vital-energy-yoga

SLOWNESS MAKES YOU FASTER: The paradoxical edge of training smart

Mon, 18 Aug 2025 01:29:20 GMT

The paradox of training slow for speed and agility

The Matrix Moment

There’s a scene in The Matrix where time slows. Neo isn’t moving faster than the bullets — he’s perceiving faster. He sees things unfold before they happen. That moment, though wrapped in Hollywood fantasy, mirrors something very real in human physiology: neurological readiness.

Elite athletes often describe a state where the game “slows down.” It’s not that they’ve become faster — it’s that their nervous system has become more precise.

This is the very essence of what’s trained in SMFT (Slow Movement Fitness Training): not just physical output, but the inner operating system that governs speed, resilience, and recovery.

Why Slowness Builds Speed

It sounds counterintuitive — until the science is understood. Here are 3 fundamental principles:

1. Slow eccentric (lengthening) contractions generate higher levels of muscle activation and deepen neuromuscular coordination (Behm & Sale, 1993).

2. Controlled movement tempos enhance joint stability and motor unit recruitment (Wilson et al., 1992), building the foundation for true speed, agility, and power. Recent findings also emphasise that it’s not just the tempo, but the intent behind the contraction that drives long- term adaptation (Behm et al., 2024). This concept — known as “contraction intent” — highlights how consciously attempting to produce force, even under slow or submaximal movement, recruits higher-threshold motor units and sharpens neuromuscular efficiency. In SMFT, this intent is built into every drill: deliberate control is the training, not just a modifier of it.

3. Most importantly, slow training increases somatic feedback — the brain receives more accurate sensory input about how the body is moving, leading to quicker, more adaptive responses under pressure (Hughes et al., 2018).

In short: train slow, adapt fast.

SMFT: Training the Operating System

SMFT is not just a physical conditioning system — it is a reprogramming of the body’s internal architecture.

Through breath-synchronised movement, deep core stabilisation, joint re-mapping, and somatic feedback techniques, SMFT develops resilience from the inside out.

This method works with:

• Interoception – the ability to feel internal changes,

• Nervous system regulation – the control dial for stress and recovery,

• Proprioceptive awareness – the map of the body in space.

Each SMFT drill is designed not simply to build capacity, but to cultivate intelligent, efficient, and sustainable movement under all conditions. This is where movement becomes not just stronger — but smarter.

SMFT Is Not Sprint or Sports Coaching — It’s Systems Training

SMFT is not designed to shave seconds off a 400m sprint. It doesn’t teach race-day tactics, adjust stride angles, or refine tennis backhands.

Instead, SMFT trains the systems beneath the output.

It is best understood as operating system re-modelling through movement and somatics — an approach that builds functional readiness across the muscular, neurological, and structural systems of the body.

Through SMFT, clients learn to build capacity where it often remains hidden. Simple movement mechanics and coordination patterns are used to assess neural readiness — exposing the limitations that impair performance long before a muscle fires.

Why it works so well as hybrid training is this. Early stages of SMFT requires low physical output ( thoug h high focus levels ) so training doesn't add another layer of mechanical stress and burn-out. In fact it aids in recovery whilst building long term resilience.

Whole-System Plasticity

While neuroplasticity typically refers to rewiring in the brain, neural plasticity is broader — encompassing both the central and peripheral nervous systems. SMFT targets whole-system plasticity: a coordinated adaptation of brain and body through breath, structure, and load. This co-regulated systems approach doesn’t just influence cognitive function —it upgrades how the entire nervous system responds to speed, stress, pressure, and recovery demands.

Clients become faster — not by pushing harder, but because their nervous system can now tolerate speed without short-circuiting.
They recover better — because their neurological load tolerance has increased.
They move with greater freedom — not from muscle flexibility alone, but because their sensory- motor and interoceptive maps have been re-patterned.

Recovery becomes a natural part of the internal regulatory landscape — not something outsourced to protocols or gadgets, but a built-in system response.

A cold plunge may help manage short-term inflammation — but SMFT builds a higher neural baseline. This deeper shift reduces reactivity and enhances the nervous system’s ability to regulate inflammatory responses from within.

Why? Because it’s not one breathwork class. Not one post-training walk. It’s an organised, systematic method for retraining how the body internally governs resilience, responsiveness, and recovery — through nervous system re-mapping.

And the first layer of tools can be learned in one weekend.

The Paradox Isn’t a Paradox

In both nature and sport, speed without stability is fragile. It compensates. It burns out. It breaks.

But slowness builds control. It teaches the system to absorb, adapt, and rebound.

Today, we’re witnessing a shift in professional sport: athletes maintaining — and even advancing — performance beyond their peak 20s. This kind of longevity is no longer anecdotal. It’s trainable. But it requires a shift in training models — where nervous system co-regulation is integrated with muscular output.

This isn’t about doing more. It’s about refining the systems beneath the surface. And the earlier it’s introduced, the greater the impact — particularly for young athletes navigating high physical and psychological demands. Nervous systems in this demographic are increasingly overloaded. What they need is structured input that builds resilience, not just output.

Like Neo in The Matrix, true breakthroughs happen when time slows, breath steadies, and internal systems synchronise.

That’s the SMFT difference — by training the architecture that underpins performance.

For coaches, movement educators, and trainers ready to integrate nervous system-led performance into their existing model — the opportunity starts this September 19–21, with our 2.5-day in-person certification course in Auckland .

This is the first cohort training. Modules 1 & 2 are offered at a vastly reduced rate of $199 — a one-time opportunity to become part of the global launch of SMFT.

GABA: The missing molecule for calm and balance

Sun, 10 Aug 2025 21:52:34 GMT

GABA: The Missing Molecule for Calm and Balance

In today’s busy world, we often feel the effects of a fast-paced lifestyle — heightened stress, sleepless nights, and even difficulty focusing. At Vital Energy, we believe that movement and breath are key to improving not just strength and mobility, but also our overall mental and physical wellbeing. One key player in this balance is a neurotransmitter called GABA (Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid), and understanding how it works can offer you practical ways to support your body, calm your mind, and feel more grounded in your daily life.

What is GABA and Why Does it Matter?

GABA is often referred to as the “calming” neurotransmitter. It plays an important role in the brain and nervous system by helping to reduce excessive brain activity, which helps us feel more relaxed, focused, and in control. It acts like the brakes on a car, regulating the speed at which signals are sent to the brain. When GABA levels are balanced, we experience calmness, a clear mind, and reduced anxiety.

But when GABA levels are too low or not functioning properly, we can experience heightened stress, racing thoughts, and even physical tension, which makes it harder to relax or sleep.

How Can We Support Healthy GABA Levels?

Fortunately, there are several ways to enhance GABA production and function naturally — and many of these practices align perfectly with the nervous system led movement and relaxation techniques we use here at VE through our breathing, strength, mobility and yoga classes:

1. Movement and Stretching

Movement, particularly slower, mindful practices, helps regulate the nervous system and supports the production of GABA. The gentle stretches and core-focused movements in our SMFT classes are designed to promote deep relaxation and activation of the parasympathetic nervous system (your body’s “rest and digest” mode), which in turn supports optimal GABA function.

Practical Tip : Try incorporating slow stretches and longer-held positions into your routine. Focus on deep, controlled breathing, allowing your body to release tension with each breath. Over time, this helps you access that inner calm and boost GABA levels.

2. Breathwork: Your Built-In Stress Buster

Breathing techniques play a huge role in balancing your nervous system. Slow, intentional breathing can activate your parasympathetic nervous system, which naturally supports GABA production. In particular, diaphragmatic deep belly breathing (breathing deeply into the belly) and box breathing (inhale, hold, exhale, hold for equal counts) are excellent tools to bring GABA back into balance.

Practical Tip: Start with 3-5 minutes of diaphragmatic breathing before any of our classes. This simple practice allows you to settle into the present moment and prepare your body for the class ahead, while also supporting your nervous system. In fact it is a signature component of SMFT classes that each class, whether weight training or slow stretching begins with a breath regulation intro and sequence aimed at delivering a specific nervous system activation.

3. Relaxation and Mindfulness

Mindfulness techniques, including breathing-led meditation, yoga nidra, and body scans, are another great way to increase GABA production. By focusing your attention and being present with your body, you create the conditions for relaxation and balance within the nervous system. Breathing regulation and awareness is the key component to optimising results in all mindfulness modalities. Practising yoga through poor breathing, compromised core mechanics can reduce efficacy and reinforce system chaos. Where and how you practice mindfulness is just as important.

Practical Tip: After a workout or at the end of your day, consider taking 5-10 minutes to relax in a comfortable position, focus on your breathing, and check in with your body. A few minutes of stillness can have a profound effect on reducing stress and increasing feelings of calm.

4. Nutrition for Nervous System Support

The foods you eat also play a role in supporting your GABA levels. Certain foods contain natural compounds that help enhance GABA production, such as fermented foods (like yogurt, kimchi, and kefir), green tea, and almonds.

Practical Tip: Add more calming foods into your diet, especially those rich in magnesium (like leafy greens, nuts, and seeds). Longevity, good health and wellbeing is not just a action checklist. It's a 360 approach and lifestyle that touches movement, nutrition and unique biological factors.

5. Regular Rest and Recovery

Stress is an inevitable part of life, but how we manage it is crucial. Just like our muscles need time to recover after a workout, our nervous system needs rest and rejuvenation to keep things in balance. Adequate sleep, regular downtime, and taking breaks throughout the day can help restore GABA levels, allowing us to function better both physically and mentally.

Practical Tip: Aim for 7-9 hours of sleep each night, and don't be afraid to take breaks during your day to decompress. Restorative practices like our Slow Stretch and Yoga Nidra classes, are great ways to guide your body into deep, calming relaxation. The time of day and how you exercise equally matters. At VE, our evening schedule is not influenced by trend or convenience. Our ethos for circadian cycle friendly scheduling means classes after 5pm are mostly driven around relaxation and recovery. Even strength based classes have breath and nervous system balancing components interwoven into sequencing and are carefully spaced out throughout the week to prevent burnout and overdrive.

Final Thoughts

By taking time to care for your body through mindful movement, controlled breathing, and proper rest, you can help your nervous system function at its best and naturally boost GABA production. Whether you're here for a mobility class, a strength-focused workout, or a restorative practice, we’re committed to helping you find the balance your body needs.

At Vital Energy, we integrate movement with nervous system driven techniques to help you build strength from the inside out. With a holistic approach that supports both the body and mind, we help you harness the power of GABA for better health and long-term vitality.

What Next:

Ready to take the next step in supporting your nervous system and overall wellbeing? Join us at VE for a class designed to foster deep relaxation, improve your strength, and boost your resilience. Explore our SMFT classes and do your nervous system a favour today! If unsure and would like a more structured approach book in a 1:1 for a more guided entry .

Why Your Posture Is Draining Your Brain

Sun, 13 Jul 2025 06:33:55 GMT

And How We Teach Movement to Restore Mental Clarity

Let’s bust a myth.

Posture isn’t just about how you look. It’s not about standing tall or sitting up straight for the sake of appearances. At Vital Energy Yoga | Movement, we view posture as something far more powerful — and far more personal. It affects how you think. How you feel. How you make decisions. And yes, even how much energy your brain burns to get through the day.

This is far more important than aesthetics. And there's real cognitive science behind it.

The Brain–Body Loop: Why Posture Isn’t Just Physical

The way you carry your body sends constant feedback to your nervous system. When your head juts forward, shoulders collapse, or breath becomes shallow, your brain has to work harder — much harder — to maintain focus, regulate emotion, and process information.

This is what we call the cognitive cost of poor posture.

When the body is out of balance, your brain picks up the slack. Over time, that compensation creates fatigue, irritability, reduced clarity, and difficulty staying present. The body slouches, and the mind follows.

Movement as a Thinking Practice

That’s why we don’t treat yoga or movement at VE as just “stretching” or “fitness.” Every class — whether it’s SMFT Slow Stretch, SMFT Core Benefits, or SMFT Mobility Flow — is an invitation to rewire not just your body, but your mental clarity.

Our approach is grounded in science but taught through felt experience. We work with posture not to correct it into an ideal, but to make you more aware of it. Why? Because awareness builds options. Options create opportunities for small but important changes. One way we try and bring awareness is through our FSMP Baseline assessment at the very outset. This 1:1 typically at the start of your SMFT journey is an opportunity for us to be educated about what makes your body unique and for us to educate you about your body and why you should train with awareness for those unique features. VE member talks bout her SMFT journey:

“The one-on-one with Ewa at the outset to understand my development areas was so useful. I’ve been committing to the trifecta of core, strength and yoga for the past few months and I’m feeling stronger, more supported, and more able to do other types of exercise now that I’ve built that foundation.”

— Petra Carey

The Smallest Shift Can Have the Biggest Impact

We’ve seen members walk out of class feeling lighter — not because they stretched, but because they remembered how to connect with their deep intrinsic musculature. To breathe more deeply. To soften tension they didn’t even know they were holding.

When you shift the spine, you shift the story. And when your posture supports you, your mind doesn’t have to work so hard to hold it all together. Member Shaila shares the experience of transformation:

“Five months in, my posture has corrected so that I stand upright, I can sit on the floor cross-legged, and I can do weighted exercise and planks without feeling like I’m dying. I love the focus on purposeful breathing and slow movement — and I’m really enjoying my newfound trust in my body and what it’s capable of doing.”

— Shaila Pinto

Want to Think More Clearly? Start With Your Deep Core and Breathing Muscles

If you’ve ever felt foggy, forgetful, or just “not yourself,” take a moment to scan your posture. Notice your breath. Feel your feet. Lengthen your spine upwards.

This isn’t about discipline. It’s about relief. Relief from the pressure on your shoulders, neck and lower back.

And the good news? Your nervous system is trainable. And improvements can come at any age.

You don’t need to be bendy either to work on nervous system and musculoskeletal regualation.

This process starts from the deepest of the operating systems of the body - your intrinsic core and your respiratory system. Online student Julie shares her experience as a student of The 28 Days to a Stronger Core Programme:

“I was breathing differently from Day 1, and that has translated into the rest of my practice. There were exercises I had never done before — and others I wasn’t doing properly. Now I move and breathe with intention. Easily the best money I’ve spent on a [core] programme.”

— Julie Nyombi

De-loading from cognitive strain starts with your posture.

Try It For Yourself

Whether you’re a long-time member or just posture-curious, our Slow Stretch, Core Benefits, and SMFT Mobility Flow classes are designed to rewire your posture and at the same time, regulate your nervous system from the inside out. All movement is guided by our initial 1:1 FSMP baseline assessment (optional but highly recommended) system, which helps you assess and build from your current flexibility, strength, mobility, posture, and breath.

From time to time, we also offer posture-specific check-ins for Gold Members , helping you map your physical patterns and receive tailored insights. Keep an eye on member emails for seasonal opportunities to book in.

Because posture isn’t about perfection — it’s very much about perception. Not somebody else's perception of you because you're slouching but your perception of yourself and how well you create a physiology that supports cognition. Bringing awareness to your posture can bring unexpected benefits and not just the aesthetic ones.

Bhagavad Gita for Over-Thinkers

Sat, 01 Feb 2025 06:10:26 GMT

You Don’t Have to Be “Zen” to Start Yoga or Yoga Teacher's Training:

A Guide for Overthinkers, Deep Feelers, and the Yoga-Curious

Dismantling the Myth of Readiness

The idea of joining a Yoga Teacher Training can feel intimidating. There’s a common misconception that you need to be calm, bendy, disciplined, or “spiritual” to even begin. Many arrive on the mat not feeling any of these things. The truth is, most people step into yoga training with busy lives, tight hamstrings, and even tighter thought patterns. That’s exactly why the training exists.

Yoga isn’t a final destination. It’s a method of inquiry. A way of seeing. A process of remembering.

Mental Spiral vs Stillness – Why Overthinking Isn’t a Flaw

Modern life often encourages us to move fast and decide quickly. But what happens when we can’t? When the mind spins out from too many choices or tries too hard to “get it right”?

Even moments of rest, like a weekend getaway or a quiet breakfast, can become paralysing when the mind floods with options. This isn’t just about stress or negativity. It’s about the noise of too much. Too many thoughts. Too many expectations. Too many tabs open in the brain.

At Vital Energy Yoga | Movement , we see this not as a flaw, but as a doorway. A signal that the system is calling for a different kind of intelligence — one rooted in awareness, not output.

Prince A and the Battlefield of the Mind

Overthinking isn’t new. The Bhagavad Gītā, one of yoga’s core philosophical texts, opens with a full-scale mental collapse.

Prince Arjuna (Prince A) is not just a warrior — he’s the original overthinker. Standing in the middle of a battlefield, he’s paralysed by conflict. His teachers, cousins, and elders are on the other side. The weight of decision-making shuts him down completely. Bow in hand, breath shallow, thoughts racing — he’s stuck.

This isn’t just a war story. It’s the ancient version of lying awake at night thinking, What am I doing with my life? What if I choose wrong? What if I can’t live with the outcome?

Understanding the Mind Map: Manas, Buddhi, Ātman

Yoga psychology offers a clear framework to understand this inner storm. In the BG, Krishna guides Prince A through three internal instruments:

Manas – The Mind
The reactive centre. It collects impressions and reacts to sensory input. It’s where thoughts loop on repeat — “What if…?”. Manas is essential, but when it takes over, clarity slips.
Buddhi – The Intellect
The discernment faculty. It filters options and makes wise decisions. Buddhi is sharp, but only when quiet. When overloaded by manas, it short-circuits. We scroll, we panic, we second-guess.
Ātman – Pure Consciousness
The witness. Ātman doesn’t think — it knows. It’s the subtle, unshakable awareness beneath the mind’s chatter. When we remember this part of us, we don’t need to achieve clarity. We return to it.

When Thought Overwhelms Truth

Problems arise when manas overwhelms buddhi, and we lose access to ātmic clarity. We don’t just have thoughts — we believe them. We mistake mental noise for truth.

The breakfast dilemma. The job change. The relationship decision. The story is the same: one mind, too many options, no signal in the static. Without space to pause, thoughts dominate. Discernment disappears.

The BG shows what happens when this cycle is interrupted — not by more information, but by a return to inner presence.

The Practice – Why We Teach Yoga This Way

At Vital Energy Yoga | Movement, yoga isn’t presented as a performance. It’s a system of inner refinement. What matters is not just the flexibility of the body, but the flexibility of the mind.

We teach that yoga is intellectual neuroplasticity. Thought reshaping. A remapping of awareness. While asana remains important, it is only one part of the eight-limbed path. The goal was never to master the Scorpion Pose. The goal has always been clarity — a grounded, embodied clarity that cuts through noise.

The VE YTT Teachers Training Academy , was created to honour this deeper purpose.

What Our YTT200 Offers – And Why It’s Different

This isn’t just a course to learn how to teach yoga. It’s a place to ask big questions. To understand how the mind works — and how to meet it with less force, more intelligence.

The YTT200 programme includes a full section on Yoga Humanities, where the Bhagavad Gītā is studied not as a historical artefact, but as a mirror for deeper reflection in both personal and professional context.

You learn the poses too of course. Asana is an important developmental path towards the cultivation of the stillness of the mind. And that is the point — it is a highway to, and not just a destination. Students don’t just learn poses and scripts. They learn perspective and context. They learn to think like teachers — not just perform like one. They develop the tools to become discerning and to make decisions with deeper values in mind.

In saying, our asana and practice module, or what is known as TTP (Training, Techniques and Practice) under the Yoga Alliance syllabus is grounded in evidence - based methodology. Science sits at the heart of how we teach movement, not as an end in itself, but as a means to support somatic wellness, nervous system regulation, and sustainable strength.

Your Mind Is Welcome Here

Whether your thoughts are running wild or you simply sense there’s more to yoga than what you’ve seen so far, this training is for you.

Our next YTT200 intake will be announced soon, along with a limited scholarship fund for those requiring financial support. An online format will also be launching, with progression pathways into YTT300 for those wishing to go deeper.

If you’re curious, committed, or somewhere in between — there’s a space waiting for you.

Join the mailing list or contact us directly to learn more.