Gentleness is a Beautiful Strength
I learned to love moving my body and mind through this book
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As we move towards the end of 2020, I want to take some time to thank some wonderful souls who have inspired me in 2020. Erin Stutland is one of these amazing souls I’m grateful for.
I got to know Erin Stutland through her book in March 2020, the month when WHO announced COVID-19 as a pandemic. Hay House occasionally sends out a list of highly discounted ebooks a few times each year, and I happened to see Erin’s book on the list.
Her book is titled “Mantras in Motion: Manifesting What You Want through Mindful Movement.” I love the title so much!
It came at the right time when I was starting to embrace dancing to feel joy again. I know from my Human Design energy type as a Generator that I need to do enough physical activity, not only for good physical health but also to have a clearer connection to my sacral intuition. And being an intuitive healer, I’m naturally passionate about unwinding limiting beliefs and strengthening empowering ones.
“Mantras in Motion” sounded like an exciting and highly effective idea to use physical workouts and mantras as a way to strengthen body, mind, and soul.
So Who’s Erin Stutland?
According to her website, Erin Stutland is a proud mom, best-selling author, coach, fitness expert, TV show host, and entrepreneur who has created a multi-platform MOVEMENT that includes live workout classes, a book, a transformational TV show, and online programs that reach people in over 155 countries around the world.
According to what I’ve experienced so far from her, she’s so much more! I will share more after describing more about her book and membership program.
More About Her Book — Mantras in Motion
In Erin’s book, she shared more about her journey growing up as a dancer and feeling all the harshness in wanting to pursue perfection relentlessly. It drove her to feel increasingly depressed, and an unexpected turning point came when her mother was diagnosed with cancer. Her mother’s unbridled optimism to strengthen mind and body motivated her to heal her depression as well.
Erin later drew inspiration from yoga, positive affirmations, and further experimentation to manifest her personal desires. She went on to create her unique blend of Shrink Sessions, which are intended to help her clients not only shrink their waistlines, and to shrink their doubts, fears, and any obstacles to their happiness too. What a brilliant concept and program!
She wrote in her book:
“Your intentions… will pulsate through you and become part of you…this is a life-transformation book that uses the power of movement to make that transformation happen.”
I tried on some of the mantra-infused exercises and found it fun and empowering!
That was all I need to stop reading the book and hop onto her membership site for a free 14-day trial to try out all of her workouts, meditations, and programs. I’ve stayed subscribed ever since. She lovingly calls her members ‘movers’, and even has a private Facebook community for them.
Using Movement and Mantras as Medicine for My Soul
Even though dancing makes me happy, I don’t do it often enough and I live quite a sedentary lifestyle. Somehow, doing physical exercise does not appeal to me. Doing workouts make me feel like I’m being harsh on my body.
Erin’s concept of using body movement and chanting mantras aloud to strengthen our most desired intentions spoke to me. I love how she doesn’t follow the “no pain no gain” belief at all. Her workouts last anywhere from 5 minutes to an hour-long, and in all her videos, she moves her body with a lot of gentle grace like a dancer.
During my country’s lockdown period, I had to spend excruciatingly long hours trying to entertain and educate my three young sons in our tiny flat, while my husband tried his best to do his work at home. I desperately needed some fun in my life. Playing one of Erin’s 30-minute long Soul Strolls, which is like a curated playlist of upbeat songs layered with her uplifting pep talk and mantras, helped me create a fun exercise activity that my kids could enjoy too. I felt like I was attending Erin’s concert when she shouts out the mantras, and I just allowed myself to repeat loudly after her to let off some steam.
It was too messy and crazy to record a workout video with my kids. So here’s a short video of me grooving to part of a Soul Stroll when I was able to have some peaceful time without kids.
I grew to love and appreciate Erin’s weekly check-ins to the private Facebook community too. For the past few months, she had to move to Chicago from New York to be with her family, while looking after her toddler daughter most of the time. I’m so touched that in the midst of all her personal challenges, she still made a consistent effort to share her journey with us, while still reaching out to connect with us through her membership program. I felt super happy and starstruck receiving her beautiful compliments on my little dance videos using her Soul Stroll audios too!
Gentleness is a beautiful strength
One of my greatest breakthroughs came when I committed to doing her 4-week Shrink program in mid-July. I was amazed by how I could do intense 45-minute workout sessions with her gentle guidance. I did not have to push myself using the “mind-over-body” mentality. Erin made me feel that I was with my body every moment in each workout, and I could be gentle and graceful even when I was definitely moving beyond my comfort zone.
Feeling connected to other like-minded women is vital for me, especially in this chaotic and intense year. There was a lot of support from Katia, her assistant, and the other members to keep me committed to my goal. I love that some members joined me in doing the Shrink program too!
While doing this program, I had an amazing epiphany. The way Erin guides us to move our bodies helped me see how I am strengthening my body as an act of self-love. She helped me see that gentleness is literally a beautiful strength. Every lunge, punch, and heel raise that I do with grace is a display of my beautiful strength.
Other than realizing this epiphany about gentleness, I unearthed a new desire and motivation to be an author and speaker! Somehow, synchronicities kept appearing while I was doing the Shrink program, and I naturally found myself moving forward in publishing my articles consistently on Medium as a first step towards my dream as a prolific author and speaker. Now, I’ve just finished my 3rd month of consistent writing on Medium, and I’m about to publish a little poetry book on Gentleness. It makes my heart swell in gratitude just thinking about my progress in the past few months.
I’ve never thought that combining movement and mantras could have such a positive effect on my life.
Gratitude and a Hearty Recommendation
It’s so interesting that reading a book that I’ve yet to finish led me to Erin Stutland’s beautiful and empowering community.
I am grateful for having Erin, her membership program, and her community of beautiful movers in my life. I heartily recommend anyone who’s looking to feel healthy and supported to check out her book and membership program.
May we all move confidently and joyfully towards our hearts’ desires, and feel immensely supported by other like-minded souls.
