(not interested in a MONTH OF MORNING MOVEMENT? Scroll down a bit so you can opt-out of these MMM promotional emails) Hey Reader, There is a common belief within the yoga and fitness world that suggests that 10 minutes of movement is somehow not enough. There are many reasons people use to back this up: 👉🏽That for health purposes your body needs a certain amount of movement weekly to ward off illness or disease (this can come from fitness or health professionals) 👉🏽That by doing a small amount of movement, you're minimizing and undervaluing your needs and your time (this often comes from the momfluencer self-care movement) 👉🏽That it's simply not enough time to do much of anything worthwhile (my own husband has said this to me, but I've heard it from lots of other people, too) Does any of this sound familiar or ring true for you? Have you ever felt that way? I know I have. When I was a new mom, I grieved the loss of my longer yoga practices. I grieved the loss of being able to go for a run whenever I wanted to and the freedom to leave my house to take a 90-minute long weekly class. I grieved the loss of uninterrupted practices, now replaced by needing to comfort or nurse or change a baby. Although those tough days of early postpartum and infancy are long gone for me, none of those things I missed have returned. My home practices are typically less than 30 minutes long and are wildly varied, instead of just a quick yoga flow or a run. This morning I practiced choreography for 2 different dances, one contemporary and one tap, for a total of maybe 20 minutes. And I am really happy with my shorter personal practices. Here's why: I actually enjoy shorter practices. ✅ Moving for 10 or 15 or 20 minutes allows me to move my body quickly and efficiently without sacrificing health, physical benefits, or my enjoyment of movement. I've spent the past decade debunking the idea that longer movement practices are better. Science has helped me out with that, but I've also seen it in my life and in the lives of my students. This is what participants from the DAILY 5 and other programs I offer have said about shorter classes: "Gosh, I really love these! Thanks for the easy win every day. It's making a difference." "The 8-minute flows are the perfect bridge back to my mat and so, so, so accessible that I feel re-empowered to just keep trying. Thank you for all of the incredible work you do. It is making a difference!" "Naomi, I really love your format. You are absolutely amazing! What I like is that you have simple moves that you repeat, making them pretty darn strenuous. Combining strength building with mobility is hard for me, I admit, with so many months of no yoga. Honestly 15 minutes is about all I can handle right now. So really, this is perfect. Thank you!" My latest month-long movement program, A Month of Morning Movement features a wide variety of movement classes, ranging from 8-18 minutes long, while offering gentle encouragement (but no requirement) to start moving in the morning, via tried and true habit science tips. And it begins TOMORROW on May 1st. Here's what to expect if you join in: ⭐️ For every day in May, you'll receive an 8-18 minute movement practice from me, delivered directly to your inbox -- no more "not knowing what to do". I take care of the programming for you. ⭐️ These daily practices are: dynamic yoga flows (8 minutes), strength training (13-17 min), mobility work (12-18 min), bodyweight core-focused practices (10-12 minutes), and mellow classes (12-18 minutes) -- hooray for quick classes that are easy to slide into a busy schedule because most are 15 minutes or less. And lots of variety, too! ⭐️ You'll also receive simple, actionable tips for implementing a daily practice of movement, with a particular focus on making morning movement more possible -- this helps with habit forming behaviors that make motivation less of an issue, since motivation is fickle! ⭐️ This program will help you get on the mat everyday with more ease and joy, while giving you a well-rounded approach to movement. A MONTH OF MORNING MOVEMENT is for you if: ✔️ You've been wanting to start your day with movement, but it feels too hard for all of the reasons. ✔️ You've been wanting more variety in your movement practice and feel stuck in the same poses or practice you've always done. ✔️ You've been wanting to get stronger but feel a little intimidated by strength training and don't want to join a gym. ✔️ You want to move everyday but feel like you just don't have the time or the energy. ✔️ You are tired of decision fatigue and want someone to guide you through the entire process of choosing what to do everyday, as well as how to do it. ✔️ You thrive on accountability and need to report your progress so it feels like someone other than you is keeping track or cheering you on. If any of these land with you, know that I created A Month of Morning Movement with you in mind! So, are you in, Reader? Click here to join A Month of Morning Movement! And check out my pricing options -- created with all budgets in mind. We begin May 1st but if you sign up sooner, you'll get a few bonus videos to tide you over until then. See you on the mat soon! Naomi Not interested in a Month of Morning Movement? No problem. Click here and you won't receive any additional promotional emails from now through May1st. You will, however, remain on my overall email newsletter list, so you will definitely hear from me again, every Sunday for Movement Snacks. |
Naomi combines playful, powerful movement practices with the science of habit change to make it easier for busy moms to get moving every day. She frequently writes about the intersection of mom life, feminism, diet culture, and the unrealistic standards we hold ourselves to as women. Naomi is passionate about helping moms move more freely in their bodies and feel more at home in their skin.
Hey Reader, This has been a hell of a week. 2 weeks, really. I mean this personally, in that all 3 of my kids have been sick over the past 2 weeks and I inadvertently food poisoned myself right in the middle of all of that. I've also been soloparenting through the peak of the sickness. And it's also been a hell of a week for our country. For the world. Every morning I wake up wondering what fresh horrors I'll read about in the news. It feels overwhelming and scary and uncertain. I feel...
Hey Reader, I'm coming to you from my couch today. The plague has struck my family, so we're laying low in between visits to the bathroom. It's super fun. Anyway, I haven't really moved my body today because even walking is exhausting. But if I had just a little more energy and less stomach instability, I'd do the movement practice that is featured on my YouTube channel this week. I've heard from a lot of people saying they want more movement practices that are chill and grounding, but still...
Hey Reader, One of the backbends that I love teaching is camel pose. It's a fairly simple backbend and one that is relatively easy to add into a flow (unlike bow pose or wheel). To be clear, simple doesn't mean easy. But it is a more accessible backbend, one that is easier to modify than most of the other main backbends and still feel really good while you're doing it. This is handy, because like most backbends, it can sometimes be tricky to do camel pose without feeling discomfort or pain in...