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Meet your host, Erzsi Pongó the founder of Pongo Power personal training in Brooklyn, New York. Our identity is impacted by our self-image and body image...but what happens when we disown or disassociate from our bodies? How do we form a healthy relationship with our bodies in a culture that supports a sedentary lifestyle? On Movement: The Science of The Self, we provide you with the empowerment you need to move your body as you cultivate your sense of self. Through an exploration of the intersections between body image, self-image and identity, we foster conversations about the ever-evolving process of surrendering our sense of self, so we can invent the freedom necessary to transform all three!
Episodes
Monday Jun 20, 2022
Monday Jun 20, 2022
“Physically if you put in the work and the time and the effort, then something will happen, something will change," shares comedian Myq Kaplan. Myq has been doing stand up comedy for 20 years and has performed in multiple countries. He applies his experiences on the stage to how he thinks about life and vice versa. By understanding how to create change and to feel the results of his actions in his physical body, he realized that comedy was going to take similar effort and time. In this podcast, we discuss the idea of embodiment; the steps to creating positive change; and, the importance of consciously connecting with the world through exercise, mindfulness practices, and water.
Myq shares about his early life & career in which he was unaware of his own body. When he first got access to running on a treadmill, Myq discovered that by physically going through the process of building up endurance slowly, change would naturally occur over time. He applied this lesson to his comedy career, realizing that change would come as long as he put the time and effort in. When he began doing stand up, Myq describes himself as more of a conduit for sound and ideas, rather than as a physical being on the stage. He then grew into the embodiment of his own art form in being both the creator and the creation all at once. He discovers his presence in his own physical body through exercise, mindfulness activities such as meditation, and starting each day with a full liter of water.
Tune into this week’s episode of Movement: The Science of The Self to learn more about embodiment and how we discover both our physical bodies and our ability to share our thoughts and creative endeavors, fully.
Quotes
• “Change will happen no matter what. But depending on the steps that you take, the literal steps of running, jogging, walking on that treadmill, turned me from a person who couldn't run for more than 10 minutes at a time to somebody who could run for hours at a time. It also turned me from a person who didn't understand that that was possible into a person who did understand that was possible. " (32:32-32:56 | Myq)
• "I'm not going to do an hour special at Carnegie Hall, my first time doing comedy. But at some point, I was optimistic that by putting in the time, putting in the work, getting the reps that eventually, I would be able to.” (33:06-33:22 | Myq)
• "There's no one size fits all for bodies, there's no one size fits all for experiences." (41:04-41:09 | Myq)
• "I always start the day with at least a liter of water. And I offer that if anyone wants to join me in that, we can call it, “follow the liter." (43:27-43:34 | Myq)
• "I feel like my mood was less stable, when my water intake was less plentiful... We are water. We're so much water." (43:54-44:26 | Myq)
• “We're like sharks. I don't know why they get all the press for not stopping moving because even when we're sleeping, you know of course, we're not moving that much; but I kick the blankets off.” (55:14-55:24 | Myq)
• "If you're conscious, there's somewhere you can put your focus where perhaps discoveries can be made." (58:25-58:34 | Myq)
Links
Connect with Myq Kaplan:
Podcasts: https://myqkaplan.com/podcasts/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/myqkaplan/
https://katiebarbaro.com/fedup
https://www.facebook.com/pongo.power/
https://www.instagram.com/pongopower/
Monday Jun 06, 2022
Monday Jun 06, 2022
“There’s a lot to learn about life through exercise, through triathlons, or through any kind of movement,” shares Dr. Susan Gershenhorn, PhD. Dr. Susan is a licensed psychologist, host Elizabeth Pongo’s mother-in-law, and also an accomplished athlete with seven half Iron Man’s under her belt. Dr. Susan applies what she learns during movement to her life, taking time to slow down, listen to her body’s needs, and be more loving toward herself.
Dr. Susan says that marathons are a lot like life because both require patience and balance. Whether you are preparing for a triathlon or just struggling to fall asleep, mindfulness practices like visualization can be helpful. Anything worth doing usually involves a lengthy process, so learning patience is key. In the second half of the episode, Dr. Susan discusses body dysmorphia and how prevalent it is in our society. She explains that in order to break free from body dysmorphia, you must learn to be kinder to yourself and vulnerable with others. She suggests beginning by telling yourself little things you like about your body every day.
Tune into this week’s episode of Movement: The Science of The Self to learn more about mindfulness practices, triathlons, and body dysmorphia.
Quotes
• “There’s a lot to learn about life through exercise or through triathlons, through any kind of movement.” (3:16-3:23 | Susan)
• “One of the things I often tell my clients is that you should exercise, eat right, and get sleep. That’s my motto in life. Those are the three pillars in how to have an emotionally healthy and balanced life.” (3:33-3:52 | Susan)
• “I just tried to be more gentle and more loving to myself.” (21:48-21:54 | Susan)
• “You listen to your body, and it says, don't go out workout today. You don't go. You hurt yourself? You don’t do it. So that's the balance.” (31:00-31:12 | Susan)
“• It doesn't matter what you visualize. It matters that you start thinking about it, you write about it, and then you incorporate it into your mind. Act as if you are a great triathlete.” (34:29-34:47 | Susan)
Links
Mirror, Mirror on the Wall: Breaking the "I Feel Fat" Spell by Andrea Wachter
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29615302-mirror-mirror-on-the-wall
https://www.facebook.com/pongo.power/
https://www.instagram.com/pongopower/
Tuesday May 24, 2022
Tuesday May 24, 2022
“You want to have as much healthy movement as possible for you, and everybody's body is different,” explains Kristen Latteri, National Academy of Sports Medicine certified personal trainer. Kristen helps her clients to achieve their individual fitness goals in a way that is both fun and safe. If people don’t know how to properly do each exercise, they can actually be doing more harm than good to their body overall.
Starting with core integration and working out on a mat, or a chair for people who are not yet ready to get down on the floor, is imperative to learning how to move your body in the healthiest way possible. Learning how to properly engage and integrate your core will stabilize your spine and pelvis so that your body is protected and your movements are safe. By laying down on a mat or sitting in a chair, you can keep your spine and pelvis in a neutral position while slowly adding in new types of movement. Once you learn how to properly engage your core and which muscles to use for each movement, you can start adding in things like weight, resistance training, and speed depending on your individual goals.
Tune into this week’s episode of Movement: The Science of The Self to learn more about the importance of core integration and taking it back to the basics on a mat before moving on to more complicated exercises.
Quotes
• “Your core is what's responsible for keeping your spine and your pelvis stable.” (7:28-7:33 | Kristen)
• “You want to have as much healthy movement as possible for you. Everybody's body is different.” (9:21-9:27 | Kristen)
• “To teach any movement, we start without weight.” (12:05-12:08 | Kristen)
• “If you don't know that you have a faulty movement pattern, you're going to just continue to recruit the wrong muscles, and then it can just continue on. So learning which muscles to recruit is really important.” (24:04-24:32 | Kristen)
• “Once you've mastered those basics, that's when you can safely progress and again. Depending on your goals and the person, you can add weight, resistance training, speed, all kinds of stuff.” (24:49-25:03 | Kristen)
Links
https://www.pongopower.com/kristen-latteri
https://www.pongopower.com/blog/dont-fear-the-fitness-assessment
https://www.facebook.com/pongo.power/
https://www.instagram.com/pongopower/
Monday May 09, 2022
Monday May 09, 2022
“I definitely think that you can make really cool things happen if you're willing to take the chance,” shares Jessica Delfino, “Momedian,” Singer, and Songwriter on The Mom Report. As a true child of the 70s and 80s, Jessica had a fascination with magic and superhuman abilities from a young age. She brings a high-achieving energy into all aspects of her life. As the person who quite literally rode a unicorn to the altar on her wedding day, Jessica believes in the importance and the power of self expression.
Growing up and seeing characters like She-Ra and He-Man perform impossible feats on television, provided Jessica a foundational belief in magic that she has held onto through adulthood.
Having left her childhood home at age 15; upon entering into young adulthood, Jessica found she was painfully shy. Unable to find her voice, and having witnessed the magic of comedy on TV, she chose to start performing on stage and through that, discovered her identity.
Coming from Maine, Jessica moved to Philly, PA then NYC. After experiencing frustration with the kind of feedback she was receiving from audiences in the downtown Manhattan comedy clubs, Jessica chose to spend more time performing uptown. Her mission was to get honest feedback from a more mixed vs. homogenous audience.
When she first started to get into the world of comedy, Jessica noticed that comedians were quite like magicians in the way that they pulled magic words from their minds. As a shy, awkward person, Jessica may not have been seen as the most likely candidate to become a comedian, but her belief in being able to take small steps and make a plan propelled her forward. Jessica chose to learn how to express herself on stage and conquer her fears because she knew that if she wanted it badly enough, she could make it happen.
Tune into this week’s episode of Movement: The Science of The Self to learn more about the power of self-expression, the magical feats we are all capable of, and Jessica’s experience starting out in the world of comedy.
Quotes
• “The idea of being magical and being able to do things that were superhuman, was something that really connected with me and has stayed with me to this day.” (4:58-5:09)
• “I’ve always had an interest in the magic or the power that women possess and what makes us be able to get so much done. I really think that women get a lot of stuff done.” (5:29-5:47)
• “I'd seen people doing comedy and performing on TV. And I was like, these people are magicians. They're amazing. They just pull these magical words out of their head. And it makes perfect sense. And it's hilarious and smart. And this is amazing. These people are bonafide wizards.” (15:08-15:25)
• “I believe when you say something, you really can give birth to an idea.” (25:37-25:42)
Links
The Mom Report (Mondays, 7 am) on Pocono967.com / 96.7 FM
My Pu55y is Magic
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tpC186_Efi8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFKd54Ijg7I
The Mom Report
https://oneanddonemom.medium.com/the-mom-report-376538b80e5f
Facebook.com/jessicadelfinoNYC
Facebook.com/groups/TheMomReport
https://www.facebook.com/pongo.power/
https://www.instagram.com/pongopower/
Monday Apr 25, 2022
Monday Apr 25, 2022
“Touch is the body's natural tranquilizer so it has this calming effect,” explains Dr. Emily Splichal, DPM. As a podiatrist, Dr. Emily is well versed in the healing power of touch, especially in relation to the nerves in the feet. To help her clients harness the power of touch, Dr. Emily developed Naboso, a sensory product line.
Naboso first began with a textured mat and has since evolved her products to include textured socks, insoles, hand weights, release tools and more. All of Dr Emily’s products are based on the same texture technology to allow for optimal release of the nerves and increased circulation, particularly in the feet and hands. In addition to assisting with recovery, pain relief, and circulation, touch tools can also help people with PTSD, ADHD, and autism because of their calming effects on the nervous system.
Tune into this week’s episode of Movement: The Science of The Self to learn more about the healing power of touch and how Dr. Emily is improving her patient’s quality of life one touch tool at a time.
Quotes
• “Naboso is a sensory product line that I developed a little over four years ago. We started with one textured fitness yoga mat. And since then have extended our product line to include socks, insoles, release tools, hand weights, and additional mats. And all of our products are based on textured technology.” (2:04-2:34)
• “Touch is the body's natural tranquilizer so it has a calming effect.” (5:43-5:50)
• “My goal with all of our products at Naboso is to optimize movement and longevity. We want people to move well for a really long time.” (14:48-14:56)
• “At the end of the day, what people are looking for is quality of life. And that can be found in staying consistent in the small habits or routines that you create. I am very proud that Naboso is a product within the quality of life space.” (20:40-21:04)
Links
https://www.pongopower.com/blog/being-humble-and-putting-pride-and-fear-aside-with-dr-emily-splichal
https://www.dremilysplichal.com/meet-the-doctor
https://www.pongopower.com/blog/how-to-set-up-your-home-gym
Our Special Offer:
To purchase any of these products go to www.naboso.com
When you check out, enter code PONGO for 10% off
https://www.naboso.com/collections/bundles/products/activation-insole-neuro-ball-bundle
https://www.naboso.com/collections/all-products
https://www.facebook.com/pongo.power/
https://www.instagram.com/pongopower/
Monday Apr 11, 2022
Monday Apr 11, 2022
“Everybody's different. You have to find what you like. But whatever it is. You'll feel happier if you do it,” shares Jonny Goldstein, artist, writer, and art educator from New York City. Jonny is currently working on his graphic novel, American Colon, after surviving colon cancer. When Jonny was recovering from surgery, his doctor asked about his exercise regime. While in recovery, Jonny wasn’t very physically active. His doctor made him realize that in order to heal, he actually needed to get moving.
Jonny became hyper aware of his body when his health took a turn. The doctor informed Jonny that he should actually be walking three miles a day and that walking would help his body to heal faster. Being able to actually do things and get moving helped Jonny to feel more like himself again. He attributes movement with helping him recover stronger from colon cancer and encourages others that even if they have physical limitations, they can still do something to exercise.
Tune into this week’s episode of Movement: The Science of The Self to learn more about how important walking and overall exercise are to health.
Quotes
• “I was talking to my oncologist when I still had this tube in me and had this bulb it was draining into that was like a safety pinned device inside of my pants or the outside of my pants. And, he was like, so what's your physical routine like, and I'm like, I'm taking it very easy. I just want to heal up, I don't want to mess anything up. And he's like, You should be walking three miles a day.” (34:20-34:43 | Jonny)
• “Everybody's different. You have to find what you like. Whatever it is, you'll feel happier if you do it.” (35:48-35:57 | Jonny)
• “Basically, doctors recommend you walk 10,000 steps a day. It's your average typical adult, right? The average American walks like 4,000 steps a day. Australians walk like 9,000 steps a day or something. I'm sort of pulling these out of the air that might be off by 1000 or something but that's the idea. And it's really good for you to move around and do stuff.” (36:15-36:40 | Jonny)
• "I did some work with you years ago, but it was very helpful for me. I think more than anything, it just got me back into being more aware of my body and I enjoyed being in my body and doing stuff. That was good for me.” (36:42-36:04 | Jonny)
• “Nothing got me more aware of my physical self than having these medical issues. You know, we are very physical beings.” (37:43-37:54 | Jonny)
•"To quote Olivia Newton John: Let's get physical." (38:03-38:11 | Jonny)
Links
Website: https://www.jonnygoldstein.com/
https://www.webmd.com/colorectal-cancer/news/20060714/exercise-boosts-colon-cancer-survival
https://www.cancer.org/latest-news/study-even-a-little-walking-may-help-you-live-longer.html
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6563593/?report=classic
https://www.pongopower.com/medical-exercise-conditions/
https://fabulous-trailblazer-2509.ck.page/34a4c1e13b
https://www.facebook.com/pongo.power/
https://www.instagram.com/pongopower/
Monday Mar 28, 2022
Monday Mar 28, 2022
“Conscious living is really about understanding yourself,” says Jill Cruz, MS, and CNS. Growing up, Jill Cruz had the best of both worlds. While she would primarily eat healthy whole foods from her mother’s garden, she would also indulge in pasta and other treats at her grandmother’s house on the weekends. It wasn’t until Jill developed an unhealthy eating habit in adulthood that she really became passionate about educating others on how to maintain sustainable but pleasurable wellness.
When it comes to wellness, many people are hyper-focused on working out and eating healthy all the time. While it is necessary to do these things to lose weight, Jill explains that true holistic wellness cannot be achieved if you’re not happy. Beginning the journey to wellness may seem overwhelming, but Jill explains that the best way to get started is to just try because there is always room to build.
Tune into this week’s episode of Movement: The Science of The Self to learn more about the importance of valuing the body you’re in so you can find balance between health and enjoyment that helps you reach and maintain your individualized wellness goals.
Quotes
• “Conscious living is really about understanding yourself.” (03:48-03:51)
• "Fear is not our enemy, it's there for a reason and we can't really control it. Fear is going to come.” (05:56-06:08)
• "If you really go into fear and examine it, you're going to learn so much about yourself which is awesome." (09:58-10:08)
• “You can nourish your body properly, but if you're miserable or if you're just not having a good time, to me, that’s not a holistic picture of health." (20:32-20:42)
• “Your weight and where you feel comfortable is entirely up to you.” (22:35-22:40)
• “I love to encourage our clients to satiate themselves in other ways because food is very satiating, it's very available, and it's wonderful to enjoy it, but we can also treat ourselves with many other things that are equally wonderful.” (26:23-26:43)
• “Ultimately, I believe that weight loss should always be a byproduct of improved health.” (32:06-32:12)
• “The most important thing in happiness is really accepting who you are and where you're at.” (34:48-34:53)
Links
Jill Cruz:
https://wynweightloss.com/empowered-health-introduction
https://www.facebook.com/pongo.power/
https://www.instagram.com/pongopower/
Monday Mar 14, 2022
Monday Mar 14, 2022
Are you feeling stiffness and tension in your body from bad posture and stress? That stiffness and pain may not just be coming from your muscles. A lot of the time, those sensory inputs are coming from the fascia which surrounds your muscles, bones, and joints. In today’s episode, Elizabeth shares tools and exercises to help release adhesions in the fascia.
Elizabeth struggled with tension in her jaw and neck during college. She had to learn to stabilize the fascia surrounding her core muscles to fully release the tension in her neck. Elizabeth shares that regardless of limitations, there are tools you can use to release your fascia while keeping control over how much pressure is applied. She introduces several types of roller tools that you can use alongside diaphragmatic breathing to release tension and hydrate the fascia.
Tune into this week’s episode of Movement: The Science of The Self for step-by-step instruction on exercises you can do with roller tools to release adhesions on your fascia. Learn to use breathing techniques and controlled pressure to release stiffness and pain from your body.
Quotes
• “Over the course of time, I learned how to release the muscles that surround my neck and also my shoulders. It took a lot of learning how to release and to open up my chest, my heart center, as well as strengthening my lats and deep intrinsic stabilization muscle fiber that surrounds my core in order to release my neck.” (1:42-2:46)
• “Sometimes it’s not actually your muscles that are registering this sense of stiffness and pain in your body. Sometimes there are sensory inputs that come from your fascia.” (3:09-3:25)
• “If you are limited in some way, you can always look for one of these sticks. The stick is a great way to roll out adhesions where you are in control of how much pressure you apply to your muscles and your fascia.” (4:49-5:13)
• “It’s really important to encourage your body to release tension as opposed to storing tension up. In our daily lives, these days with the internet and constant stimulation, it seems almost like an anomaly. How do we release tension when we’re getting so much information thrown at us all the time? Well, checking in with your body, connecting with your breath, and using different forms of sensory input where you are applying pressure at your own pace can be a really big help.” (5:41-6:33)
Links
You can buy tools for fascial releaser here:
https://www.optp.com/PRO-ROLLER-Soft
https://www.facebook.com/pongo.power/
https://www.instagram.com/pongopower/
Monday Feb 28, 2022
Monday Feb 28, 2022
Do you have terrible posture? For many of us, the stress of daily life has us living in survival mode and unfortunately, disconnecting us from our bodies. In today’s episode, Elizabeth discusses how to connect your upper and lower body through the “deadbug” movement.
Like many of us, Elizabeth struggles with spinal pain. While this kind of pain can feel limiting, Elizabeth explains that the deadbug exercise is a simple, yet effective way to alleviate pain and realign your spine. Just by laying on your back, focusing on diaphragmatic breaths, and extending an opposite arm and leg, you can connect your upper and lower body and prevent further muscular imbalances.
Tune into this week’s episode of Movement: The Science of The Self for a step-by-step explanation of the deadbug exercise. Learn how to activate your parasympathetic nervous system and stabilize your spine, so you can trigger your human righting response and heal your body.
Quotes
• “When we can switch into the parasympathetic nervous response, our mind and body are able to work in harmony with one another to stimulate the healing response.” (04:38-04:53)
• “If you lift up your two feet and your two hands and you feel pain in your back, you're not ready for this exercise.” (07:11-07:21)
• “It may sound pretty simple, but I really do invite you to do this at home because you'll see it's surprisingly challenging.” (08:16-08:30)
• “This exercise was revolutionary because it helped me to correct my posture.” (08:45-08:52)
• “It is up to me to train the muscles to activate and neutralize my muscular-skeletal alignment, so that I don’t end up with altered recruitment patterns and muscle imbalance.” (09:23-09:37)
• “You don't need to go to the gym, and you don’t need a whole bunch of fancy equipment in order to exercise. What you do need is to be able to trust and surrender and to be humble.” (11:25-11:39)
Links
https://freefitnessassessment.pongopower.com/
https://www.facebook.com/pongo.power/
https://www.instagram.com/pongopower/
Monday Feb 14, 2022
Monday Feb 14, 2022
Do you feel that your lower body is out of balance? Do you suffer from knee and/or ankle pain? According to host Elizabeth Pongo, these are signs of an imbalance in your pelvic floor. This is quite common for many people and, luckily, it’s also relatively easy to fix! In today’s episode, Elizabeth discusses how to use your abs to advance your fitness training and mitigate these symptoms.
For many people, sitting at a desk all day creates altered recruitment patterns that cause pain and weakness in the lower body. According to Elizabeth, the most effective way to fix these imbalances is through open chain movements, specifically double heel taps. Even though it will take time for your body to adjust to this kind of movement, the benefits extend down to a cellular level. Once you learn how to activate your abs through your breath, you can establish balance and harmony throughout your entire body.
Tune into this week’s episode of Movement: The Science of The Self to learn how to progress from single heel taps to double heel taps, the importance of open chain movements, and how to use your abdominal core to reduce pain and progress your lower body fitness.
Quotes
• “The good news is that we always have access to our breath.” (02:35-02:39)
• “After you begin to feel confident breathing into the lower canister of your core, then you can begin to integrate more complex exercises and maneuvers.” (03:51-04:06)
• “Through mastering the form and technique of double heel taps, you are forcing an adaptation to occur in your body on the cellular level.” (10:42-10:52)
• “You want to minimize the range of motion and make it so manageable that you can master this movement so that it becomes innate inside of you.” (12:11-12:26)
• “Alleviating pain in your body due to altered recruitment patterns and muscle imbalance is just one breathing exercise away.” (14:14-14:26)
• “There is no movement too small. There is no movement that doesn't matter because you are dynamic.” (15:00-15:06)
Links
https://freefitnessassessment.pongopower.com/
https://www.facebook.com/pongo.power/
https://www.instagram.com/pongopower/