The BalleCore Barre

This weather is fantastic!  Spring cold and rain are different from winter's offerings.  The rain brings all the promise of a great Spring garden and the cold is just the last gasp before Summer heat settles in! 

As usual, I am fully enthralled right now with BalleCore and BARRE Pilates.  I am exploring some fun, intricate and effective moves with the BalleCore barre and just looking forward to more and more depth with these programs and this odd devise!

The simplicity of the BalleCore barre is so deceiving.  I have been working with it in every way, I thought, I could think of for 9 years now and recently I have turned another corner of understanding that there is much more to learn!  Completely inspired by Madeline Black and Elizabeth Larkham at Pilates on Tour, AZ (where I presented BalleCore Master Classes in April), I have not only significantly healed my own wrist by another huge leap, but have found new ways to use the BalleCore barre to heal my own and my clients' wrist, elbow, shoulder issues with it!

At first glance, the BalleCore barre is simple, elegant and useful.  It intrigued me from the start and teaching teachers to use it is so much fun because I can see the lights going on in their eyes when they think of or, talk about all the different clients that will benefit from using it; they can see how it can get results. 

I spoke with a potential client today who said that she and a couple of friends wanted to come and try a Pilates class in the evening and I explained that we currently only offer a BalleCore Workout class in the evening.  She said she was interested but that on of her friends was looking for a Pilates class and she wasn't sure she could get her to come to a BalleCore class.  I explained that if her friend liked Pilates she would probably love BalleCore, but she would have to come and try a class to know.  I promised her that even if she still prefers just straight Pilates, she will get a great workout!  There is no time to waste in life and I try not to disappoint!

The BalleCore Workout class really moves so most people enjoy the feeling of total body conditioning that they get, but life doesn't come in one-size-fits-all packages!  I love teaching it and my classes are usually full, so I let this guide me forward and the people who come regularly are on this journey with me.  My weekly client Julia who drives from Brentwood (!) shakes her head and says, "How can you make it just different enough every week to keep me coming back?! I love it!"

Post Polio Syndrome

Just had a session and then dinner with a client with post polio syndrome and always find myself inspired by his truly optimistic outlook on life; he is one of the most positive people I have ever known.  He told me, as he has over the 10 years we have worked together, how much it means to him that I have a level of expertise to really help him remain strong and energized from the Pilates and Yamuna Body Rolling that we do.  In fact, the hands-on Yamuna Body Rolling has been instrumental in helping him get the resistance training he needs for his legs since he cannot put full weight on them and he is at risk for osteoporosis.  He is an amazing and dynamic friend and mentor to me too!  What a life I'm living!

BalleCore BARRE PILATES

Feeling fantastic after my BARRE PILATES noon class today!  The class is small, but dedicated and the coolness of the air conditioning, the great music and incorporating the foam roller and Orbit made the moves challenging but fun and uber effective on my posture!  I love this stuff!

Surprise Response

I've been wanting to create a more comprehensive newsletter at the first of each month for ages, but simple DID NOT have time to write and now I just sat down and made the time to get two small articles in this week.  I am so surprised and glad at the immediate positive responses from my subscribers!  They have been forwarding it to their friends and family and calling, emailing and talking to me in person about the two articles and each one has asked for more!!  The first is about Spring vs. Traditional Weight Training and the second is about Prenatal and Postpartum conditioning.  ;D

New Beginnings

I remember when I first explained to one of my clients what a blog is - back in 2003 - and still I've resisted having one of my own for some time.  I suppose I couldn't imagine what I would possibly say in it that would be of value.  Really.  Now, there are so many wonderful things happening in my studio that I know I must share it all and neither a website, Facebook or Twitter can serve that purpose!  This blog is not just for advertising.  It is for fleshing out the pearls of every day and the simple moments that make what I do worthwhile to me.  I realize now more than ever that what I do for a living is not all that I am, but it certainly gives me a place and a way of expressing myself.  I try to put the best of myself into it.  This is going to be interesting and I want it to be fun!!