Psithurism
Psithurism. The rustling of leaves in the wind. Derived from the ancient Greek word for a whisper. I didn’t know there was a word for it. But I do know how it feels to hear the sound. Do you?
Category: Movement
— Martial Arts, Movement —
The ‘Why’ of Practice
During a profoundly inspirational Haidong Gumdo (Korean Sword Art) seminar with EUHGA Headmaster Sang-Hyun Han, the following question was asked by one of the participants: ‘why do we put ourselves through suffering in practice?’ I can’t piece together the exact answer, but I do remember I felt deeply inspired. The gist of Master Han’s response was:… Read More The ‘Why’ of Practice
Do You Even Plank?
As some of you who know me, know, I’ve been a fan of Planking since many years. The strength exercise variation of it, though, long remained elusive to me, because I struggled with the torso alignment required for executing a plank with proper form. What helped me immensely, was the brilliant Katy Bowman’s advice to… Read More Do You Even Plank?
Hearing the sound of the Sword
This beautiful book, written by EUHDGD Headmaster Sang Hyun Han, was published in April 2017. It vividly illustrates the essence of practicing Haidong Gumdo (Korean Sword Art)
— Flexibility, Movement —
Rumble Rollin’
Meet Rumbly R., my trusted blue travel-size Rumble Roller. One of my go-to tools (next to the YogaTuneUp Balls!) for treating my muscles to a deep tissue recovery session whenever I feel it is needed. Like a field of thumbs, nothing beats it’s effectivity when it comes to releasing trigger points. Rumbly R. is slightly… Read More Rumble Rollin’
Woodland Walk in Lage Vuursche
The ‘oertijdpad’ – a beautiful 9 km forest walk in Lage Vuursche, The Netherlands.
— Martial Arts, Movement —
The Magic of Slow
If there is one thing that preparations for our Taekwondo black belt test has taught Mr E and me, it’s that there is pure magic in practising slowly. We wanted to combine studying the Korean terms for movements with cleaning up our technique and basic stances, so we practised by naming each movement, transition and… Read More The Magic of Slow
Chloé Bruce Warmup
I’ve been loving this free(!) 15-minute mini-workout/warmup video by the amazing Chloé Bruce. Chloe has tons of great instructional sets on her website, as well as free kicking, strength and mobility work videos and tutorials on FB, Instagram and Youtube. Go check them out!
Ben Hogan’s Five Lessons
This little book, Ben Hogan’s Five Lessons – The modern fundamentals of golf(!), is written so well that it transcends the subject. A great read for anyone interested in deep learning, improving motor skills and mastering the mind through effective practice. What are you reading right now?
— Flexibility, Movement —
Balls of Recovery
My favourite ‘recovery day companions’ – Yogatuneup balls. I bought them together with the Roll Model book by Jill Miller. They are used to (self-)release myofascial trigger points using your bodyweight and gentle movement, combined with a wall, doorway or the floor. Much more comfortable, and in my experience, more effective! than using a tennis… Read More Balls of Recovery