When I recommitted to my health a few weeks ago, I stumbled upon an online article that interviewed Patricia Moreno, the author of The intenSati Method: The Seven Secret Principles to Thinner Peace, and I was immediately intrigued.
I have blogged in the past about the power of enclothed cognition (wearing empowering clothing) and power poses (posture and movements) that shift your mindset and help you to change your moods and your perceptions in a positive way. I feel strongly that it is a psychological and spiritual tool that can and should be harnessed – I have just never figured out a way to consistently use it! Random isolated power poses felt weak and empty. And when your head is in a bad space, wearing clothing meant to empower can sometimes backfire in the worst way (“ugh, I have gained so much weight!”, etc.)
So learning about this workout method was a giant light bulb moment for me. I am currently doing very gentle restorative yoga in the mornings which is highly introspective in nature to me, and through my morning practice I have come to fully believe that to permanently transform your body, you must first evolve your mind. I’m so over this yo yo diet and crash and binge cycle I’ve been on over the last decade during my pregnancies, and I am stopping it NOW. I fully intend to ease my yoga workouts into something more consistently aerobic in nature… but what can I do that will meet me where I’m in my mind, like yoga does?
Enter the intenSati method! In a nutshell, Patricia Moreno’s intenSati method takes the mind / body weight loss concept one step farther, cultivating a practice for your mind, body AND heart. IntenSati challenges the physical muscles through high-energy aerobics, martial arts, dance and yoga, while honing the mental muscles through positive affirmations (“I am the master my my fate” and “I lift myself up to a higher state”) infused into the workout.
intenSati is literally aimed at spiritual transformation just as much as it is aimed at physical transformation.
From the Mind Body Green interview with Patricia that I read (which inspired me to pick up the book!):
“Sati means mindfulness and part of the intenSati practice revolves around challenging your body in new ways so that you stay mentally engaged. Another part of the intenSati method is about moving your body in different ways so that you embody different states of mind. The martial arts moves like punches and kicks help people connect to the warrior within, courage, confidence, strength, discipline etc. The dance moves help people connect to joy, playfulness, grace and sensuality. The yoga moves help to develop help to become more centered, flexible and focused. How you move your body influences how you feel. We literally practice courage, confidence, love, joy, strength, etc..
That is why the intenSati method is so helpful. It is the repetition of the affirmations with the endorphin producing exercise that is a powerful combination. There is no separation between the mind and the body and a healthy mind influences a healthy body and vice versa. It is about looking at ourselves from the perspective that we cannot separate the two and to live a truly happy life we need both.”
I bought this book when I learned that Patricia has a good number of intenSati workouts (ranging from 3 minutes to over an hour!) which are absolutely free on YouTube. As of my writing this blog post I have not yet tried out a workout, but I am going to give it a go this coming week, aiming for 2-3 workouts in the afternoon or evening. No pressure, no “I MUST do this for X amount of minutes per week”.. but an honest, curious, and open-minded experiment with what this fusion of affirmations and workout can offer me. I will be sure to follow up with my experience once I’ve given it a good run through!
CURRENT STATS
Start Weight (May 15, 2020): 201 pounds
Current Weight (June 5, 2020): 189.4
Total Pounds Lost (Since May 15, 2020): 11.6
Pounds Left to Lose to Reach Goal Weight of 130 pounds: 59.4
