And now, a guest post by OS Coach, Raymond van Leeuwen

2019 was somewhat of an important year for me. It was the year where I got certified as a Vinyasa Yoga Teacher, and also got certified as an Original Strength Professional.

Both are systems I hold dear to my heart. They each bring their own flavor, but they also tie into each other extremely well. It is easy to spot the similarities in yoga’s twists and Original Strength’s rolls, both have the breath as its foundation and rocking and Child’s Pose look eerily alike (though the spinal action is completely opposite). There is so much more though.

There are many forms of yoga, but they all have one thing in common. It is all about the journey within, connecting body, mind and spirit. Vinyasa yoga is one of the physical forms of yoga, where the body is used to make that body-mind-spirit-connection. As the body moves in all kinds of positions, exploring boundaries it is key to be observant of the sensations within the body and the thoughts of the mind. Focus well enough on the body and the mind might turn silent. It is actually impossible to turn off the mind, but the single focus on one task, might just turn off all the clutter. All that is left, is just the experience.

To me, Original Strength is no different. As we move through the RESETs, we mindfully explore the boundaries of our bodies, taking notice of what happens with the body. The mind might tell you all sorts of things while you are busy, but focus well enough on the action of your lower back whilst rocking or on the action of the eyes in your rolls and the mind will turn silent. There is just that single experience of the RESET.

I can’t count the number of times where I set out for a ten minute OS practice and all of a sudden 45 minutes have passed, because I completely went up in the experience of movement.

It is also one of the reasons why I find the Becoming Bulletproof-style practices so brilliant. There is no need to count reps and sets, just the focus on a single movement. For me it makes it easier to go up in the experience of movement. As Tim points out in Becoming Bulletproof, it becomes moving meditation. This is also the principle behind Vinyasa yoga. It elevates your practice from just being a physical experience, to also being a spiritual one.

For your next practice I invite you to go up in the moment and put so much focus on your movement that everything else in your mind gets pushed aside. Just the here and now. Become the experience of movement to become bulletproof, physically and mentally.

Raymond makes a living working for the government, but his true loves are Original Strength, Vinyasa yoga and kettlebells to integrate the body, mind and spirit. He wants to set an example for others, living a strong life, being able to do whatever you want to do. Regardless of age. He learns, He does, He teaches. Right now he is looking to expand on teaching. Wherever life takes him he plans to go out strong and take as many people with him (by which he means getting strong in body, mind and spirit of course).