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Hey Reader,

I'm about to head out on a hike with my family, so I'm going to keep this quick:

I used to love eagle pose, back when my legs weren't quite as strong and my muscles were less defined. That allowed me to get my foot behind my calf muscle fairly easily in eagle pose.

But even when I was a newer teacher, I was aware that not everyone could do eagle pose with ease. So whenever I taught it, I reminded my students that the goal is not foot behind leg; the goal is balancing in a precarious position. Finding steadiness in your center.

All of that is still good advice.

But what if that misses something really important about eagle that we largely overlook?

This leads me to my Movement Snack this week.

Movement Snack this week:

I can no longer curl my foot behind my shin in eagle pose -- not often, anyway. My thighs are more muscular than when I was practicing yoga 20 years ago. Even 10 years ago.

But as I've already said, that's not really the end goal for eagle.

Eagle pose is about establishing a strong central focus -- pulling inward so you can expand out.

And it's also about FLIGHT. There is something inherently silly about eagle pose because of the shape and how serious we tend to get when we are trying to balance that I wondered if there was a better way to approach eagle pose to bring out that sense of play and fun.

In my latest video on YouTube, I shared a more playful way to approach eagle pose that doesn't require you to twist yourself into knots. And you also might discover you can do more in eagle than you thought. Watch it here:

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Eagle pose is the pose of the month in my online studio MOVE with Naomi tin September. If you're a member, you'll get the opportunity to explore eagle pose in a wide variety of flows, as well as work on strength exercises that might help you feel more stable in eagle pose.

If you'd like to get a taste of what that might look like in a dynamic flow or a mellow class, I'm teaching flow on Tuesday and mellow Thursday at 12pm ET -- if you'd like to try one of those classes out, send me a message!

Lastly, my DAILY 5 program, begins tomorrow on September 1st. If you sign up for the DAILY 5 you'll receive a 5 minute movement practice every day for a month. These classes represent a variety of movement including creative yoga flows, bodyweight strength, mobility, mellow movement, and strength training with weights. The idea is to give you a taste of your movement options while building the habit of moving your body daily.

If you'd like a little more information, check out the webpage here.

If you'd like to see my 3 pricing options, you can see them here.

And if you don't want to receive additional emails a few times a week for the next 2 weeks, please click here and you'll only continue to receive Movement Snacks on Sunday.

Question of the week:

Pool or beach? I'll tell you which I prefer when you respond to this email to tell me your preference.

I look forward to hearing about from you and hopefully see you on the mat soon, too!

Warmly,

Naomi

Want to stay in touch during the week? Here are a 2 easy ways:

​Follow me on Bluesky, where I share daily movement practices as acts of resistance, connection, and strength.

​Follow me on substack, where I write about the intersection of movement, motherhood, and the culture that we are all moving through. Or better yet, subscribe so you have immediate access to regular essays, including my most recent substack about the new Netflix docuseries, Fit for TV. I reflect on watching the Biggest Loser when it first aired and something not enough people are talking about in terms of how we approach fitness for anyone. Read it here.

As always, if you'd like to support my writing, you can do that by simply reading and liking my pieces on substack. Even better, comment on them and share them with those who might love them, too. And of course the best way to support my work is with a paid subscription, which allows me to continue to do the writing I love and be compensated for my work.

I also recently published an article on Fit Bottomed Girls, an interview with Dr. Tyler Evans about his new book and the politicization of public health. Read it here.