Freedom of Movement
We aim for freedom of movement on all levels of human existence. Free from the shackles of screens, desk and couch. We’re happy to work with tools and methods backed by science. Thanks to many teachers and brands. But hey, let’s start small. First step: toe freedom.
The founder
Here’s some background info on the Sole Show’s founder Sung van der Peet. A barefoot, blockchain and business enthousiast with almost 50 years of real life experience overcoming obstacles and creating freedom of movement.
Functional Foot Map Practitioner – Lee Saxbee (2019)
Leonardo Da Vinci said “the human foot is a masterpiece of engineering and a work of art”. Most of us are wasting the unique qualities of our feet by wearing modern shoes that look fancy but ruin the foot’s function. Why do we disrupt its natural ability to keep our structure in balance and connected to the ground we walk on? Going barefoot was long thought to be the antidote to compromised feet but why did so many people stop? Because they got injured! Getting first hand teachings from one of the world’s most successful (barefoot) running coaches shed a whole new light on foot health and function. By taking a snap shot of the feet in motion anyone can get insights into structural imbalances. Having a visual image can help heal running and foot related pain.
Healthy Foot Course – Nutritious Movement (2019)
Katy Bowman is a biomechanist, writer (Whole body barefoot) and founder of Nutritious Movement. The variety of movement training they offer is aimed at the diversity of body types, not just at ‘fitness enthousiasts’. Their philosophy is that every human body needs movement. Natural movement, especially natural foot movement is a challenge without understanding the rest of the bodily structure. The simple act of conscious (barefoot) walking can help anyone start to move better and become pain-free.
Yoga teacher – Arhanta India (2017)
I completed my 200-hours Hatha Yoga Teacher training course in India. Not in a fancy resort but in an old school ashram. Without worldly distractions, completely focussed on daily teaching, kriyas, asanas, pranayama and yoga philosophy. Yoga is the practice of separation from one’s ego. The goal of classical yoga is to separate the reality of the material and spiritual world. Traditionally yoga poses are meant to prepare yourself for meditation. With your attention inward yoga goes far beyond simply stretching or striking some amazing pose for Instagram. It’s a comprehensive practice of self realization.
MovNat instructor – Movnat (2017)
Most people are living sedentary lives, locked in buildings behind a screen. A caged-animal type of life that results in chronic pain, immobility, depression and lack of vitality. If you want to fully live as a human being, you gotta move. Our bodies and especially our brains need the input from natural movement. Forget going to the gym, where it’s about looking fit instead of being fit. Repetitive exercises can cause more stress on an already stressed out body, leading to injuries. Why? Because mobility, stability and balance are needed before you can safely add strength. Then strength can become practical. MovNat is designed to help you reclaim your ability to move naturally, in daily life situations or in a rough natural environment. Natural movement focuses on real-life practical things like running, jumping, crawling, balancing, climbing, carrying. It’s about the ability to move well, to train adaptability, efficiency and safety.
WHM trainer – Wim Hof (2016)
In 2015 I started my journey at Wim Hof’s academy. For one year I trained under guidance of Wim Hof himself, studying the Wim Hof Method. Januari 2016 I climbed mount Snezka bare chested, wearing nothing but shorts. With wind gusts of 120 km/hr the wind chill factor was -33 degrees Celsius (-27.4 F) that day. That’s right. It was one of the toughest things I’d ever done especially after falling flat on my face 250 meters before reaching the top. Several people had to abort the final climb, because of the extreme conditions. Although I experienced a complete separation of body and mind, I walked away with nothing but a few stitches feeling stronger than ever. Cold training or cold immersion has many benefits. It boosts your immune system, energy and gives a cardiovascular workout. It teaches you to step out of your comfort zone, to stop overthinking and let your body take control. After my certification I continued my practice mostly taking cold showers. This also saves me 80% on my heating bill.
Sportrusten running trainer – Koen de Jong (2016)
Sportrusten is a Dutch organization offering training plans for cyclists and runners. At Sportrusten they say recovery is just as important as intensive training. Breathing and heart-rate are key markers to see if you’re training at the right intensity to make the kind of progress you’re aiming for. With their special 100-day training program anyone who’s opting for a marathon can train for it without ever running more than 14k. This claim caused some controversy by traditional runners. Consistency and training within your personal heart rate zone is in fact very effective, getting people past the finish line plus saving them valuable preparation time. Founder Koen de Jong, also wrote the book ‘Koud Kunstje’ translated into English as ‘The way of the Iceman’. Naturally, at Sportrusten they’re fans of cold training as well.
Natural (barefoot) runner
Every human being is born to run. Every body is capable of running long distances. It’s an ability hard wired in our primitive brain. It made us excellent hunters. Unlike many animals, who might be faster than us, we can control our body temperatures by sweating. This makes us endurance athletes capable of running after prey until it is drop dead exhausted. Thick soles, high heels plus tight shoes have made people heel-strikers leading to higher impact on bones and tendons resulting in heaps of runner’s injuries. Natural barefoot running form let’s you tap into your physical blue print to move efficiently, grounded and injury-free. This changed my view of running all together, bringing back the fun.
Meditation
Besides the lessons as part of my yoga teacher training most of my experience comes from regular meditation practice. There are many forms of meditation. I practice Vipassana, a way of self-transformation through self-observation. A technique taught by Buddha more than 2500 years ago. Since the time of Buddha, Vipassana has been handed down, to the present day, by an unbroken chain of teachers. Quite possibly you’ve heard of their 10-day residential courses in which students are taught the technique solely performing the task of self-observation in complete silence. Yes, the course requires hard, serious work. But anyone can benefit from it by learning the technique in Vipassana centers worldwide.