As a busy mom who wears many hats (like most of us), my days are filled with all the things l’ve told myself are essential: working, parenting, exercising, cooking, errands, etc. Very little time is spent playing, dancing, discovering, let alone getting in touch with my femininity and sexiness. But engaging in playful activities is important for our well-being. Play boosts our mental and physical health. We release endorphins when playing, which reduces stress and in turn, helps us recharge and return to our responsibilities with renewed energy. As it turns out, play is important for all humans, young, old and everywhere in between.
Moreover, play fosters creativity and innovation. It encourages problem-solving, out-of-the-box thinking and adaptability, highly valuable skills in both personal and professional settings. Participating in playful activities with others strengthens social bonds and improves communication skills. It allows us to connect on a deeper level, share laughter, and build camaraderie. We’ve likely experienced this, but know there’s science that backs it up. The Harvard Graduate School of Education has published entire books encouraging playful learning in classrooms.
Life is too short to be play-less. You know what else life is too short for? Being out of touch with one’s body, one’s sexiness. Personally, I feel like it’s finally time to give myself permission to be more playful and fun with movement . . . and be sexy while doing it even. Luckily for me (and you), we can join this incredible community of badass women who come together to find their sexy and sweat. What ORIx founders Shermineh and Laura teach in these classes is that to fully embrace one’s body and sensuality, it’s important to listen to your body’s needs and desires. They remind us to pay attention to how different movements make us feel and to find joy in the sensations of our bodies in motion. They encourage participants to let go of self-judgment or societal expectations and instead focus on the pleasure and empowerment that comes from fully inhabiting one’s body. How wonderful is that?
Shermineh Takar and Laura Kasta created a nomadic social + wellness club where members come to PLAY, SWEAT, and CONNECT. They combine movement and play into their workout classes, which are the best combinations of dance, cardio, pilates, yoga and sculpting – all taught with an intentionally curated playlist or, on occasion, live DJ or musician. At each of their exercise sessions, ORIx invites you to explore how your body moves, encouraging a connection that is both intimate and empowering. Designed specifically for women, these sessions marry intentional movement with profound sensory experiences, inviting each participant to become immersed in the majesty and mystique of the setting.
In addition to these workout classes, ORIx hosts art socials, wine tastings, social gathering and transformative wellness retreats.
Their portfolio of classes and events have generated a strong following because Shermineh and Laura not only model what playful, fun, sexy and confident looks like, they welcome, and more importantly, make it safe for women to do the same. Shermineh and Laura both talk about coming from cultures that are more in touch with their bodies. Shermineh and Laura are ethnically Persian and Venezuelen respectively, where connectedness with one’s body is embraced much more than other more conservative cultures. Part of the beauty of living in the United States is our diversity, where Persian and Venezuelan queens can join arms to invite women of all backgrounds to tap into our innate femininity.
This invitation to first discover and then get in touch with one’s divine essence, one’s intuition, one’s ori, or “X factor” is precisely the power behind ORIx, pronounced or-ee-ex. However, this process is made accessible by inspiring play. While deeper meaning is imbued within the ORIx brand, it all starts with an inspiration to play more in life. After all, when we play, we’re more fully present and as a result are more receptive to lessons being taught. (Learn more about the meaning of ORIx here.)
Embracing play helps lead to a more balanced, joyful, and connected life. Having fun should not be a luxury but integrated as part of a healthy, happy existence. I think my husband would be proud with this realization because he often jokes that I never learned to play. As the daughter of Vietnam War refugees, I grew up quickly. Don’t get me wrong, my childhood definitely included play – but I felt like I needed to abandon play for more serious and responsible endeavors at a relatively young age.
There’s so much to love about ORIx – the incredible classes where playful, sexy movement is integrated into workout routines, transformative retreats, the social events, art or otherwise, and perhaps most salient, the empowering community cultivated by ORIx founders Shermineh and Laura – all of which serve as the basis for holistic social wellness. I think it’s safe to say that in our individualistic culture, we could all use a bit more social wellness.
Yet, to add to this already long list, I especially love how Shermineh and Laura aligned their true passions to form ORIx, demonstrating the power and possibility behind aligning with one’s purpose. While movement has perhaps always been a part of their core identities, both pursued other careers before igniting their own ori. Shermineh was a hospital administrator and after a career as a professional dancer, Laura had her own champagne business and pursued architecture. While these other pursuits may continue to be layers of their identity, they both found alignment, joy and impact with ORIx, modeling and empowering others to do the same.
How do you like to move? With friends or alone? Personally, I mostly move alone because it’s the best way I can make time for it. But whenever I can, I join the ORIx ladies for a workout or social. ORIx is currently San Francisco and Marin County based.
Are you new to ORIx? Find out more here. Interested in taking a class or joining an ORIx experience? Check out their membership options, which will soon offer an option for to access their library of on-demand workouts, something I’m incredibly excited about. If you can join in-person, check out their calendar.
You can find them at: https://www.liv-orix.com/ and @ liv_orix on Instagram.
Leave a comment below. I’d love to hear from you.
