Recently, I trekked over to the Exercise Room at Hart House to join in the weekly Flexibility Fusion class, held at 10:00 am. My body was exhausted from weathering the onslaught of winter and I was yearning for an hour of quiet, reflective, and relaxing stretching; I was not disappointed.
The class setting of vintage wood grain décor is warm and inviting, bringing participants back to the 1940s. A soundtrack of babbling water played softly as I entered the room and placed my mat on the floor.
The small class size was a welcome bonus and made it easy to feel comfortable while contorting my body in all sorts of unflattering ways. My only initial qualm was that the room could have been just a touch warmer.
The instructor, Debbie, had a calm presence and guided the intimate class through a series of stretches and mobility exercises that tickled out pops, creaks, and groans from my muscles. She focused a great deal of attention on hip-openers, holding poses for what seemed like an entire class length.
The pelvic area of the body is known to be a vault of stored tension, and it was pleasing to focus a great deal of mindfulness on this part of the body, allowing the strong tendons to release their stresses.
The instructor’s voice walking you through the physiology of the movement added a mental element to the sensory-rich experience.
While going through the class, I did wish that the lights had been dimmed or turned off entirely, just to enhance the ambience of the space. In the future, I will also make sure to bring a thera-band or some sort of rope so that I can deepen and modify the stretches and poses.
Flexibility Fusion offers an experience true to its name: a chance to align your body, create space between the joints, experience a deeper range of mobility, and engage safely in a conversation with one’s physical self.
This is not a class for those seeking intense cardiovascular or muscle-building training. But if you would like to begin or end your week in serenity by enhancing your body awareness and recovery, then Flexibility Fusion may have what you seek.
