Moving Medicine
Holistic practices like tai chi, qigong, and primal movement can help you move pain free.
Many people struggle with all kinds of joint pain. It can prevent you from enjoying life, going to the gym, and create lots of mental stress and frustration. If this is your experience, you may be very hesitant to work with a personal trainer, and rightly so. Many fitness professional operate from a “no pain no gain” militaristic mentality that can and does cause more harm than good.
So what should you do, if you’ve already finished your physical therapy and are ready for the next step, but don’t know which direction to go?
Holistic Movement and Inner strength
This program is designed specifically for people who need a more sensitive touch to get them started on their fitness journey. They may have special needs and/or experience surgery, emotional trauma, or physical injuries that require a very precise, supportive, and mindful coach.
My approach is body positive, evidence based, comprehensive, interdisciplinary, intimate, and holistic, combing both western science and eastern wisdom practice to create an experience that is empowering, pleasure based, and incredibly practical.
What kind of movements do we do?
In the universe of movement, high intensity fitness is but one small planet. Together, we’ll explore holistic movements that allow the body to re-educate itself out of pain and into better posture, joy, and inner strength. Movement can be a magnificent tool of self-exploration and discovery. Some of the techniques used include:
Range-of-motion exploration
Isometric holds
Breath centric movements
Gentle rocking and other subtle movements
Postural re-education
Work in the energy field of the body
Who’s This For?
People that need to find a way to ease back into working out.
People who are deconditioned or disconnected from their body and core strength.
People looking for a gentle yet effect way to re-build confidence in their bodies abilities.
Additional Benefits
Decrease pain in the body and joint.
Increased sense of overall wellbeing and energy.
Greater confidence on how to workout, whether at home or in the gym.
Be less judgmental towards your body (by develop more awe and respect for it!)
Create a solid foundation for achieving new fitness goals.
*PLEASE NOTE NONE OF THE PROGRAMS OFFERED BY JONATHAN ARE MEDICAL TREATMENTS AND SHOULD NOT REPLACE MEDICAL INTERVENTIONS.
WhAT DO STUDENTS HAVE TO SAY?
“At 6 months pregnant I was experiencing lower back and sciatic nerve pain. The primal movement Jonathan taught me provided immediate relief and felt cleansing and refreshing.
As I settled into a relaxed state, the baby perked up and did some happy dancing! And I fell into a deep sleep spontaneously.”
— Kristen Forgione, mother of 1 year old
“Working with Jonathan has been life changing in a way that multiple years of trying PT and other therapies hasn’t even been able to approach.
I felt broken, unable to sit, stuck in my head, and running from chronic pain constantly. His step by step process for learning how to use the floor to move from the inside out helped me not only relieve the pain, but start to actually feel good in my body and trust it again. His approach is unconventional, holistic, and always feels customized for exactly what I need.
The energy medicine work he uses helps me relax deeply, and somehow reawakens my body’s ability to relax itself, so I can do it on my own. The tools he’s shared with me have allowed me to feel a sense of freedom that has touched every aspect of my life.”
“You should feel very fortunate if you get the chance to work with Jonathan. He has been able to help even my most challenging patients, and they love working with him. I think of him as a student of movement; he embodies the authentic, sensitive, and dynamic understanding of movement he teaches. He uses integrated primal movements and qigong to process trauma in an exceptionally effective way. I highly recommend him. “
— Stacey Grifman, Physical Therapist (US), Princeton Univ., Osteopath (UK)
"Jonathan made me look at the gym in an entirely new way. His knowledge is really life changing. I used to have lower back pain pretty regularly, but now it’s all gone directly because of him. ”
— Marc Forgione
“Working with Jonathan is a sensual yet wholesome experience. The touch based healing he shared with me decreased the symptoms from my endometriosis more than anything else I’ve tried (and I’ve tried it all, seriously).”
“For the longest time, I was experiencing constant lower back pain. It eventually became a ‘normal’ circumstance that I got used to living with, and I almost forgot what it felt like to live without it. With a few consistent morning ground exercises from the Primal practice, my pain subsided until it could hardly be felt at all.”
— Julia Spizzichini, Radio City Rockette Ensemble Dancer
“Jonathan has been one of the most compassionate, caring, and generous healers I have ever encountered. As a health care provider myself, I am extremely grateful for the healing resources that he has provided to all and especially the essential workers.”
“Jonathan is such a kind, giving teacher who truly cares about his students. The knowledge he shares has been so precious to understanding my body and how to heal it. I can immediately feel the positive effect on my body and mind after each class. My health is improved and I stopped catching colds frequently, which feels great.
Such a wonderful way to start the day. I highly recommend taking his classes, which have a variety of focuses throughout the week to cater to different needs. His energy is so uplifting and warm, even through zoom it radiates into your home to make you feel good.”
— Coby Briglia, Artist and Talent Scout