[Hong Seok-jun's Movement Lab] Is Your Body Saying 'Hello' Today?

"What kind of body are you spending your day with today?"

Some may greet the morning with a body as light as a feather, but the majority start their day with a heavy body or aches and pains. Fortunately, these days I am enjoying the comfort of a 'light body' more than ever.

Having worked for a long time as the head of an orthopaedic physiotherapy clinic, I have faced the pain of countless patients. As someone who once cared for others' bodies under the name of 'manual therapy', I am now teaching how to move oneself as a Pilates instructor and head of the rehabilitation PT team.

What was the driving force that allowed me, an ordinary physiotherapist, to transition into the sports industry and broaden my horizons by exploring various educational programmes both domestically and internationally? Looking back, it was my 'pure love for exercise'. I cherished the value of moving for myself just as much as the satisfaction of correcting others' bodies.

As I became the subject of my own movement and took care of my body, I finally realised the sensation of a 'light body' that I had not known before. The knowledge of muscle function I had as a therapist became embodied in my own body as a skilled instructor.

Many people start moving aimlessly to change their bodies. However, movements thrown out without understanding the principles can lead to injuries or take you on a much longer path. Fortunately, as someone who has made movement my profession and studied it, I knew how to utilise my body most efficiently.

There is a significant difference between knowing where and how to start moving and simply learning by using the body. For the latter to be possible, my 'body' must be prepared to receive that stimulus above all.

Now, I would like to take some time to deeply understand our bodies together. We will begin the real story about 'body and movement' that sounds light but is by no means trivial, and appears easy but is certainly not simple.

First, let’s take a moment to get acquainted with our bodies. The pleasant lightness begins right at that point.

Written by: Hong Seok-jun, Physiotherapist
- Head of Rehabilitation Team at Welli Brown Lounge
- Overseas Education Instructor at FONB Pilates
- Former Head of Manual Therapy at Incheon Oriental Hospital