Active Living – Page 18

U of T’s first Afro-Caribbean dance workshop: 10/10 would go again and again

This past Monday, Move U and U of T’s Black Students’ Association hosted the university’s first Afro-Caribbean dance workshop. It was one of many highlights of my four years at U of T. Seriously.

A moving image generated from a clip from the workshop which shows everyone dancing hand in hand.

The hour-and-a-half long workshop was a total blast! It was led by Arsenio Andrade, who was born and trained in Cuba and has performed internationally, and accompanied by the wonderful drumming talent of Richard “Popcorn” Cumberbatch who has been playing Caribbean indigenous drums since the age of 11. There was a great turnout and every single person seemed to be having the time of their lives – I know I was.

An image of text which reads: "Better an oops than a what if."

Just do it: my new love and the freedom to change your mind

Guess what? I took the plunge! I bought my own beautiful pair of skates! Did my wallet cry a little? Yes. Am I beyond excited? Yes. On my way home to my parents’ house I took a detour to the…

Keep calm and roll on – myofascial release at Goldring

That moment when you realize you’re training in as many sports this term as you are completing courses…

Mr.Krabs from Spongebob Squarepants is shown twitching. — My body is going to be so mad at me.
Source: giphy.com

What better time to check out a myofascial release class at Goldring? Your fascia is a sort of spider-web of dense tissue which surrounds and attaches to all kinds of structures in your body. Normally –rather, in a healthy state- your fascia is relaxed and can stretch and move as you do. Over time however, due to stress, trauma, poor habits (slouching, for instance) your fascia can undergo changes which lead to restricted mobility, tension and even pain. Myofascial release consists of massaging and stretching the fascia to relieve pressure and tightness.

A photo of an individual foam rolling with a art overlay showing their internal anatomy. — Source: live4massage.com

Learn to train: a KPE seminar

Am I the only one who’s ever been jealous of the kinesiology students? As someone so interested and engaged in fitness and physical activity I would love to be able to sit in on those lectures. While that may not…

In Which I Keep Falling Asleep in Class

ALT="A photo of me sleeping" — This is me but everywhere I go

With a new year, the old problems don’t disappear.

A cartoon of a girl using a foam roller, with the words "This is how I roll" printed above.

Bittersweet January: getting back into courses and back into sport

Everybody hates January. After a well-deserved break from courses, assignments, readings, exams and –for some – the cold commute, we’re back to reality. Thankfully, while reality does include mountains of coursework, commuting in all kinds of weather and a general apathy that comes with the second semester… it also includes campus physical activity programming! I kid you not, if it weren’t for aerial silks and Jiu Jitsu, I don’t know how I’d put my toque and winter boots on every morning to trek to school. I’m hoping you all can also find something to be excited about and to make this semester a little more pleasant!

Annette is shown suspended from aerial silks. — 7 more days!

I’m happy to announce that on top of circus and jitsu, I’ll be continuing my ice princess adventure this semester in the Skating Level 1 registered class at Varsity Centre! I’m currently looking for a pair of skates to call my own, but it’s great knowing that rentals are available if I don’t find the right fit in time.

Annette is shown in three poses on aerial silks.

Taking stock of the semester: what is there to celebrate?

If you’re as prone to self-deprecation as I am, the end of the term may inspire some troublesome realizations and painfully remind you of all the goals you set in September. As the year winds down but exams wind way, way up, it’s hard not to take stock of the past few months – if only to procrastinate. It’s really easy to identify the goals we didn’t realize and the plans we didn’t follow through with, and the associated negativity is not something any of us needs right now. So, I’m looking back and while I can’t ignore my “areas for improvement” I am sandwiching my criticisms of myself with silent celebrations of all the things I did well and accomplished.

Feature: Cardio kickbox at Goldring

I’ve never really participated in a group fitness class that wasn’t a quiet, restorative yoga session. As such, I had no idea what to expect from the “Cardio Kickbox” drop-in fitness class offered at the Goldring Centre. I came into the class without expectations, exhausted after a long day on campus, and somehow I walked out energized and uplifted.

Woman seen frolicking through a field of flowers with a text overlay which reads "This is me after signing up for kickboxing!" — Basically.
Source: memeshappen.com

On Staying in Touch

University can get stressful at times, and it can be difficult to stay in touch with friends, particularly with those who don't live in the city. But few things bring me more joy in life than hanging out and catching up with…

A doodle demonstrates alternate nostril breathing in a series of images.

A mindful moment: yoga and meditation at U of T

Let me start this off by saying I am not a yogi, nor am I a master of the subconscious – or any other level of consciousness for that matter. U of T’s new yoga and meditation programming is inclusive and inviting, and all you need in order to participate is your presence. Yoga and meditation are available across campus five days a week at a variety of times to suit our crazy schedules. It’s drop-in programming so you can go as often or as seldom as you like. If it’s Wednesday, 5:15 p.m. and you’re thinking you’re done for the day, you can pop over to the Goldring Centre and join the “Yoga and Meditation” session which runs from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. It’s flexible – in more than just the obvious sense. That’s the session I had the pleasure of attending this week. It was held in the dance studio/multi-purpose room on the top tier of the Goldring Centre’s strength and conditioning centre. I’d never been in that space before and oh how I wanted to dance! It’s so bright and open, with a wall of mirrors that I could think of many ways to exploit.

The doors to the Goldring fitness studio. — This is the site of all group fitness at the Goldring Centre, for future reference!

Category: Active Living (page 18)