Imagination acts as the steering wheel for one’s energy, guiding your direction. Where it leads, you follow!

hofML Health & Performance is a space we’ve crafted to explore creativity through simple, yet complex movements, nutrition, and lifestyle behaviors.  

There are numerous pathways through which we might find ourselves detached from our imagination. It could be as straightforward as neglecting to exercise it, adopting perspectives that hinder rather than nourish it, or succumbing to the strain of daily life compounded by excessive caffeine consumption and unhealthy dietary and lifestyle choices. In my personal experience, this disconnection stemmed from a complex health ordeal involving an overwhelming overgrowth of Citrobacter freundii bacteria and Candida in my gastrointestinal tract, coupled with a reactivation of the Epstein Barr Virus (mononucleosis). These circumstances manifested in a spectrum of distressing symptoms spanning from cognitive impairment and fibromyalgia to persistent tinnitus, headaches, nausea, chronic pain, and relentless fatigue, all consistently registering at a 10/10 pain level, persisting for the better part of a decade. Remarkably, despite the heightened activity of my immune system during this period, I was puzzled over why it did not progress into an autoimmune disorder. Fortunately, I found my health!

A Promising Perspective from hofML Health & Performance

If you sense a disconnection from your imagination, feeling as though your energy is beyond your grasp, breathe—there is hope. Or if you haven’t experienced this, now is the perfect moment to nurture your imagination! Embedded within this message are suggestions for practices that can help revitalize and nourish your creative faculties through energy, movement, and progression. 

I will begin by elaborating on energetic practices, which I find highly supportive, if not synonymous with movement. Together, they create a path for progression. However, there are times when we must separate them in order to progress, starting with the easiest and progressing to harder.

Energetic practices that support one’s physiology:

Mindstuff 
Mindstuff practices that support a positive mindset. This type of meditation practice includes self reflection, conscious responses, imagery, visualization, affirmations, prayer, breath work (emphasizing on breathing exercises that include counting), practices that stimulate a positive mindset and nurture all feelings including the hard ones. “There never was a period in history when we should study our own thoughts more, try to understand them, and learn how to use them to improve our position in life by drawing upon the great source of power that lies within each of us.” (Bristol, Claude. The Magic Of Believing)

Breathwork
Coherent Breath
Ha Breath
Box Breath
4,7,8, Breath
These are a few of my favorite techniques that help nurture a (calm) parasympathetic state. I encourage you to explore a variety of breathing practices that support both sympathetic and parasympathetic states. Understanding which breathing exercises nourish the specific state you aim to achieve can be highly beneficial.

Meditation
Scanning involves clearing the mind of thoughts while systematically scanning the body, focusing on internal sensations and feelings. At times, it may be beneficial to incorporate conscious responses, visualization, or prayer, during the body scan to nurture the mind, body, and one’s emotional well-being. “To the mind, the stillness of the body is threatening, its silence disturbing. That’s why people become so attached to their noise and their movement. The stillness of your essential Being, however, is not something that you can perceive with the mind. It is the very essence of who you are. To become aware of it, you need to turn your attention away from the mind and direct it into the Now.” (Tolle, Eckhart. Stillness Speaks)

Movement
Movement, Mind Stuff, Breathwork, and Meditation are all forms of practice that I consider integral to both physical and mental well-being. They provide a way to de-stress and enjoy life through movement, either in combination supporting traditional exercise or when such exercise feels too stimulating. These practices can be performed while sitting or lying down, making them accessible to all.

As you practice and address underlying issues causing distress, you’ll likely feel a sense of progression and relief. Now is the time to incorporate these practices into somatic movements, self-massage, stretching, stability & mobility exercises, resistance training, walks, bike rides, and any other activities that bring you joy. For me, they provided the strength and motivation needed to regain what I once loved but lost momentarily.

There’s no one-size-fits-all approach, and it’s essential to explore and discover what works best for you. You may find inspiration from others but ultimately, it’s about finding your own path. Be open to cutting out what doesn’t serve you and possibly reintroducing it when the time is right, with the goal of no longer relying on methods as coping mechanisms.

Eventually, you may find that you naturally gravitate towards these practices because they bring you joy and comfort, rather than feeling forced. It helps to create a lifestyle where these practices become an integral part of your well-being.

Progression 
I offer a lunge progression, beginning with the simplest variation and advancing to more challenging ones. I encourage you to incorporate energetic practices that align with your physiology and facilitate your progress! 

➡️ Kneeling Lunge
➡️ Lunge 
➡️ Knee Over Toe Lunge
➡️ Lunge Foam Roller
➡️ Lunge Waff
➡️ Lunge Waff & Foam Roller
➡️ Lunge Walk
➡️ Lunge Walk Tidal Tank