Today's guest post on Papernstitch takes a look at the window seat, in styles from rustic to simple cottage to a modern glass box. Check out the full post, images and my comments here.

Last Sunday, I took part in an amazing event that coincided with the end of the first Ancestral Health Symposium that took place in LA. About 30 of us met at Venice Beach to participate in a MovNat workshop focused on natural movement - full body motion that translates to real-life movement, not gym-centered 'exercises.' MovNat is a system that focuses on basic principles of economy of motion, points of support, bodyweight transfer and relaxation while doing the following: climbing, walking, running, jumping, lifting, carrying, throwing, catching, balancing, and moving on all fours (defending and swimming are added in longer sessions.)

It was a fabulous day, and after a couple days of very stiff muscles, I am recovered and ready to go out to a local park and put together my own MovNat combos. I think the best thing about the system is that it really gets you in touch with your mind and your body. Although training (MovNatting, Clifton?) can be done indoors as well, there is something amazing about breathing fresh air and getting a little bit of sun on your skin that makes this type of movement training extra-special. You have to be focused, yet relaxed, to preform the majority of the movements. This is the way our kids move naturally until it is PE'd out of them - you've seen them, running around, jumping from sofa to chair to avoid the lava floor, crawling under tables and jumping over fences. This is how we were meant to move, and it's a hell of a lot more fun than spending time in a stuffy, sweaty gym.

-------------

I learned all kinds of new (old) movements, but there are a bunch of over-arcing lessons that I gleaned from this 9-hour workshop:

1. I am stronger than I thought: Ok, I'm no spring chicken, and I don't work out. I walk and I carry piles of bags of groceries (and the occasional huge dog food bag) without much effort. I've never shied away from physically hard work, but I did something Sunday that I would never have guessed: I lifted and carried a grown man (he wasn't huge) in a fireman carry! Seriously! 

2. I am weaker than I thought: Although I was always Queen of the Monkey Bars in elementary school, I found that I was unable to swing my leg sideways from a hanging position and get my leg up on a bar. If I'm hanging with one had on each side of the bar and lifting straight forward, no problem, but obviously, those abdominal obliques need some work. So I am going to take Erwan's (founder of MovNat) suggestion and work up to it by practicing hanging and swinging, pulling my legs up until I can finally get that leg up to the bar. While I'm at it, some focus on the arms from that position would be great too.

3. Efficiency of effort is key: Most of the movements require that parts of your body are taut or working, while the rest of your body is relaxed. This leads to economy of motion, where you only expend as much energy as you need to perform a movement, no more. So often we push ourselves and stay at full tautness in our whole body, when that really isn't necessary. You've seen someone who seemed to move effortlessly: my mind turns to Bruce Lee - there is a relaxed quickness and efficiency to their motions that look so perfect.

4. Exercise can be fun: I find the repetitive nature of standard workouts to be REALLY boring. Makes it hard to get myself interested in getting to the gym. But natural movements can be done anywhere, anytime. Look around you and find what you can use: Is there a curb? Practice jumping onto it from further and further distances, all with good form. Is there a wall? Balance on it, or launch yourself over it. Is there an open space? Think up a scenario where you are pretending there are obstacles to your path, and move to get around them. There's really no excuse not to move, and if you have kids, get them involved as well! They can play follow the leader, or can be your obstacles, whichever seems to work at the time.

5. I need to teach myself to relax: I am not by nature a relaxed person. From the time I get up until I go to bed, I spend most of the day either working or running around from one place to another. Even when I get a manicure, the manicurist has to remind me to relax my hands. So trying to create that efficiency of effort requires that I learn how to relax. Although I don't have a problem with taking time out, as soon as I am going, I am in a state of mild agitation. One of our lessons involved tensing one arm while keeping the other one relaxed - I kept trying to help my partner by moving my 'relaxed' arm - clearly, I need some work.

6. Fear should not keep you from trying new things: Although I was really excited to take part in the workshop, I was also a little nervous. I'm not a CrossFitter, or a gym rat, or even a runner. So I knew that this day would not be easy for me. Luckily after signing up for the course, I had heard a podcast with Erwan talking to Jimmy Moore, and he discussed that movement was appropriate for everyone of all ages and fitness levels. And I'm so glad that I didn't let that nervousness stop me from taking part! 

7. The Ancestral Health (Paleo/Primal) crowd is a bunch of really cool, nice, helpful people: The majority of the other attendees had spent the last two days at the Ancestral Health Symposium, some as volunteers, some as attendees, and others as speakers. The others seemed to follow much the same vibe - most eat paleo/low-carb and quite a number of them were sporting Vibram Five FIngers and other minimalist shoes. These people were amazingly supportive of each other, lending words of encouragment, and offering suggestions for books (thank you Dr. Emily Deans,) and supplements (thank you Dr. BG!) Not to mention that this whole group of people is a good-looking crowd, fit and happy.

8. Moving naturally works the whole body instead of parts: Although I can tell the parts that I worked the most (probably because those were the weakest,) I can feel that the day's movements worked everywhere. There was not a part of the body that was forgotten, and surprisingly enough, there was also no pain or lingering twinges in any of my joints! All stresses were placed on the muscles themselves, which is a sustainable way of moving.

If you are at all interested in MovNat, please check out their website. They provide 1-day workshops all over the country and in other countries as well, and have intensive 5 and 7-day workshops in West Virginia and Thailand. What a great experience, and I heartily thank Erwan, Clifton, and the rest of the attendees for making it such a memorable one.

Stop on by Papernstitch and check out my guest post on re-creating that simple, casual, rustic summer vacation/camp feel in your home.