Hi, my name is Mito (no, not Mowgli or Loui) – Flying Monkey
I study and teach movement, Acroyoga and bodywork, traveling the world, exploring, playing, training and connecting.
It is my passion to explore movements from subtle details and fine tuning to complex skills and flows. I love geeking out on movement, acro, embodiment, biomechanics and nutrition, as well as spirituality and philosophy. But in the end, life is not about what happens in the mind. I have to experience it, feel it.
Moving my body is a way to connect with presence, awareness, and intuition. A way to attune with life.
Movement is a form of meditation when it guides me out of the I-dentification, away from expectations, worries, judgements, patterns and all kinds of thoughts. Once the mind steps out of the way, I surrender into a flow of intuition and creativity.
Movement supports power, health and freedom on all realms – physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.
In my workshops I intend to facilitate a holistic, transformative experience of embodiment, where open and sincere experiencing of movement, the self and others can happen in a natural, intuitive and joyful way. At first, it might just feel like a playful workout with a portion of humor and some new information for your body and mind. But at the end you may find yourself experiencing the world a bit differently.
Why monkey?
I have always loved monkeys and wished to have feet like hands, as well as a strong tail as an extra limb to balance and hang out. I dreamt I could jump and climb around like a monkey, seemingly fearless and capable of moving in any terrain, across any obstacle.
I imagine it very grounding to feel the floor through four “hands”. But at the same time admired the ability to climb into the trees and up towards the sky, as if gravity was just a little reminder where the ground is, but not an obstacle for swinging lightly through the air.
Monkeys also get associated with the mind and it’s never ending chatter. But when I look into a monkeys eyes, I don’t see chatter, thoughts and worries. I see presence. I see life.
And apart from those perspectives I love to climb on people and to have people climb on me 😉
Why flying?
Flying is freedom. Flying above the clouds, feeling the wind and the speed, free to get anywhere in short time, free from the chains of gravity and all the dangers and challenges of life in the ground, seeing the world from high above. What an appealing utopia.
But even if we are no birds, we can experience this feeling of freedom.
Can you remember flying on the feet of your parents as a kid? This is a very powerful memory for many people. Being carried, held, off the ground and up in the air, surrendering to someone else to support us and balance us. This requires a lot of trust but is very empowering at the same time. It allows us to tap into the worry free lightness and playfulness we lived as kids.
That is why the practice of Acroyoga is often referred to as “flying”.
Doing this as adults brings a couple of new elements. We are not used anymore to giving up so much control. But we have much more developed verbal communication skills. For moving together however we need to comunicate through touch. If we develop this skill and master the vocabulary and gramma of Acroyoga our movements become a dance.
Movement, and especially AcroYoga can be a lot of fun! But it can be so much more than that. It has a highly transformative power to it and has (literally) turned my world upside down. I feel more connected, confident, present, balanced, grounded yet light and free. Now it’s my pleasure to share that path and my passion for the practice with you.