarding experience that’s carried over to the rest of my day. ”

— Cody Gaspard, Bartender/Grad Student, Bushwick Brooklyn

“Jonathan is an exceptional teacher and his classes are a highlight of my week. My relationship to my body has changed immensely since studying Ba Gua with him - I feel stronger, more resilient and have greater awareness of my body’s structural integrity, balance and gravitational dynamics. Practicing Ba Gua and Qigong also compliments my sitting practice. Ba Gua was challenging from the beginning, but it quickly revealed a range of motion and movement that I was not accessing and have since begun to enjoy.”

— Daniel Cowen, Owner of Loff FIlms, Manhattan

“I have been taking classes with Root of Movement for about 2 years. As a person with significant health issues, I felt the need for a form of exercise that would help me keep in touch with my body and help to compensate for its limitations. Jonathan has been a sensitive and knowledgeable teacher. His enthusiasm for qigong and the internal arts is contagious. I always feel more centered and balanced when our sessions are over. I highly recommend this!
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— Renee Simon, Mother, West Village NYC

Getting older is an easy excuse to blame pain and discomfort on.
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But if age was the real reason, then all older people would be in pain.
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This is NOT the case.
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It’s as much about how we live throughout our days, weeks, months and years, as it is about the years themselves.
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Better movement + better breathing = slower aging and better years.

The channels and collaterals (meridians) don’t run on the outside of the body as depicted in acupuncture charts.
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They exist deeper within the structures of the body. .
When we get injured, have pain/discomfort and/or are dealing with a chronic condition, the channels are either contributing to the issue or are being effected by it. .
And the channels have direct relationships to the organs. .
So for example if you twist your knee, your stomach or gallbladder channels/organ systems can develop problems.
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Or if you have insomnia it could point to issues with the liver, heart and/or digestive organs. .
One of the key features of the internal arts is they address both the internal and external. .
They can target the channels & organ systems while at the same time they can address and correct muscular imbalances, dysfunctional movement and compensation patterns.
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We’re constantly moving and breathing throughout each day. It’s our responsibility to be doing it in ways that either support better function or contribute to our issues. .
If you’re still reading this, pause for min and watch your breath. .
Don’t force or control it. Just observe and notice if your diaphragm is dropping on inhale and you fill your abdomen and lower back or if it’s all up in your chest and upper back. .
If it’s the latter, take 30sec a few times a day and see if you can draw the breath further down through awareness and intention, NOT FORCE.
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Through consistent engagement with this one simple practice, your body will recalibrate and and start doing this all on its own. .
Good breathing supports the entire body and will enhance all functions including organ and channel systems, movement, blood circulation, digestion, mental clarity, tissue and cell repair and everything else. It’s a good investment of time and attention.

No doubt the quickest, easiest and cheapest way to increase energy, alleviate pain and discomfort, create mental focus and chill the fuck out.
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Most of us have lost the ability to breathe fully into our lungs. This seriously jacks things up.
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Take a look at any infant and watch as they breathe naturally into their entire torso - NOT just their upper chest.
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We have a diaphragm in our body that’s meant to flex as we inhale. This creates internal pressure in the lower basin.
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When we breathe correctly it feels like there’s a basketball in our body that inflates in all directions.
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This stimulates and massages all the organs, breaks up stagnation, improves sleep, promotes circulation of blood, fluids and energy, promotes peristalsis (moves the intestines which improves digestion and allows us to better absorb nutrients), turns off the sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight), and basically recharges all of our systems.
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But we don’t want to force it. The goal is to retrain the body to do this without thinking about it.
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But because most people have forgotten how, it takes some attention and consistent engagement to get it back on track.
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Imagine that when you inhale, the breath bypasses the lungs and first fills up your abdomen and lower back. Only towards the end of the breath should you feel the chest and upper back and inflate.
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If you can’t feel that happen naturally, just give it some time - it will turn on eventually.
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Try spending two minutes in the morning when you first open your eyes, two minutes after lunch and two minutes before bed. You’ll have yourself to thank when you start feeling better.
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#breathe #selfcare #freeshit #qigong #chinesemedicine #taichi #selfcultivation #bagua #naturalmedicine #lungs #digestion #painrelief

Locations

32 Union Square E Suite 615, New York, NY 10003
252 W 30th Street # 4B, New York, NY 10001 (Monday Evening Classes only)
28 W 25th Street, 2nd Floor New York, NY 10010 (Wednesday Evening Classes only)

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Life Nourishing Exercises. Health-Preservation. Meditation. Stretching. Self-Cultivation. All-In-One.