Tag Archives: exercise

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Postures of Purpose: Reimagining Exercise”

What are your favorite physical activities or exercises?

Have you ever imagined using your body as a living, breathing symbol? That’s exactly what I do through rune yoga, a fascinating practice that blends physical movement with ancient Norse symbolism. Before you dismiss this as something weird or mystical, let me explain how this unique form of exercise has transformed my understanding of movement and energy.

Rune yoga is an intriguing practice that uses the human body to create runic symbols – an ancient Norse writing script – while simultaneously channeling and absorbing what practitioners believe to be runic energy. Unlike typical exercise routines focused solely on physical fitness, rune yoga is a holistic discipline that connects body, mind, and what some describe as subtle energy fields.

Armanen rune yoga postures

The practice centers around 18 key Armanen rune postures that might look simple at first glance. Take the FA rune, for example. It involves standing upright with hands lifted diagonally, the left hand slightly higher than the right, forming a specific shape that represents flow and original fire. What makes this practice unique is that holding these poses isn’t just about physical endurance – it’s about experiencing an internal energetic process.

While this might sound unusual to modern ears, rune yoga offers a different perspective on physical exercise. Instead of counting repetitions or burning calories, practitioners focus on energy flow and personal transformation. The practice recognizes five different energy fields, ranging from subterranean earth energies to cosmic celestial forces. Each rune posture is believed to interact with these fields differently, potentially influencing the practitioner’s mental and emotional state.

What sets rune yoga apart is its philosophical approach. Where most exercise routines target physical achievement, this practice aims to develop personal integrity, balance, and a sense of purpose. It’s less about how your body looks and more about how it feels and functions as an integrated system.

I understand this might sound strange to those unfamiliar with alternative movement practices. Modern society often disconnects our physical experience from deeper energetic and spiritual dimensions. Rune yoga invites practitioners to reconnect, to see the body not just as a machine, but as a dynamic, responsive system capable of profound transformation.

Of course, like any practice involving energy work, individual experiences vary. What feels profound to one person might seem peculiar to another. The key is to approach it with an open mind and personal curiosity.

Intrigued by rune yoga? Curious to explore this unique practice that blends physical movement, ancient symbolism, and energy work? I’m always excited to share more about my journey and help others discover this transformative approach to movement. Whether you’re a seasoned yoga practitioner or someone simply looking to expand your understanding of holistic exercise, I’d love to connect. Feel free to reach out to me in a comment to learn more, ask questions, or potentially experience a rune yoga session together. Every body has a story to tell, and rune yoga might just help you tell yours.

© Jurgens Pieterse. All rights reserved. 2024.

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Ancient Wisdom, Modern Wellness

What is your favorite form of physical exercise?

Jogging and the gym were never my thing, sport a silly spectacle. But I discovered the grace of movement. I flowed with Tai Chi, sinking low to feel the energy ebb and flow. I bent the tree and allowed Hatha Yoga to breathe in me. I tried walking the dogs, but they caught some fleas…


But exercise is important, so I found my groove in Stadgaldr, or rune postures. Eighteen postures, each the nature of a rune, combined with breathing, balance, and concentration tone the body, mind, and soul. Persistence over time is the only goal. Each position is so easy to hold, but keeps each for ten minutes, and miracles unfold.

Rune Yoga diagram.

The mind quickens, mindfulness expands, and a feeling of well-being fills each limb and cell. This is no ordinary way but feeds from the magnetic force of earth and sun, flowing, connecting, and increasing.
The nervous system calms, the energy collects without waste, and the chakras clear. Any time, anywhere, at no cost, I can do my rune yoga. It gives me a kick and wake-up call, surpassing any energy drink’s buzz.


With each rune posture, I tap into an ancient wisdom, harnessing the power of the universe. It’s a quiet revolution, a personal alchemy that transforms stress into serenity, fatigue into vitality. This practice, rooted in the earth and reaching for the stars, has become my secret weapon, empowering me to face life’s challenges with grace and strength.
© Jurgens Pieterse. All rights reserved. 2024

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Trauma Release Exercises

I attended an introductory talk about TRE (Trauma release Exercise) with the aim of being trained as a TRE practitioner and ultimately a TRE trainer. Part of the recommendation of the process is to maintain a diary so I decided to keep track of this journey earlier rather than trying to do it later.
We were a massive group of fifteen anxious people gathering to hear what TRE is and how it will benefit us. In essence TRE is a process of addressing stress related conditions. The theory is that the body maintains a memory of each time it experienced stress and that TRE allows a natural manner for the body to detox it from stress memories. A specific muscle is designed for the purpose of shaking off the stress. TRE follows a process of six exercises designed to fatigue some muscles starting with the legs, working up to the core muscles in the back and the waste. Once the six exercises are done a particular body position is assumed that allows for the body to start to shake naturally.
I was particularly interested in the fact that it works on the leg muscles and the back in a similar fashion as Tai Chi. The facilitator confirmed that some of the exercises was borrowed from Tai Chi and later I discovered that all the exercises are done with the legs bent. The position that starts the shaking of the body is similar to a position I have done in Yoga as the yoga bridge pose. As with most other disciplines much is made of deep breathing.
We started the exercises by putting our left hand on our heart and breathing …through the hand. This was followed by standing on one leg and moving onto your toes, a position crunching down on one leg at a time, three positions of bending forward with the legs spread wide, a sitting against a wall exercise, a bending backwards exercise and finally doing the yoga bridge pose but with the souls of the feet touching. After this the buttocks are lowered to the ground but the soles are still touching. The knees are slowly raised to find the sweet spot where the body naturally begins to tremor.
The tremor I felt was slight but definite and I soon discovered that I cannot make the tremors happen but must relax and allow it to happen all by itself. The whole process was actually comforting and it was interesting to observe the involuntary processes taking over. After a while I was told to put my feet flat on the ground and experience the tremors from that position. We lied like that for ten minutes before being told to put our legs down and push our knees down into the ground like shut down process. Then we lied in any position to allow the body and mind some time to integrate the experience.
An interesting aspect of this process is that you do not need to face or know the cause of the stress but just follow the process. I felt aware and present during the debriefing process where people discussed how they experienced the process. Apparently it is a process of self discovery and some premium is placed on self awareness. This is why journalling is an integral part of the process.