the Gyrotonic® and Gyrokinesis® system: a primer

excerpt from Inner Idea Fitness Magazine – Rosalind Gray Davis Catch the wave as interest in this creative exercise method gathers momentum. Juliu Horvath, creator and founder of the Gyrotonic Expansion System® and Gyrokinesis, is the epitome of a modern-day man for all seasons. An intuitive teacher, a former professional ballet dancer, a yogi and a wood sculptor, this 63-year-old Hungarian has developed a unique system of movement that gently works the joints and muscles of the body through rhythmic, undulating motions that embrace key principles also found in swimming, dance, yoga, tai chi and gymnastics. “The octopus, the monkey and the cat are my basic models because they can move in any directions at any given time with strength and control because they have no restrictions. The human body has restrictions, but I can model the body – within the framework of its restrictions – to move in a similar way, to be free.” he says. Designed to take the body “beyond its current limitations,”Gyrotonic training stretches, strengthens and elongates muscles, stimulating connective tissue in and around the joints and improving balance, coordination, strength and flexibility. Horvath believes that exercise should be a creative and playful experience: “I want music in my body and poetry in my body, and I want to be skillful without struggle; it has to come without struggle.” …read the complete article