functional movement and posture assesment

Functional assessment is one of the most important services we can offer you at BodyMindLife. The aim of yoga is to bring balance to your body, mind and spirit. If you repeat patterns in your life for instance, sitting a desk shuffling paper or playing on a computer for long periods of time, or perhaps your work requires lots of driving, you may use your right hand predominantly to work, lift etc. We all have patterns that lead us out of balance. The body adapts so you can more efficently maintain these movement patterns. The problem is if the patterns go for long enough people experience growing issues such as back pain, headaches, stiffness through joints and muscles - these would be the mild symptoms. If these symptoms go unchecked far more degenerative dis-ease will occur.

The good news is YOGA - which brings about balance to the body and mind. Most people start yoga from a place of IMBALANCE. This is where movement function and assessment can really help. We measure the relationship of the strength and tension of your major muscle groups throughout your body. This is done by range of motion testing. If the joint does not move to its full range of motion it may be because the muscles that allow the joint to move are tight.

At the end of this 90 minute process you will KNOW where your body is out of balance. We then give you an individual program designed to correct the imbalances. We use yoga as the basis for corrective exercise as well as other functional movement implements such as swiss balls and foam rollers.

You learn how to move your body correctly, build core strength(the most important characteristic of proper alignment) and bring back your ideal posture, ensuring your practice is safe and effective. We recomend that you practice yoga while on this program. We are there to help you achieve your desired healtha nd wellbeing goals.

Mark Breadner who coaches elite athletes such as Ian Thorpe, Michael Klim, Proffessional Surfers - the rip curl pro surf team - is the leader in this field of work. Mark teaches at BodyMindLife and runs our Teacher Training program. He has been practicing yoga for over 30 years and teaching for 20. He is one of Australias finest and most respected yoga teachers. Mark is a teacher of teachers.

Philip Goodwin runs BodyMindLife Yoga Centre and has studied functional assesment with Mark for the last 12 months. Read below for his personal experience.

The cost of a funtional assesment is $200. You will recieve your assesment, individual program, video of how to perform your specific exercises. This is a one-on-one session where you will learn more about yourself and yoga than you can imagine.

We have all the required functional equipment at the studio, you may see people using them before class. If you need to purchase these we can order equipment for you.

How having a functional assessment changed a life:

I have been practicing yoga regularily for the last 7 years, it has made the most significant change to my health and wellbeing. After I had a functional assessment with Mark Breadner my attitude and the way I practiced yoga changed. It involved having to RE LEARN and correct bad habits that I had been practicing for so long. My practice is now deeper, I feel better in my body and my posture has improved dramatically. I recomend this to anyone who is serious about making lasting change to their body and mind and to learn best practice techniques- Philip Goodwin - Studio owner BodyMindLife.