Symmetry is honest to God so important yet often ignored. Alignment gets more play, and while alignment is just as crucial, function and flow need both. When bodies are misaligned and asymmetrical, they feel strain and unease, like a sliding door with a wonky track. If you’d like to move like a well-oiled machine, here are five things to do that facilitate the one-two punch of symmetry and alignment: We all have some specific nuances within...
New moon, clean slate, fresh start…a perfect time for a pep talk. Join Ellen for a casual chat on an Instagram Live. No pre-registration required. Have a question you’d like Ellen to address? Email us at [email protected].
There’s a new workout and its goal is truly effective, feel-good fitness. Express Barre is mindful and graceful – just 20minutes delivers a head-to-toe Ballet conditioning workout. In honor of our newest workout, I thought it’d be nice to share the five signature components of a barre class: So there you have it folks, Barre in a nutshell. Don’t worry – it’s not Ballet, but rather Ballet conditioning (big difference). Be sure to give Express Barre a try this week (today!), and experience these five...
Make sure your heart is in front of the head. Try to lift the heart and drop the shoulders. Does your heart lead the way? It is rare for me to see an adult with their heart open and shining bright, outside of class. I’d say the #1 alignment issue is a closed off, tight, sunken heart. Thus, getting that heart of yours unsunk is a major and ongoing alignment goal. The physical act of aligning the heart center...
Deep thought of the day: your workout should make you feel good about yourself. It should make you be proud of your efforts, grateful for your body, and inspired to live a high vibe life. End of story. For most of us, our workout is optional. It’s a choice we make. In fact, we often jump though hoops – from hiring a babysitter and navigating traffic to buying the right gear and waking up an hour or two...
Mudra is a Sanskrit word meaning “gesture.” The most common mudras arehand gestures. Doing the peace sign is a mudra. Waving the hang loose symbol is a mudra. Giving the middle finger is a mudra. You and I have been “mudra-ing” our whole lives without even realizing it. Our hands are extensions of our hearts and a reflection of our mental state, so by placing our hands in intentional ways, we potentially direct attentions and energies in...
There’s a lot we can accomplish when we are sitting on our mats. We could do a pre-movement chat, have a meditation or intention setting session, or do a breathing exercise. I also think the act of sitting on our mat could be part of the warm-up, where we ground and settle our bodies, and get situated with where we are in space and time. Simple stuff, right? But these simply things aren’t benign. They can really...
This 30minute workout is a true yoga workout, where you’ll thoroughly engage all the muscles of the body, but do so in a calm, unhurried fashion. Most everybody I meet today, is seeking some sort of stress relief, and I think this workout really helps with that, but at the same time, your muscles will feel this. Remember, your workout doesn’t have to only be about physical health, it can also help with mental health. Lots and...
Do you remember who you were at age seven? I was a little kid that roller skated in my basement, took walks in the woods with my dog, Lucy, pogo-stick raced with my brother, and did endless loops around the neighborhood on my bike. I was an enthusiastic mover, and I bet to some extent you were too. Of course, as adults, we’ve been on the other side of this, at times – where we...
I really do love getting to studio spaces early – way before class starts – and settling in. A big open clutter-free sacred space is my jam. Natural light and soothing colors are like icing on the cake. It feels like a calm church. My body softens and my breath deepens, and if I was a bit fatigued or frazzled upon entering the space, now I’m refreshed and ready to flow. For many years, I taught in...
