Intuitive Movement: What It Is, How It Works, and Why You Need It
Ever felt like traditional workouts just don’t feel right? Like you’re dragging yourself through the motions, mentally checking out and only moving because you should? Been there. For years, movement was my everything – until it wasn’t.
Backstory:
I grew up in a dance school. Literally. My mom owned one, so I spent my childhood twirling around classrooms, watching rehearsals and begging to choreograph my own performances in the living room. Eventually, I made it into the "Staatliche Ballettschule Berlin und Schule für Artistik" – the best European School for Ballet and Gymnastics… a dream come true, right?
Except, by 13, my dream had turned into exhaustion, anxiety and an all-consuming battle with my body. Movement no longer felt like freedom; it felt like survival. When a therapist dared to use the bombshell word “burnout” (at 13?!), I was in complete denial. I thought I was doing what I loved. But somewhere along the way, I lost the joy.
Many years of body obsession, diets and exercising followed. But eventually, I realized I wanted to fall back in love with movement. I wanted that feeling of play, flow, and freedom again. And that’s when intuitive movement found me.
So, What Is Intuitive Movement?
Intuitive movement is the opposite of rigid, rule-based exercise. It’s about listening to your body, moving in ways that feel good and ditching the toxic fitness culture that tells you movement has to be about burning calories or sculpting the "perfect" body (don’t get me wrong, I LOVE working out. But when working out becomes a way to punish your body, shrink yourself, or prove your worth, it stops being about health and starts being about control. And that’s when movement loses its magic).
Instead of following a structured plan, intuitive movement asks:
What does my body need today?
What movement feels nourishing rather than depleting?
How can I move for joy, rather than out of obligation?
How Is It Different from Somatic Practices?
While intuitive movement and somatic practices both prioritize body awareness, they serve different purposes:
Somatic Experiencing (SE) is a therapeutic approach focused on healing trauma by tracking and releasing nervous system responses.
Somatic Exercise (like Feldenkrais or Hanna Somatics) retrains movement patterns to relieve tension or chronic pain.
Intuitive Movement is about freeform, expressive and emotionally driven movement – less structured than somatic exercises, but more embodied than traditional workouts.
Think of it this way: Somatic practices help restore your body; intuitive movement helps you reconnect with it.
Why Does It Matter?
Because movement should feel good. Not like punishment, not like a chore and definitely not like a mental battle against yourself. When you move intuitively, you:
Reconnect with your body’s cues instead of overriding them
Reduce stress & anxiety through natural, feel-good movement
Find joy & creativity in how your body moves
Stop seeing exercise as a “should” and start experiencing it as a gift
And honestly? That’s the love story I needed.
How to Start Practicing Intuitive Movement Today
Pause before you move. Ask yourself: What do I actually want to do?
Ditch the timer. Forget workout durations – move as long (or short) as it feels good.
Try new ways of moving. Dance, stretch, walk, crawl, roll – explore!
Focus on how it feels. Does this movement energize you or drain you?
No more shame. You feel silly? Cool. Keep moving and challenge your ego – Movement is unique and there’s no one way you should look while exploring!
Want to take it further? Try an intuitive movement class! (Which brings us to the next post…)