The newly renamed Buti MVMNT, offered at multiple studios around the Coastal Bend, blends cardio dance with asana-based somatic movement. The practice formerly known as Buti Yoga remains at its core a music-driven workout, so instead of finding stillness in the pose, Buti-sattvas activate their signature booty shake.
“Finding that release in the shaking and the movement … it’s very, very rewarding,” promised Buti instructor Angela Acuña.
Buti Yoga was founded in 2010 by wellness influencer Bizzie Gold, who incorporated functional fitness modalities into a proprietary style of yoga that spirals and shakes beyond the linear plane of the mat. She named the workout Buti, meaning “hidden cure” in Marathi, India’s third most common language. The practice is evolving again in 2024, dropping yoga from the name and rebranding as Buti MVMNT.
At the local level, the Buti community is welcoming and supportive. “It’s so much more than a good workout—it’s a space for creativity, growth and sisterhood,” said Acuña, whose own sister, Erica Bertero, is widely credited for introducing Buti to the Coastal Bend in 2017.
Buti is based on a loose vinyasa structure, but rather than the scripted flow of traditional yoga classes, instructors build playlists and let intuitive movement lead the dance. Acuña wears a headset so she can communicate while keeping the music volume and energy levels high.
The practice’s basics include the trademarked Spiral Structure Technique, which engages the cylinder of the core, pulling “muscle to bone, belly button to spine,” as Acuña cues her students. The most memorable move, however, the one that prompts giggles of confusion about the pronunciation of Buti, is known as the static shake. Designed to release lactic acid and loosen the fascia, static shaking can be done standing (toes forward, back flat, weight shifting rapidly side to side) or in a downward dog position (heels bouncing up and down, releasing the glutes).
“It reminds people of twerking,” Acuña told her class as she moved into a standing static shake. “We’re not twerking, though.” The difference, she demonstrated, is twerking’s pronounced hip pop. “We don’t do that in Buti,” Acuña said, straightening the small of her back. “Try to remember: pelvis tucked.”
Buti instructors possess familiarity with basic yoga poses, but new students can arrive to class without experience. As with any exercise, be mindful of limitations and modify as necessary. Buti does not incorporate props, but definitely bring that yoga mat, some water … and a towel. Acuña offers two weekly Buti classes: 6 p.m. on Mondays at Zaya Yoga CC and 5:30 p.m. on Thursdays at Somos Southside.
In an age when the quest for wellness often feels never-ending, Buti MVMNT invites particpants to move beyond the confines of conventional exercise. It’s more than just a workout; it’s a celebration of movement, music and the powerful bonds we forge with one another in sisterhood.
