GYROTONIC ®

Most of us want more flexibility and ease for whatever we do whether it ' s weekly running, gardening, skiing or yoga, or performing as an athlete or dancer. We want to eliminate nagging pain in the low back, neck, shoulders or wrists from long hours at a computer or driving a car. We may have a recent or old injury that needs special attention. Gyrotonic training yields profound physical and mental benefits to address all these needs.

Gyrotonic movement feels flowing and graceful and practitioners have described the experience as dance-like. Most people feel free flowing in the body, especially the spine, shoulder and hip joints in just one session. The abdominal work of Gyrotonic exercise helps to strengthen and tone the deep abdominal muscles that stabilize the torso, hips and low back.

View some of the typical Gyrotonic exercises and learn about their benefits.

Studio Hours for private instruction by appointment at Evolution Physical Therapy and Yoga
GYROTONIC ® private sessions : $70/hr

Self–Guided Sessions by appointment at Evolution Physical Therapy and Yoga
GYROTONIC ® self-guided sessions : $15/hr

Comments on gyrotonic training with Andrea

"Andrea and Gyrotonic sessions have helped me move beyond some of my beliefs about physical limitations and aging. I feel better, my body is firmer, I am stronger and the flexibility of my younger days is returning." Chris Curtis

"I've been lengthening, strengthening, relaxing and healing-- thanks to Andrea and Gyrotonics! " Katie Shepherd, UVM Professor and equestrian

"I teach and practice yoga, windsurf, ski and do other sports. Gyrotonic training has helped gain movement in my injured wrist and shoulder as well as generally opens the hips and hamstrings. And the Gyrotonic abdominal work in the best I've done in 30 years of working out." Bill O'Connor

What to expect for your first session

Wear clothing that you'd wear for a yoga or workout session and please bring athletic socks. Prepare as you would for any exercise in terms of drinking water and eating food. You'll be guided through a series of exercises on an apparatus with verbal cues and hands on instruction. It feels like a combination of Tai Chi, yoga, dance and swimming with some massage thrown in. You'll take away a10-minute series of movements, breathing and abdominal work to practice at home if you choose.

Then what comes after the first session?

It takes several sessions to catch on to the unique Gyrotonic movement. You can opt for a series of private sessions or as needed to relieve muscle and joint tightness. You can also book Gyrotonic sessions for your own personal practice as soon as you are familiar enough with the movements to perform them on your own. This costs about as much as a yoga class.

Andrea's Training

Andrea OConnor has over 250 hours of training in Gyrotonic movement and is a certified and licenced trainer. She took her Foundations instruction with Master Trainer Nancy Lepore in 2006, including her apprenticeship and supervised teacher training. She completed the Gyrotonic certification training at the Gyrotonic Education Headquarters in Miami Beach, Florida .

How Gyrotonic equipment and exercises developed

Hungarian ballet dancer Juliu Horvath developed this special form of exercise in the 1980s. After he was injured dancing, Juliu studied yoga intensely and then developed a new exercise method using a yoga-like mat and chairs. This mat practice is now called GYROKINESIS ®.

In 1991, Juliu developed the Gyrotonic Extension System to create movement with the support of an apparatus to even further access the muscles and joints with his specially developed circular, reaching movements.

Juliu says that he based his method from observations of the octopus, monkey and cat as these animals have few physical restrictions. They move in any direction with control and strength. He designed the Gyrotonic movements to help the human body move more freely, like these creatures.

A special apparatus made of beautiful maple wood and weights helps guide the body through the many Gyrotonic exercises. You sit or lie on a flat board. You put your legs or hands through special cloth handles attached to a line with weights. With the tension created by the weights, you move through the exercises.

Seven different spinal movements form the basis of Gyrotonic work. While moving your back, the Gyrotonic movement also works on arm or leg motions and everything is done in a smooth, usually circular way.

Juliu Horvath has now trained 70 master trainers and there are more than twelve hundred licensed centers in the world where you can take Gyrotonic lessons.

GYROTONIC and GYROKINESIS are registered trademarks of Gyrotonic Sales Corp and are used with their permission. The Art of Exercising and Beyond is a trademark of Gyrotonic Sales Corp.