This year characterized by Chinese astrology, is an Ox year. The personality of an ox is known to be tranquil, enduring, and cooperative. Collectively, we’ve learned patience, and now the stars are commending us with a prediction of synergy on our horizon. Now, may we suggest some exercises to move forward with? 

P.s. We collected these suggestions on the basis of helping those who still hold difficult feelings, but want to invite gentle, intentional movement into their day to day. 

Slower forms of fitness

Last year, you may have grown fond of virtual workout classes and began to wonder if you truly need a standard gym membership. Maybe you learned to trust yourself more, or your intuition widened in regards to your body and what it craves. Personally, I’ve invited curiosity into my morning stretches instead of following a routine. Sometimes this leads to rolling on the ground, wiggling, or shaking limbs that feel stiff. Other times this is varied squatting for 30 minutes followed by holding pigeon pose for 10 minutes (harder than you think, I’ve cried). Often times, it’s walking through my neighborhood, observing, tuning into the energetics of the present environment. After all, it’s the quality of the exercise, not how many circuits you can hit before showering, caffeinating, and leaving for work. 

Passive exercise

If you aren’t sold on having innate knowledge of your body, let the wisdom of another’s hands guide you (perhaps your lover?). Massage, or body work is an ancient practice and I think we too often write it off as a luxury. We all know how wonderful it feels to get a massage, but did you know it eases digestive trouble, flushes toxins, and stimulates your production of white blood cells? WBCs protect against infection and strengthen your immune system, btw. 

Skin exercise via tools 

And you mustn’t forget that our faces need exercise too. If, like us, you are a habitual practicer of gua sha or ice rolling—it’s exciting to introduce new tools every once in a new moon. Joanna Vargas’s spa-grade drainage wand will put you in a trance, then leave you de-puffed and rehydrated. We recommend pairing it with Agent Nateur’s holi oil, or a good ol’ sheet mask.