If you look closely at the photo, you’ll see we’re all on our tip toes. This action is called a relevé and I’m a big fan. In fact, if you’ve done my classes, you know it’s one of my signature moves. Here are the top five reasons why I incorporate the relevé into a workout whenever possible: They strengthen the muscles of the feet. They promote stabilization of the ankle joint. They strengthen 360degrees around the core. They provide a...
There are 33 individual interlocking bones that form your spinal column. The top 24 bones are moveable, while the lower vertebrae (in the sacrum and coccyx region) are fused together and therefore don’t articulate. This is so “yin and yang” – stable and set at the trunk, free and flowing at the crown. Did you know the spine, your spine, is a genius, sophisticated design? What a stroke of luck it is to have one! Here are 10 ways...
There’s a term I heard recently that really resonated – air bathing. It’s like sun bathing but with air instead. I am, for sure, a bona fide air bather. I love love love being in an environment, ideally amongst the trees, far away from highways and other pollutants, just breathing it all in. Basically, I love air. Here’s why you should too: Breathing is fuel. Because of breathing, you and I are able to move, talk, be, and...
When people come up to me before class to quickly give me a head’s up about an ailment they are struggling with, nine times out of ten it’s knee stuff. They may have injured it long ago playing soccer, or perhaps it’s a mysterious pain. (Oh, if I had a dime for every time I heard, “I have a bad knee.”) The knee is a complicated joint and unlike the elbow, the knee bares our body’s weight a lot of the time....
We’ve recently had some brutally gloomy days with cold rain and weird fog. It was a “driving with the headlights on during the day” kinda day, and you couldn’t tell what time it was because the lighting never shifted. It was very low vibe. Even the dogs just wanted to stay home, curled up, snug in their beds. Working out on days like these can appear against the grain. It can seem forced. The last thing you’re thinking of...
Most people are not psyched about forearm plank. There is very little “I love forearm plank” being said in the studio. You and I can go our whole lives, never do another forearm plank, and be just fine. It’s not like air. We don’t need it. With that said, forearm plank gives us more bang for our buck than pretty much any other equipment-less strengthening exercise. There are so many benefits: it builds heat. It strengthens...
Every once in a while an athlete really catches my eye, and without knowing any of their legendary plays or stats, I’ll ask, “Hey, who’s that?” I tend to hone in on body language, form, breathing, and other things like that. Not knowing much about the sport helps me look beyond the sport and simply see the art of the athlete. One such athlete – a true artist – is a football player on the Kansas...
My message to you today is – get organized. Or if you are already pretty organized, take your organization to the next level. Your well-being and your home organization are more connected than you think. I’ve found that getting your stuff organized can propel your sense of well-being to new heights. I recently got a closet system installed in my hallway/walk-thru closet/dressing area. It’s between the laundry room and my bedroom, so I now have an abundance of...
Ever since I read, “The body is a sacred garment. It’s your first and last garment. It’s what you enter life in and what you depart life with, and it should be treated with honor,” I’ve been intrigued with Martha Graham, the famous American dancer/choreographer (and the author of the quote). I just learned that Martha Graham created not just dances, but also her very own, very specific, body conditioning method. I’d describe it as...
I live in rural Connecticut these days and when I have to go into New York City, I drive in. I’ve gotten really good at driving into the hubbub of Manhattan, and I know all the ways in and out. I even know the best parking strategies. The repetition of going in and out of the city month after month, year after year, has given me a keen sense of awareness, and has strengthened my...
