Movement: The Missing Piece

Many years ago, my mother traveled to the United States to visit my uncle. Before she left, I asked her to bring me back a few books on strength training. When she returned, she came home with two books.

One was a traditional book on abdominal training.

The other would end up having a much greater impact on my life.

It was Athletic Body in Balance by Dr. Gray Cook.

At the time, I was primarily interested in getting stronger. Like many athletes, I believed the answer to almost every physical problem could be found by lifting more weight, training harder, and pushing further.

But this book introduced me to a different idea.

Movement matters.

As I worked through the assessments and movement screens in the book, I quickly realized something surprising: despite being reasonably strong, I did not move particularly well.

My hips were restricted. My mobility was limited. My movement patterns were far from optimal.

And perhaps most importantly, my low back pain was still a constant companion.

Instead of focusing solely on strength, I spent the next several months improving my movement quality. I practiced the corrective drills, mobility exercises, rotational patterns, and flexibility work recommended in the book.

The results were remarkable.

My Taekwondo felt smoother. My kicks became more fluid. My movements felt lighter, faster, and more coordinated. Even my back pain began to diminish.

For the first time, I experienced the difference between simply being strong and being able to move well.

It felt as though I had discovered a missing piece of the puzzle.

Years later, I experienced something similar when I was introduced to Yin Yoga.

Unlike more dynamic styles of yoga, Yin Yoga focuses on long-held positions, allowing the body time to gradually release tension and improve flexibility.

Because my lower back had always been an area of concern, I was immediately drawn to the practice.

As I spent more time exploring these slow, sustained stretches, I discovered another important lesson:

Sometimes progress doesn’t come from doing more.

Sometimes progress comes from slowing down.

Over time, my flexibility improved dramatically. My hips opened up. My forward bends became deeper. My movement felt freer and more natural.

More importantly, I learned that mobility is not something you achieve once and keep forever.

It is a practice.

It is a relationship with your body.

And like strength, it improves through consistency.

For many years I regularly visited chiropractors, and I certainly found value in those treatments. They often helped me feel better in the moment.

But one lesson became increasingly clear:

A practitioner can help you today.

Learning how to move can help you for a lifetime.

That realization continues to influence how I coach today.

Strength matters.

Conditioning matters.

But if we truly want to move well for decades to come, we must also invest in mobility, flexibility, and movement quality.

The beautiful thing is that anyone can begin.

One stretch.

One movement.

One improvement at a time.

And over the years, those small investments can completely change the way we feel in our bodies.

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Freedom in the Body, Freedom in the Mind

“When an asana is done correctly the body movements are smooth, there is lightness in the body and freedom in the mind.”
— B.K.S. Iyengar

I definitely love this quote because it speaks to something much deeper than flexibility.

The word asana simply refers to a body position or posture, but the lesson extends far beyond yoga. Any time we work with our bodies, we are also working with our minds. The two are inseparable.

To me, freedom in the body is freedom in the mind.

When we feel restricted physically, there are certainly times when tissues, joints, or muscles may be limiting us. But often, our brain is also playing a role. The nervous system is constantly trying to protect us. It creates safeguards around areas it perceives as vulnerable, painful, or potentially dangerous.

These protective barriers serve a purpose, but they can also become limitations.

The fascinating part is that when we patiently work through those limitations, through movement, mobility, strength, balance, and practice, the body begins to trust again. Movement becomes smoother. Confidence grows. What once felt impossible becomes natural.

As the saying goes, the obstacle is the way.

The very thing that challenges us is often the thing that helps us grow.

That is one of the reasons so many of us love training and discovering what our bodies can do. It is not simply about building muscle, improving flexibility, or becoming stronger.

It is about expanding our possibilities.

It is about breaking through self-imposed limits.

It is about finding freedom.

And every time we move a little better, lift a little more confidently, stretch a little deeper, or learn a new skill, we are reminded that growth is always available to us.

That journey of discovery is one of the greatest gifts that training can offer.

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Mobility & Flexibility Workshop Reminder

The countdown is on!

Our Mobility & Flexibility Workshop is happening Sunday, August 30th, from 2:00–4:00 PM at Purple Dragon Academy in Kitsilano.

This workshop is an opportunity to slow down, reconnect with your body, and explore new ways of moving. Together, we’ll work on mobility, flexibility, balance, and movement patterns that can help you feel stronger, move better, and unlock new possibilities in your training and everyday life.

Most importantly, it’s a chance to meet great people, share experiences, learn something new, and challenge ourselves to step beyond our current limits.

I hope to see many familiar faces… and plenty of new ones as well.

Come ready to move, explore, break through barriers, and discover new frontiers in your own movement journey.

See you there! 💪🙏