COLLECTIVE JOY

One of the biggest takeaways from the last two years of on and off isolation has been to appreciate the feeling of moving with other humans. While we’ve all been eternally grateful for the livestream classes keeping our hearts, bodies and minds resilient through an unprecedented time, we’ve also acknowledged the POWER of sharing movement and sweat with others. And there’s a reason it feels so good. When humans sync up in rhythm, we experience a sense of togetherness. Our heartbeats actually sync up in a phenomenon known as heart coherence, and the room becomes a container of a shared vibration, an elevated frequency. Moving in synchrony with another gives us a release of endorphins, a powerful uplifting neurotransmitter. Our desire to move to the rhythm is primal and ingrained in us since birth. Couple this innate craving with the shared experience of moving with other bodies, and the result is a transformational experience.

Kelly McGonigal, author of Joy of Movement, calls this “Collective joy,” which “is the idea that when we move together, particularly in synchrony with other people, it alters our mindset. It alters what’s happening in our brains in a way that allows us to experience ourselves as connected to something bigger than ourselves.” This feeling of expansiveness, the dissolution of “I” into “we” is similarly felt in psychedelic experiences. With a movement class, however, we’re getting high off our own supply of feel good chemistry. Studies have shown that moving in community encourages us to partake in prosocial behaviours, or actions that benefit others. After so many months of moving in isolation, this feeling of interconnectedness – united by sensation and rhythm – cultivates a feeling of hope, support, and connection.

This heightened state can also be attributed to the fact that when we gather with an intention – say coming to a class with a friend or two – we gather with a shared purpose. In The Art of Gathering, Priya Parker explores how this defined purpose cultivates a feeling of presence, which makes the experience both meaningful and significant. This is perhaps why those post-class brunch or coffee chats feel extra elevated and vibrant :)

This Mother’s Day, we’re celebrating our Mama figures and the multitude of benefits of moving collectively with a 2 for 1 for all classes happening Sunday, May 8th. Take this as an opportunity to share in the magic of moving in community with someone you love. 

To sign up: Sign up for your desired Sunday class + email studio@ourturf.com your workout partner's full name, email and the class that you are signed up for. 

The next time you’re in class, tune in to the vibration of the room and savor that feeling of togetherness. It’s such a gift.

 

- Trilby