Thanks to the massive popularity of yoga today, most of us are aware that there are huge benefits to nurturing the body and mind together. But yoga is just the tip of the iceberg. Movement classes have become a fitness genre in their own right, offering people the chance to try new things and engage with movement and mind in a new way – all sans the need for prior experience, set fitness levels, or specific equipment. They’re also the perfect way to challenge self-consciousness head-on, considering most attendees will be out of their comfort zones too. Think: moving meditations (without trying – and failing to sit still), gymnastics without the pressure to know what you’re doing and more. We’ve rounded up five awesome movement classes that will have you exercising different parts of your brain while getting your workout in.
SharedSpace, founded by dancer Clare Lim and acrobat Aaron Martin, is the place to go if you want to defy gravity. In the Acrobatics for Beginners class, they teach people how to confidently and safely get upside down. Keep an eye out for the 8-week full acrobatic course too. The studio also offers Strength Training and Parkour, alongside yoga and dance. They encourage students to try out different classes to build up a full, carefully put together skillset. Team Sassy have tried these SharedSpace classes out for ourselves and can fully recommend!
Shared Space, 31/F, The Sharp, 11-13 Sharp Street East, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong, 6687 3701, [email protected], www.sharedspace.hk
Known as ‘exercise for the right brain’, the globally renowned 5Rhythms was started by the late Gabrielle Roth in a bid to bring self-awareness, self-expression and movement to the community. The class is a moving meditation guided by five different musical rhythms which encourage participants to delve deeper into their physical and emotional awareness. Sheryl Feniger’s 5Rhythms Hong Kong class, Moving Steps, involves dancing, connecting with fellow class-goers and being open to a new mental and physical experience (which often results in a real sweat).
5Rhythms, Dance Concepts, 7/F, Great Smart Tower, 230 Wan Chai Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong, 9150 7496, www.5rhythms.com
When was the last time you really thought about how your body moved on a day-to-day basis? That’s where Ikigai’s Mobility Basics class comes in. The class guides you through fundamental movement patterns that tend to get lost or ignored in our busy, modern lives, including squatting, crawling and rolling. Each movement is covered in detail so that you’re really aware of what your body is doing and how it feels, meaning it centres on mindfulness and movement.
Ikigai, Unit 1207, 12/F, Wing On Plaza, 62 Mody Road, East Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong, 9013 3701, [email protected], www.ikigai.hk
If you feel a powerful mix of awe and jealousy when watching gymnasts soar across the mat during the Olympics, this one’s for you. Proving that learning to tumble is not just reserved for kids, Trybe’s Tumbling 1 class teaches adults of all ages and skill-levels how to master basic tumble moves, including cartwheels, round-offs, and tucks. As well as offering an intense workout, this kind of movement also focuses on spatial awareness and body control.
Trybe, G/F, Nam Hung Mansion, 5A-5H Belcher’s Street, Kennedy Town, Hong Kong, 2796 1112, [email protected], www.trybehk.com
Fivelements Habitat isn’t known as a wellness haven for nothing – alongside its spa and plant-based café, it offers a variety of unusual holistic classes. As yoga-lovers, we were most intrigued by Movement Flow – a yoga fusion class for the yogis who want to move beyond their mats. The class combines yoga poses, martial arts, primal movements and callisthenics into fluid routines. The class is flexible, starting from the most basic of movements to optional intermediate patterns.
Fivelements Habitat, Level 13A, Tower One, Times Square, 1 Matheson Street, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong, 3106 2112, [email protected], www.fivelements.com.hk
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