Here in North America, it is spring and one of the biggest symbols of spring is the tulip. The tulip pushes through the soil and rises its vibrant green stem straight up towards the sun, and then, seemingly out of nowhere, these pastel petals confidently bloom. When I come across that first tulip emerging from the ground after a long cold winter, I am wow-ed. Something in me gets a charge. Energetically, I feel in sync with that tulip, and it reminds me – yup,...
It’s no secret that the workout world loves emphasizing strength training and cardio, but like an isosceles triangle, there is a third component to fitness that should take equal billing – flexibility training. I believe there is a place for all types of stretching but I’m the biggest fan of dynamic stretching, which is when the body extends while there is muscular energy, often in a repetitive sequence. If you dissect that last sentence: muscular energy = strengthrepetitive sequence = cardio So...
Today is a cold and gloomy spring day, and I just brought a cup of hot tea with me to my mat. I’m after TLC. My cup of tea, my sheepskin rug, my leg warmers, and my cute yoga mat with my name on it…they are my very own workout hygge. “Hygge” is a Danish word for a quality of coziness that engenders a feeling of contentment or well-being. I was craving Hygge, and voilà – my at-home...
I probably would not watch NCAA basketball March Madness if not for my husband and son, but with that said, I am enjoying it. I tend to notice things that my family does not pay much attention to, and one of those things is enthusiasm. The players, the coaches and the fan are all so into it. Witnessing such a high level of enthusiasm is exhilarating in and of itself, and I think it is contagious! It got me...
I’d like to candidly talk about menopause. I’m 50 and people keep asking me what my thoughts are. First, I do notice my body changing. I feel like food stays in my stomach longer, and I’m not quite the “furnace” I once was. Second, I notice I have to work a bit harder at maintaining muscle tone. Third, my cycle is still regular, but much lighter and shorter, which is fine by me. But, overall I’m feeling...
We all have those days when we don’t feel 100percent, and a workout is just not in the cards. The next best thing, when that’s the case, is to get embodied. Perhaps that means sitting on the floor, or maybe closing your eyes and focusing on your breath. Maybe it translates as intuitive stretching, or resting in Shavasana. It’s meeting yourself where you are and honoring that place. I call this embodiment. In many ways, embodiment is synonymous to grounded-ness. They are both...
The affirmation of the week this week is The best is yet to come. It actually came out of Dolores Cannon’s mouth during a 2008 lecture she gave on what she’s learned as a past life regressionist. She talked about the twists and turns of her own journey on this planet, and how she delighted in her “new” (and legendary) career which didn’t start until she was in her fifties. She repeated the best is yet to...
Exercise is an opportunity to tune inward, towards yourself, but to look at it a different way, exercise is an opportunity to tune out the BS. I recommend we take advantage of this exercise opportunity every single day, since there’s a lot of low vibration out there! In all seriousness, have you noticed that giving your undivided attention to your workout – be it 15 minutes or an hour – is a form of escape from reality? And that...
In Sanskrit, the heart center is called “Anahata” which translates as unstruck. I’ve always loved this way of seeing the heart center because it connotes the notion that your heart’s true nature is impervious to damage. There is no doubt that the body follows the mind, but vice versa is also true – the mind follows the body. A great example of this is when we stand taller, lifting the heart, our mind shifts, instantly and momentarily, into a more confident, more open energy. Have you ever...
When you’re Pilates Strong, you’re not just strong – you’re integrated – and that’s a big deal. Strong is great, but integrated means: 1. You’ve got stellar mind/body connection. 2. Your muscular system is united. 3. You’ve got a heightened awareness of proper alignment. Movement at large, including traditional strength training, promotes integration, but (in my opinion) Pilates is the integration superstar. It fast-tracks us and it complements just about every other form of exercise. All those professional athletes and dancers – especially the one’s with career...
