192 - Kira Macoun - Somatic Movement And Embodied Activism
“Movement is life.” When Kira Macoun utters that phrase midway through our conversation, she’s referencing both our physical and sacred selves. Whether she intended to or not is not up for debate because this woman embodies forward motion in all aspects of her life. Kira, a functional fitness specialist and somatic movement educator, is co-owner of Comfy Fitness, the online group and personal training studio dedicated to challenging what it means to be physically fit. She’s also a hella inspiring activist.
Let’s get physical first. Comfy Fitness has undergone several iterations in its 15 years of existence, but its guiding principle has remained the same: to provide conscientious movement to all bodies at financially accessible price points.
“One of the things we recognized about the methodology we invented was that we were getting people very consistently and reliably out of pain,” Kira says. Comfy Fitness’ body awareness practices turn what is often a disconnected, fast-paced pursuit into a journey of self-discovery. “What we do in somatic education is basically circumvent the brain. We stop, lay down, and allow the brain to catch up with what it didn’t know it was doing.” The dialed-down movements tune clients into any emotional trauma that has manifested as tension or chronic pain. “It’s like if you can't sense something, you can't change it.”
Kira’s a passionate organizer and frontline advocate for issues relating to economic inequality. “As above, so below; as within, so without,” she says of her enviable involvement with social causes. She offers real-life encouragement for folks (like me) so overwhelmed by the sheer need that we don’t know where to begin. “I invite people to think about the one thing that sets your hair on fire, the thing that keeps you up at night. That’s probably the direction you should go in.”
Just commit to one thing! OMG, I feel so much lighter now!“
A lot of this does start at the political systems level, and a lot of it at the personal level,” Kira says, acknowledging the relationship between internal and external progress. Sustainable change requires us to stay present, meeting uncomfortable moments of growth s-l-o-w-l-y, to the best of our abilities––whether in the gym, on the mat, or at the march.
MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
An Introduction to Clinical Somatics
Embodied social justice course?
GUEST CONTACT INFO & BIO
Kira Macoun has been an avid mover and exerciser since the age of 12 and became a self-proclaimed "gym rat" by the age of 15. It seemed a no-brainer when she created a fitness and movement company in 2008 after receiving her personal training certification the year before. Since then, Kira has secured several certifications in the world of fitness and movement, and loves talking about the incredible adaptability of the human body and how we can use our bodies to coach us through life.