Video Description: Position yourself in a grounded standing position. Imagine you are standing in the center of a six-pointed star (e.g. Star of David). Take three deep breaths, and think of an intention you have relating to strength and discipline you’d like to bring into today’s practice. (1 minute)
Round 1: Keeping most of your weight in your left foot, pick up your right foot, and tap the first corner of the star with your right big toe, then return right foot to center. Do again moving counterclockwise, to the second point of the star. Repeat with all six points, then repeat the full circle with your left foot going counterclockwise, then repeat once more each side (2x per side total) (1-2 minutes)
Round 2: Same basic steps as round 1, but this time place your entire foot at each point of the star, shift your weight entirely to that foot (or as much as possible). If you can, briefly pick up the foot still in the center. Shift your weight back to the center foot, bring the other foot back to center, then move on to the next point in the star. Move through all six points clockwise with the right foot, then switch feet and move through all six points counterclockwise with the left foot. Repeat on each side if you have time (2 minutes)
Round 3: Starting with the same weight shift as round 2, at each point of the star keep the feet positioned as they are (one foot in center, the other on the point) and squat / lunge as low as you can go, working to maintain balance. Stand, shift weight back to center, return foot to center, then move to next position. Move through all six points clockwise with the right foot, squatting in each position, then switch feet and move through all six points counterclockwise with the left foot. (2-3 minutes)
Round 4 — Improvisation: Set a timer for between 40 – 60 seconds. You’ll complete 3 rounds with some rest inbetween. During this time, improvise moving from and through various positions, e.g. moving the right foot from position 2 to position 4 to position 1 to position 6 … etc. You may want to move with the right foot (keeping left at center) for the first round, left foot for round two, and then back and forth with either foot for round three. Additional options for improvisation include moving up and down, transitioning from one point in the bottom of the squat to another point while staying as low to the ground as possible, and various other combinations. The whole point is to play with it!
Closing:
Return your focus to the center of this space you’ve defined through movement — six points around with your presence in the middle as the sacred seventh point — and your initial intention. Take three deep breaths to end your practice.
Yoshi Silverstein is Founder & Executive Director of Mitsui Collective, a new startup building resilient community through embodied Jewish practice and multiracial justice. Previously, Yoshi was Director of the JOFEE Fellowship at Hazon. Yoshi has spent much of the past decade developing his work in movement, experience design, and embodied practice through learning with Ido Portal, ApeCo Movement School, and Movement Brooklyn; and as a coach at Bushwick CrossFit in Brooklyn. He is a 2nd degree blackbelt in Lotus Kajukenbo, an avid telemark skier and former alpine ski racer, and nature enthusiast with a masters degree in landscape architecture from the University of Maryland. As a Chinese-Ashkenazi-American Jew, Yoshi is an active leader, advocate, and educator in the Jews of Color community. He lives in the Cleveland, OH, area with his wife, daughter, and pup.
