Ten years ago, MovNat founder, Erwan Le Corre, began offering the very first MovNat courses in the USA. These were immersive, week-long retreats to help people learn how to move naturally and experience Natural Movement Fitness in its purest form – deep in the mountains of West Virginia.
Erwan presented a brand new curriculum he developed from a lifetime of study in multiple disciplines, and which was influenced by the many physical education pioneers who came before us. Even though the movements themselves are as old as the human race, the MovNat system and its new, modern methods, took the fitness industry by storm.
We knew early on that we were onto something big. So many people were overcoming physical ailments and transcending mental barriers in such a short time…simply by moving as they were meant to (with guidance, support, and attention to safety). We needed to make the practice of Natural Movement accessible to more people, which meant we needed to bring the practice to the people – to the gyms and parks of our modern habitat.
Thus, the MovNat Certification Program and 2-day Workshop was born. Since then, thousands of people have participated in these courses, and the experience has been truly awesome. Helping so many people learn how to move naturally, get strong by nature, and become more capable has been so rewarding for our team.
We know for a fact that Natural Movement changes lives. And we’ve been privileged to watch so many people from all walks of life explore their health, fitness, and movement potential using the MovNat system – and begin doing things they never thought they could.
Over the years, we’ve been listening very carefully to our student’s and team instructor’s feedback about how to improve our curriculum, programs, and services; and in that time, we’ve learned a lot about what works and what doesn’t. So, in the spirit of growth, ongoing education, and a commitment to excellence, we’re making another bold, and much needed move – discontinuing one of the courses this company was built upon.
As of January 2020, we will no longer be offering our classic MovNat 2-day workshops.
We know this may come as a surprise to many, and you’re probably wondering why we made this decision. Well, for starters, this was not an easy decision. Frankly, we’ve been discussing it for the last couple of years. Why would we retire a program that we’ve worked so hard on – striving to improve year after year – a program that has been invaluable for so many of our students?
There are many reasons, but one of the primary drivers is that we’re trying to decentralize the education and empower teachers to bring MovNat to the local level.
You see, as our community has grown, we’ve learned just how much reach matters.
That’s why MovNat needs to focus more on recruiting friends (ie teachers) to help spread the practice. The idea here is not to “push” people to get certified (or push away those who aren’t interested in certification), but rather nurture those that are willing to take on the initiative to transport MovNat to their local community. And it starts with their own learning experience via our in-depth certification process.
We say it all the time: we are stronger together. And with every new MovNat Certified Trainer and Licensed Gym, our reach grows exponentially.
The best part is that this restructuring is actually making room for bigger and better things to come, beyond our certification program.
Now, we already have existing infrastructure in place for people looking for a hands-on MovNat experience, including:
- 1 Day Elements Workshops
- Meet-ups
- A growing number of full-blown licensed facilities representing the company (both commercial and community service)
- Certifications available worldwide, which are appropriate for all levels and offer the opportunity for you to bring the practice to your community
- A variety of other commercial opportunities (as well as scholarships)
We’re also developing new offerings to provide a more robust educational experience for those who want to go deep into the practice of Natural Movement, but would prefer an online or retreat-style format. You’ll be hearing more about these initiatives in the months to come.
One of our goals is to do a better job steering the right people to the right places so that everyone benefits from more opportunities to learn and grow under the tutelage of a qualified, passionate teacher.
The Evolution of MovNat
This decision is also reflective of our philosophy as a company. As with movement, we have a more natural perspective on business. Rather than a rigid hierarchical structure that comprises the skeleton of most mid-to-large sized companies, we view our company as a living, growing organism. And as we all know, life is not just driven by revenue (energy), but the degree of connectedness, health, and cooperation among all parts.
In other words, as we grow bigger our decisions need to prioritize the relationships we have with the life blood of our company: the educators, who in turn, take on the role of supporting the movement health of their local communities through person-to-person interaction.
No person is an island, so it’s our duty to ensure we do everything we can to build and strengthen our network of educators.
What this Means for You
If you are not interested in our certification, you’re going to have more opportunities to build your practice – via local Elements workshops, local gyms/meet ups, retreat opportunities, and online e-courses. We wouldn’t just take something away without creating something better in its place.
If you are considering becoming a teacher, whether for profit or just to bring something beautiful/helpful to your community, we are constantly updating and enhancing our curriculum to take you from zero to Natural Movement hero. This is a big step in that direction.
If you know you want to become a teacher, but are waiting for the right moment, you’re in luck. The time to join and benefit from our growing network of educators is now!
Wrap Up
This is a really important step forward for our company. Yes, change is usually hard, and sometimes scary. But we’re confident these changes will be for the best. And we want everyone to be just as excited as we are about this next step in our journey.
As always, if you have any questions, we’re here to help. And we’re confident that once you understand the motivation behind this decision, you’ll be just as excited as we are about this next evolution for MovNat.
We’re looking forward to this next step in our journey, and we are so grateful for your support all these years.
Note: if you’d like to attend an official MovNat 2-day workshop before they are discontinued, we still have dozens of courses scheduled all around the world through the end of 2019. You can check out the Workshops Page for more information.