Our Mindful Purpose

Every change in the human physiological state is accompanied by an appropriate change in the mental-emotional state, conscious or unconscious; conversely every change in the human mental-emotional state, conscious or unconscious, is accompanied by an appropriate change in the physiological state... this seems to describe the “mind-body connection.”

The implication here is that how well you treat your body in terms of nutrition, rest, and exercise will directly affect who you are becoming mentally and emotionally.

And, how well you take care of your mental-emotional states will have an impact on your body, your health and longevity, your energy levels and productivity.

We hope that this website will lead you to a realm beyond the veil of everyday life as you embrace the mind-body connection as described above... AND... become increasingly aware of, and attuned to, aspects of your authentic self (spirit). We believe this intuitive movement will revolutionize people's concept of “strength” and will play a crucial role in elevating our collective consciousness*, health, and human potentiality. As you grow stronger in your body and your mind, you will be sure to grow stronger in your understanding of the world around you.

* Collective Consciousness is a mode of awareness, in which we directly experience, through an intuitive felt-sense, our union with the interconnected wholeness of life, and recognize ourselves in others. Our identity extends beyond our individual boundary and embraces the collective, through a free and conscious act of identification, rather than through definition by convention or external authority.

Our Mindful Mantra

• Allow interaction with your higher self and the Universe (or God if you prefer)
• Elevate your consciousness to a domain of compassion and intuition
• Unleash your human potential, both physically and spiritually

Our Mindful Story

The seed of Mindful Muscle was planted when Chris (founder of MM) took a life-changing course at the University of Michigan a few years ago called "Psychology and Consciousness" taught by Dr. Richard Mann. Part of this course instructed students to develop their own meditation practice and journal their experiences. Three weeks into the assignment, Chris noticed a great shift in his consciousness and observed a kind of "access" to information/insights that he hadn't had before. He also noticed that all of the moving parts in his fast-paced life suddenly seemed so manageable.

This provoked Chris to explore mindfulness/consciousness further. During this time, he entertained the idea of creating a highly credible website designed to inspire people to craft their own meditation practice and experience this higher level of "being" as he did.

After doing months of research and contemplation, and tapping into his years of experience with physical fitness, Chris realized that methods of building a stronger, healthier body had to be integrated into the project. Shortly thereafter, Chris assembled a team of like-minded enthusiasts and experts to help carry out his mission.

Our Mindful Team

Chris Willitts :: Owner and Director

Chris is a new media entrepreneur, freelance web designer, and contributing writer for health & fitness at Ann Arbor.com (local news outlet).

You could also say Chris is a "professional student" as his formal education is still being acquired from the University of Michigan with concentrations in psychology, creativity and consciousness studies, Asian studies (cultural), and business.

Strength training has been a vital part of Chris's life since his teen years. After he discovered meditation a few years ago, Chris noticed a tremendous sense of strength and connection during his workouts. This higher level of consciousness helped him realize that his old motivation for strength training (nourishing his ego) was incomplete. Today, his practice also nourishes his personal growth and maturity, and serves as a vehicle to his self-cultivated spirituality.

Esther Krohner :: Yoga Research and Development

Esther has a bachelor's degree in psychology, is a yoga therapist, and is currently studying integrative and holistic health practices. Meditation has been a large part of Esther's life, and more recently she has learned many Yogic methods of meditation, which has shifted her depth of experience.

Esther has spent much of her life working with special needs children and the families who support them. Over time she recognized that the people she was working with (and society as a whole) was not acquainted with meditation and its benefits related to the development, and awareness of self. Esther's elemental goal/purpose is to learn, evolve, and teach methods that help people get connected to their authentic selves by focusing on the interrelationship between mind, body, and spirit.

Richard Mann, PhD :: Advisory Panel Member

We really can't say enough nice things about this profoundly wise expert of mindfulness. Dr. Mann is a living legend in Ann Arbor, Michigan, especially on campus. The Michigan Daily published a thoughtful article that illustrates his philosophy of teaching. Dr. Mann is notorious for his uncanny ability to “awaken” students to the nature of their true selves. His other specialty is giving students inspiration to explore the extraordinary phenomena that occurs in everyday life, such as clairvoyance, intuition, and energy healing.

Dr. Mann has degrees from Harvard and the University of Michigan, and has taught psychology at both prestigious schools. In 2001, he co-directed a team of prominent developmental psychologists for the Human Change Project. Its goal was to create an Encyclopedia of Human Development, a detailed and easily accessible catalog of all research on human psychological and spiritual growth.

Mike Schmidt :: Advisory Panel Member

Mike has trained MLB World Series Champions, NHL Stanley Cup Champions, PGA US Open Champions, Collegiate All-Americans and an Olympic gold medallist. He has also trained and educated Navy Seals and soldiers of the US Army to help understand their bodies’ performance. Additionally, Mike held the position of assistant Olympic strength and conditioning coach at the University of Michigan. He is currently a performance specialist consultant with Athletes’ Performance Institute, a world renowned sports performance facility located in Tempe, AZ. Mike is also the owner and director of Gritt Performance, a performance-based training company located in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Mike received his Bachelors of Science degree in movement science from the University of Michigan and passionately continues to further his knowledge in mind, body, and sport. While earning his degree, Mike collected four varsity letters as member of the University of Michigan’s baseball team. He helped his team to achieve the Big Ten Conference and Tournament Championships in 2006.