The Body Project NYC

 

Gyrotonic- derived from the word “gyro” (circle) and “tonic” (to tone and invigorate) is a new form of training which combines the “best of all worlds,”drawing upon such effective modalities as swimming, cycling, Pilates, yoga and dance.  

Gyrotonic lengthens, stretches, and strengthens from the core of the body, and helps you access muscle groups nearly impossible to develop in other forms of exercise. The machine acts as a “swimming pool” in order to take you out of the normal gravity and compression that a body experiences every day.  This makes it possible to develop systematic changes in muscle coordination and alignment very rapidly, by re-patterning muscle memory and giving the body a three dimensional framework from which to work in.   Not only does this help you train and exercise in a more efficient manner, but it helps the body recover from injuries faster.  The exercises help to enhance performance in many athletic forms by increasing agility, endurance, and  vitality.  

**Rather than focusing on isolated movements or specific parts of the body, Gyrotonics’concentrated body work employs spiral and non-linear ‘whole body’ movements, supported by specialized equipment, for an exercise experience like no other.  Breath and the body merge to develop a level of flexibility, muscle strength, and coordination unmatched by other forms of exercise.   

 

The Body Project specializes in “Vinyasa”or flow-based yoga. Vinyasa is a gentle form of yoga, ideal for those who are new to yoga, seeking to build strength, or recovering from injuries.  Vinyasa integrates enhancing strength and flexibility by incorporating focused, gentle, yet rigorous movements with breath, alignment and energy direction through the body.  Vinayasa yoga is particularly effective in effectively expanding the strength and range of motion in the hips and shoulders, and achieving greater flexibility and range in the body more generally.  It is especially helpful for those suffering from back pain or recovering from spinal injuries. 

Relatively unknown in the United States, Bagua is a martial art that uses a special set of spiraling exercises that draw upon principles from the I Ching (“The Book of Changes”), a 5,000-year old guide to traditional Chinese wisdom.  Bagua uses internal energy as the medium of external movement to simultaneously increase physical fitness and mental well-being while developing practical self-defense skills.

Like Tai-Chi, the core of the Bagua system is the ancient Chinese art of self-healing, called “Chi Gung” or “Qigong,”which Bagua uses as a foundation for developing internal and external power as well as maintaining overall health and emotional balance.  

Bagua primes the body for movement- whether it’s dancing, swimming, yoga, or everyday walking.  It is an ideal way to improve alignment, breath, strength, and mental clarity, and it takes advantage of the mind-body connection to provide a time-tested psychological and physiological practice for coping with the challenges of modern life.