{"id":433686,"date":"2025-03-05T19:36:25","date_gmt":"2025-03-05T19:36:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/formnutrition.com\/us\/?p=433686"},"modified":"2025-03-11T12:25:10","modified_gmt":"2025-03-11T16:25:10","slug":"fuelled-by-form-daoist-yoga-instructor-james-rafael-on-the-importance-of-circular-movement","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/formnutrition.com\/us\/inform\/fuelled-by-form-daoist-yoga-instructor-james-rafael-on-the-importance-of-circular-movement\/","title":{"rendered":"Fuelled by Form: Daoist Flow Yoga Instructor James Rafael on the Importance of Circular Movement"},"content":{"rendered":"

Teaching legions of lycra-clad city workers at boutique gyms like Equinox and Mission, James Rafael (@jamesyoga<\/a>) is one of London\u2019s leading movement gurus. But before he discovered the calming power of yoga, he was a burnt-out marketing professional, suffering from panic attacks and burning the candle at both ends.<\/p>\n

Now, eighteen years on from taking his first meditation class, he is emphatic about sharing the benefits of mindfulness on the mat, teaching a suite of east-meets-west practices which include Daoist Flow Yoga and a Chinese system of coordinated body movements called Qi Gong.<\/p>\n

In April, he\u2019ll be opening the doors to his hotly coveted \u2018Daoist Flow\u2019 yoga teacher training<\/a>, an eight-month intensive course which strips back the #socialmedia veneer of yoga, and returns it to its original traditions, focusing on somatic movement principles, ancient Buddhist teachings and the sole principle that everything is part of the whole.<\/p>\n

Between classes, we caught five minutes with James to hear more about his teaching style, his love for practising fluid movements and the wellness rituals he can\u2019t live without.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

How did you first come to discover yoga?<\/h1>\n

I\u2019ve always loved dancing and movement, so I actually taught myself from a young age. My mum had two yoga books – one was a serious, authoritative text by the yogi Mira Mehta, and the other was \u2018Total Body Beauty\u2019 by the fabulous Raquel Welch.<\/p>\n

She had an entire chapter on yoga poses, which I studied religiously. I have vivid memories of my mum and me doing her VHS routine together in our living room.<\/p>\n

It wasn\u2019t until after university that I really revisited yoga. I had just completed an intense university degree at Cambridge and was already feeling burnt out. Moving to London to start my career only added to the chaos. I was working in brand marketing in the beauty industry, suffering from panic attacks, and partying more than I wanted to.<\/p>\n

A counsellor suggested I try meditation, so I started going to Inner Space in Covent Garden and taking yoga classes locally. Because I have quite an addictive personality, I just got totally obsessed with it all.<\/p>\n

So what exactly is Daoist Flow Yoga and how does it differ from other movement styles?<\/h1>\n

Yoga already has so many different styles, but I also teach practices rooted in ancient Chinese philosophy. One of those is Daoism, which is all about living in harmony with the natural world. You make an effort, but you don\u2019t overcook yourself. It\u2019s all about sustainable, holistic health.<\/p>\n

Daoist practices include tai chi and its lesser-known sister discipline, Qi Gong. They look similar, but there are key differences. Tai chi often involves partner work or martial arts elements, whereas Qi Gong is more about slow, circular movements, visualisation, breathwork, meditation and the power of intention.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s also closely linked to Traditional Chinese Medicine; we use it to direct energy toward the organs and balance the emotions associated with them.<\/p>\n

I weave these principles into my yoga classes, blending those gentle, tai chi-like movements and Daoist philosophy.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

What are the main benefits of moving towards this style of practice?<\/h1>\n

For people who are super stressed or experiencing panic attacks, sitting still on a yoga mat can feel like slamming on the brakes while driving at full speed – it just doesn\u2019t feel good. Some people don\u2019t find stillness easy and need movement to help them get there.<\/p>\n

Today\u2019s yoga classes can be very dynamic, and in some, the meditative aspect gets lost. That\u2019s where these Chinese practices come in, acting as a bridge between intense movement and stillness.<\/p>\n

Then there are people of all ages, fitness levels, and accessibility needs who already enjoy meditation but need to incorporate more movement. Tai Chi and Qi Gong sit perfectly in the middle as moving meditations.<\/p>\n

They build a different kind of mental and physical strength – one that lets you hold your arms up for 20 minutes while staying completely relaxed. They don\u2019t deplete or exhaust you but instead leave you feeling completely energised.<\/p>\n

What does a typical day of fitness look like for you?<\/h1>\n

I\u2019m still pretty obsessive as a person, so I try to harness that around movement and philosophical practice. The body loves variety, so I take a diverse approach. Over the past few years, I\u2019ve gotten into weight training, which has been a amazing for my yoga practice. For a long time, I thought lifting weights would make me stiff, but it\u2019s been the opposite.<\/p>\n

If you train smartly, yoga and weightlifting can really complement each other. I\u2019m hypermobile, so building strength has been helpful for protecting my joints long-term. I lift weights four days a week and do movement practice every day. I try to get in some cardio when I can, but I\u2019m mindful of not pushing myself into burnout.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

How does Form support your daily movement?<\/h1>\n

Protein is a huge priority for me, especially with weight training. Because I move so much, I have to eat a lot to sustain my energy levels – which sounds like a nice problem to have, but in reality, it can be tough to get enough protein when I\u2019m constantly on the go.<\/p>\n

Traditional whey protein has always left me feeling bloated and sluggish, so switching to a plant-based blend has been a game-changer. It\u2019s much easier to digest, which is important when you\u2019re teaching back-to-back classes. I usually have two shakes a day – one in the morning before teaching and another in the evening to refuel.<\/p>\n

As a busy person, are there any rest rituals you can\u2019t live without?<\/h1>\n

Naps! Once I\u2019ve finished my morning teaching, I tend to have a 20-minute power nap with a yoga nidra body scan. I wake up early, at 5am, to teach, so by the time the afternoon comes, I\u2019ve been awake for a long time. I also limit eating close to bedtime, keep the room really cold and get to bed early to get a good night\u2019s rest.<\/p>\n

What movement trends are you interested in right now?<\/h1>\n

I\u2019m fascinated by the intersection of movement and stillness, and how ancient practices are coming to the fore. Feldenkrais is an incredible movement method that looks deceptively simple but is extremely intelligent. It\u2019s at the cutting edge of what we understand about biomechanics.<\/p>\n

One of the key ideas in Feldenkrais is that we never push into a stretch, because that tightness is actually your body signalling it doesn\u2019t feel safe. Instead, we work on flexibility in a way that supports the nervous system, rather than triggering resistance.<\/p>\n

Qi Gong is also gaining more recognition, and I think that\u2019s because traditional yoga is very linear, with lots of straight lines and angles. It\u2019s beautiful, but it\u2019s not how the body naturally moves. Nature moves in spirals. Our bones grow in spirals, plants grow in spirals, even planets orbit in spirals. Our joints are designed to move in circular patterns, not just back and forth.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s what Qi Gong and Tai Chi do so well – they strengthen and mobilise the joints across multiple angles rather than just one direction. Don\u2019t get me wrong, I love the crisp, clean lines of yoga, but incorporating spiralling movements can unlock an entirely new kind of strength.<\/p>\n

James Rafael\u2019s \u2018Daoist Flow\u2019 yoga teaching training runs from April to November and incorporates 230 hours of training accredited by Yoga Alliance USA. To sign up, visit jamesrafael.com<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

James Rafael, one of London\u2019s top movement experts, blends yoga, Qi Gong, and Daoist practices\u2014here\u2019s how he stays active and how Form supports him.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":20503,"featured_media":433695,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[40,73],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-433686","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-body","category-life"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nFuelled by Form: Daoist Flow Yoga Instructor James Rafael on the Importance of Circular Movement - Form - US<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"James Rafael, one of London\u2019s top movement experts, blends yoga, Qi Gong, and Daoist practices\u2014here\u2019s how he stays active and how Form supports him.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/formnutrition.com\/us\/inform\/fuelled-by-form-daoist-yoga-instructor-james-rafael-on-the-importance-of-circular-movement\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Fuelled by Form: Daoist Flow Yoga Instructor James Rafael on the Importance of Circular Movement\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"James Rafael, one of London\u2019s top movement experts, blends yoga, Qi Gong, and Daoist practices\u2014here\u2019s how he stays active and how Form supports him.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/formnutrition.com\/us\/inform\/fuelled-by-form-daoist-yoga-instructor-james-rafael-on-the-importance-of-circular-movement\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Form - 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