posted by Kelly at 11:36 PM

When was the last time you enjoyed a great, big yawn? Can you recall reaching up to the sky, eyes gently closed or squeezed tight as your mouth opens wide? I have now yawned three times, just typing those two questions! It feels so good. I think it is because of the burst of oxygen that fills the lungs and the stretch that so often accompanies it. Okay, that’s now four times for me.

There’s a great form of movement that replicates the benefits of a good stretch. It’s called Gyrokinesis. It uses a piece of equipment called the Gyrotonic Expansion Tower – you may have seen in a Pilates studio. Frankly, it looks like a medieval torture machine. Trust me, the feeling you get while you’re on that equipment is far from pain.

Gyrotonic was developed by a man named Juliu Horvath. He was a professional dancer, swimmer, gymnast and competitive rower who practiced yoga and developed what he called “Yoga for Dancers.” This was the beginning of what we now know as Gyrokinesis. The benefits of this work include improved coordination, flexibility, posture and strength.

Horvath dreamed of an apparatus that would improve dancers’ ability to turn, and eventually he developed the Gyrotonic Expansion Tower for that purpose, but it has benefits for everyone. You can perform over 100 different exercises using the Tower. I have recommended this work for people who are rehabilitating an injury, have limited movement, want to improve their flexibility and upper body strength or who just love Pilates or yoga and want to try something new.

I have always encouraged guests to find ways of incorporating what they learn at Canyon Ranch into their daily routines at home, and, frankly, most people are not going to consider purchasing the Tower for their living room. But that shouldn’t stop you from benefiting from the Gyrotonic work at home, since all you need is a chair or stool.
I experienced Gyrokinesis at Canyon Ranch in Tucson a few weeks ago. It was just as pleasant as the Tower, and I now do some of the movements while enjoying my favorite television shows.

So, you can benefit from Horvath’s system on the Tower at Canyon Ranch or sitting behind your desk or hanging out at home in front of the tube. Just imagine the rush of that great big yawn and being able to replicate that at anytime with a few twists and turns of your spine. Gyrontonic and Gyrokenisis are gifts for body and mind, and I am thankful for them.