Hey Reader,

It's been a month, y'all! And I'm back with a rundown of what's up in movement for me in the past month, as well as in the month ahead.

Of course I have also been writing weekly essays over on my substack, What Moves You. If you're also subscribed there, you've definitely heard from me more frequently. Thank you for hanging out with me in both spaces.

In this monthly message, I'm offering a snapshot of my yoga and movement offerings from the past month: YouTube videos, upcoming programs, online studio updates, and other special events.

Here's what I shared on YouTube in August:

I released 3 videos in August.

(If you are not yet subscribed to my YouTube channel, subscribing is totally free for you and helps me out so much. Click here to subscribe)

This first one is called "Progressive Core Work." The intention of this video was to show the starting point for supine core work with alternating legs and arms, then show you how to progress it into increasingly more challenging variations. Try it out and get into the flow here:

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The second class is another core practice -- because I taught core work all month long in my online studio, MOVE with Naomi, in August. And in this class, I actually give you a sneak peek into one of my 30-minute strength training classes, something I've never actually sone on my YouTube channel before. Check it out here:

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The third video is, you guessed it, also core-focused. This one is built around a standing flow that targets your core muscles, while mimicking the supine core work we did in MOVE all month. It's edited down from the live 60-minute class I taught in MOVE on August 17th. You can check it out here:

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If you want more of these core-focused classes, you can access them with a membership to MOVE with Naomi.

But if you want a taste of what we're doing this month in MOVE, watch this quick video:

This month in MOVE, we're twisting! I love twists and it's a great month to focus on twisting as we are moving through a season of big transitions. This particular flow comes at the end of the 15-minute focused class, which is pre-recorded along with 3 other 15 minute classes built around the same pose. This particular class also features a brief warm up, a strength set using hand weights, and this short flow at the end, which puts all of it together (sans-weights, of course). The other 15 minute classes are a creative flow, a mellow movement class which ends with a restorative pose, and a strength circuit.

So you have a variety of short, fun, interesting classes to explore twists.

My online studio, MOVE with Naomi, is an absolute labor of love. The classes I share there are not your typical yoga classes and not even your typical strength-based classes. My style of teaching is nontraditional, creative, curious, and intentional. If that sounds like your kind of movement adventure, I'd love for your to join me on the mat there.

I have a huge goal to have 100 people in my online studio. Having even double the number of members I currently have, would make the studio sustainable -- currently, it's essentially breaking even after paying the wonderful folks who help me run it, plus the basic overhead costs of running a business.

Despite the fact that many folks have gone back to in-person yoga, I still very much believe in the great benefits of online movement classes. They have absolutely changed my life for the better. If you're curious how and why, please email me to ask.
And if you'd like to give MOVE a try, use coupon code COMMUNITY2 and get 80% off your first 2 months of membership.
​Click here to get started.

A little more movement news:

This October I am participating in a virtual conference called Mental Health and Motherhood. The line up of panelists is incredible and I am so honored to be among them. You can currently purchase tickets to attend at 2 different price levels (if you can't attend all of the workshops all day on Friday October 11th, no biggie. You'll have access to all of the recorded workshops after the conference ends).

​Get more info here.​

I hope you can make it!

Lastly, if you you're not following me over on substack, I'd love to see you there.

In August I got back into a solid writing groove. I wrote an essay in response to the New York Times Best Books of the 21st Century List titled, Why Are Stories About Women and Moms Missing From the New York Times Best Books List, which opened up some fantastic conversations in the comments. And I also published an essay about how Diet Culture Stole Dance From Me and now I'm reclaiming it. Both of these essays are free to read, with or without being a free subscriber -- although I would so appreciate if you subscribed!

I also wrote 2 essays for paid subscribers. One is about how Yoga with Adriene is not a Prescription for Health and this past weekend, the essay went viral, which really surprised me. If you love Yoga with Adriene, you might not love this essay. I also think it's important to recognize the ways problematic beliefs and practices are perpetuated by well known people within our communities who have a lot of power.
The other essay I wrote for paid subscribers is In Praise of Emotional Men and inspired by Gus Walz at the DNC, as well as some tricky tension around emotional expression that I have with my husband.

For paid subscribers I also include 1 of the August 2024 15-minute classes from my online studio, MOVE in each essay. This is one of the perks for joining as a paid subscriber -- each month you'll get 2 15-minute classes typically only available to MOVE members.

If you want to support my work and my art, please consider paying for a subscription. Your support makes a huge difference in terms of what I can create.

Art and writing are severely undervalued in our culture. We get so much for free. And I am happy to contribute what I can. It's why I have a free YouTube channel, still share at least once or twice a week on Instagram, and make more than half of my content on substack free.

I’d also be enormously appreciative if you are able to show your support for writers (like me) and the time we spend crafting words into sentences, paragraphs, and essays that we want to use as a tool for connection.

​Subscribe for free or for $5/month here.

That's it from me, Reader. I'll check in again at the beginning of October.

Until then, sending so much love.

Naomi