ELLEN BARRETT Mindful Movement

I’m a Big Fan of Freedom

There are two things I really scratch my head over. One is crazy impractical foot wear. I don’t see it as much in real life anymore (thankfully) but every once in a while I spy a stiletto at the supermarket on an icy winter day, and inwardly feel pain. The second one actually is very common these days, and that’s extreme nails. Just the other day at a clothing store, the store clerk waved around...

Five-Star Fusion With Ellen Barrett

There’s a New Workout (and it’s an Extravaganza!)

Five-Star Fusion is a smorgasbord. It’s not a restaurant review (as my husband thought it sounded like 😂), but it’s just as delicious. Yes, movement when it keeps us in an invigorated state – and doesn’t cross the line into irritation – can be downright delicious.  I love taking classes and I do try new workouts whenever I get the chance. My favorite types of classes to teach and to take run the gamut, but they...

Back At It

Back at it

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...

Ellen Barrett "let's move!"

Tap Into Truth

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...

Ellen Barrett "Wellness is a Journey"

Wellness is a Journey

Fitness is a self-help tool for authentic wellness. The goal is wellness. Or another way of looking at it is, the destination is wellness. And you and I are never not on a journey towards wellness. We never get to the top of the wellness mountain and stick a flag in it and say, “Done!” If you’re breathing, you’re journeying!  Remember when Oprah showcased her dramatic weight loss on her talkshow? She even wheeled out...

Change With the Seasons

Seasons change. Right now, wherever you are on Earth, there is a shift. For us in the Northern Hemisphere, we’re leaving summer and entering autumn. When we think season change, our minds go to weather change, wardrobe change, schedule change. Lots of change outside of us. There’s energetic change within us too. Personally, as I approach autumn in New England, USA, I feel a little more ambitious. Like the squirrels, I feel an urgency to get things...

Just Fold It

Marie Kondo, author of The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, teaches the art of folding, for folding well keeps your belongings safely, cleanly, and beautifully stored. You and I fold things every single day. We fold laundry, linens, and yoga blankets, and we probably do most of this folding intuitively. Well, the body folds too, and the benefits are vast. From a standing and seated position, we can fold forward. From a supine position, we...

Yoga Pump With Ellen Barrett

A New & Unique Workout

Yoga Pump is now streaming on Let’s Move! and I think it’s a very unique interval workout. We’ve gotten great feedback on a couple of our previous workouts, Yoga Tone and Yogini Sculpt, and I wanted to bring that vibe to muscle conditioning again, but with a twist.  For years I’ve felt this need to bring a sense of calm to workouts. Life is already pretty hyper for most of us, and sometimes I think hyper workout sessions do more harm than good....

Just Move It

If you’ve followed my instagram story lately, you might have noticed I have a new puppy. Bridget is a 4month old black Labrador. While puppies are a ton of work (and cause a bit of chaos in your home), it’s been a total delight “raising” Ms.Bridget.  All caretakers of children and puppies know 1. you learn by doing and 2. you gotta start somewhere! When a toddler started walking, they first stand up, then balance without holding onto anything, then they take step, then two.  It’s...

Standing Stretch With Ellen Barrett

Not Just Stretch…Standing Stretch 💫

A new release called Standing Stretch on Let’s Move has arrived, and it’s short and sweet, ultra grounding, a bit flow-y, and subtly choreographed. By standing up, the act of stretching has an innate balance challenge, which enhances core engagement and muscular integration. What does this mean? It means the stretch will be less passive and more dynamic. The transformation happens with stretch. Cardio is crucial as is strength training, and everything needs everything else, but the stretch is when the energetics change for the...