I’d say I’m an energy snob. My goal each day is to keep my energy at its most inspired level. It’s not about achieving anything or pushing myself to the brink of exhaustion. High vibes win out over prowess, y’all! And I know I am not alone. Many of you have made the switch to the good life, where we view workouts as a feel good experience. Where we nurture our body, mind and spirit with...
We breathe in through the nose or the mouth. That air goes into our lungs. Then the oxygen from that air gets dispersed via the blood to every cell of the body. When we exhale, we breathe out mostly carbon dioxide, which is unwanted and unneeded, making room in our cells for the next big inhale. It’s simple, yet miraculous. In essence, the whole body breathes. “When you feel like life is out of focus, always return to...
I jokingly say that my 12 year old son has been to every yoga studio and group exercise room in New England. (For a long time it seemed as though every day was “bring-your-child-to-work” day!) The same thing would play out each time: I’d unlock the doors, and he’d rush into the big open space with excitement. He’d then proceed to run around and slide around in his sock feet, and then do laps around the perimeter. Oh, the joy of a big open space! ...
I put a lot of thought about what workout to release on January 1st, and at first glance, it might seem I “went against the grain” with releasing Gentle Barre. Like the title suggests, it is gentle. It’s a steady 30minute focused, feel-good routine. While the exercise industry at large is turning up the intensity and luring you to push yourself to the limit, I’m offering something more moderate. What I know for sure is...
I went for a winter walk with my lifelong pal yesterday and we had a deep discussion about our journeys. My friend, who was a volleyball star in high school and college, is a nurse now with her oldest child in college, is stumped as to why and how I still “move my body for a living.” She remembers taking my aerobics classes at “Gold’s Gym” in Dewitt, New York, in 1995! She is both...
You’ve probably seen those fitness fanatics at the gym. Self-proclaimed gym rats, they love working out. They smile as they sweat and are enthusiastic about all things fitness. While I’m no gym rat, I do love working out, and I know many of you do too. We enjoy movement. We don’t view it as a chore. In fact, we miss it when we are pulled away from our regular workout routine. When we travel or go on vacation,...
The opposite of love is contraction. I know this doesn’t seem like it has anything to do with fitness, but it has everything to do with fitness. I must preface this by saying contraction is great when it’s on our terms. When we intentionally contract like during a crunch or a biceps curl. Contraction is not-so-great when it happens without us wanting it – like when we experience stress, grief, fright, worry, or when we...
Kundalini yoga expert, Amy Allen, is back with an awesome outside-the-box video fit tip, called Yoga Technique For Clearing Negativity. (Now available online at Ellen Barrett Mindful Movement.) Just in the nick of time, right? Everyday, these days, I know I could use some clearing! The main thing I want to emphasize in regards to Amy’s 4minute video is the very obvious mind/body connection. It illustrates how movement effects everything…not just the body. My son’s school has...
For as long as I can remember, I’ve collected rocks. After time spent at the beach and elsewhere, I’d return home with my pockets filled with stones and pebbles. I was always very drawn to them. Then, my senior year in college, I took “Rocks For Jocks,” a geology class that focused on gemstones. We went out into the woods with little shovels as the professor pointed out the various rock formations and their mineral compositions. We found...
It’s been a little over a year since I dyed my hair. Having a two-toned head has been awkward, but I would not change a thing about my grey hair journey. It taught me something really significant. The first part of the lesson learned was that I was covering up my true self with hair dye, and I was doing it because “everyone else was doing it” – just following the herd. I was also doing...
