Ironically, in our go, go, go society, we do a lot of sitting down and, in turn, neglect to nurture our bodies. When we do engage in exercise, it often involves quintessential activities such as walking, running, biking, lifting weights, etc. While these types of exercises are both beneficial and important, they can, at times, overshadow our foundation in natural movement as a form of exercise. Matt Bernstein and his Ape Co Movement School are taking us back to our roots while simultaneously encouraging growth and grace in one’s practice.
The main principles at the center of Ape Co Movement are: celebrate curiosity and creativity, balance intensity with gentleness, foster authentic connections, reflect, grow, and pursue excellence with joy. Matt adds, “I think we have an amazing community that really lives by these principles and comes together to share ideas, to practice.” This relaxed atmosphere promotes acceptance over perfection and is a refreshing take on exercise in an industry often dominated by competition. It also creates space for those who want to try movement but may be feeling apprehensive. The act of trying here is what counts.
“The most important benefit in working with us is that we really hone in on the idea of the mind body connection. Just like every other gym in town, we give people a great workout, but what we do differently is we help people to understand all of the different ways that they can move their body and help remind them that they have a much bigger capacity than they give themselves credit for,” explains Matt. In addition to movement, the classes at Ape Co tap into hand balancing, flexibility, strength, and physical preparedness. There are classes for beginners and classes for seasoned veterans. The latter classes rotate through every two months to ensure everyone is exposed to new movements and challenges while not feeling rushed with their practice. Matt argues his favorite part of the whole process is “watching someone say ‘There’s no way I can do that,’ to really embodying that skill. That is a gift.”
For Matt, the journey into movement began in Steamboat where he was working as a firefighter and ski patroller. He sought a greater sense of strength and coordination and to expand on the skills he already possessed. “When I first got into movement in around 2012, I started to see incredible progress in my body and practice," says Matt. "I never thought that I would be achieving skills I'd wanted for years so quickly. The way that my first teacher, Ido Portal, was teaching was truly incredible. He was able to take somebody like me who couldn't even make the JV soccer team and give me things like a one-arm handstand, a one-arm chin up, incredible flexibility, and all sorts of other amazing capacities that made me start to feel like a superhuman.” Matt had a desire to unlock this confidence in others, and thus, the Ape Co Movement School was born.
“Boulder is a great place to practice movement because there are so many ways to take what we learn in the gym to the outside world," says Matt. "Movement is incredibly transferable to all that Boulder has to offer. Whether you're a climber, a yogi, dancer, or martial artist, movement has a lot to offer you. We are so happy to be a part of the local community and to see our work supporting the place that we call home.”
To learn more, visit ApeCoMovement.com.