Wed. Jan 25: Someone else who thinks "no pain, no gain" is idiocy

This is from some people in Pleasant Hills, called Sugi Studios. At sugistudios.com, the kind of website I'd like. Anyone out there want to trade website development for Feldenkrais, or Byron Katie work?

This attitude is exactly why I'm inventing Felden-Yoga, a yoga based on learning and being present rather than straining and hurting yourself to "get strong," or "look good natked," or keep up with the others in the class, or get the teacher's approval, or whip yourself in a masochistic frenzy of improvement by effort, rather than intelligence.

Read on. Enjoy.

The Sugi Attitude™
Does it make sense to exercise until it hurts? To be sore and uncomfortable afterwards? To take over-the-counter pain killers so you can sleep at night?

At Sugi Studios, we don't think so.

In fact, our philosophy is the complete opposite of "no pain, no gain." In our view, inflicting pain on yourself while you exercise is a form of self-violence. Instead we teach the "the Sugi attitude" - a mind-set that you can achieve more benefit with less effort by replacing effort with skill. In fact, our focus is on reducing or eliminating the pain you may have come to accept as a consequence of living and aging.

The basic tenet of the Sugi Attitude is to always be mindful of the following fundamentals as we exercise:

Concentrate in improving skills instead of using force or more effort

Focus on finding comfortable and pain free ways to move

Alternate between stillness and movement, so the body can remember what it's being taught

Learn how to observe what's going on in our bodies so we don't do something harmful

At Sugi Studios, we've learned that if the body is comfortable doing something, it will do it gladly. When we ask it to do something painful or really difficult, it fights back. So we focus on gently expanding abilities rather than trying to force.

The result? The body gradually responds, areas of pain and stiffness start to soften and move, and over time you'll be able do things you never dreamed were possible.

You will experience a wider range of movement and abilities, gain strength, increase mobility and improve endurance. All of this leads to expanded self-awareness that can transform and inspire your life to make you happier, healthier, and more balanced.