Interview with one of our Clients - her Pilates Reformer Experience

Elizabeth Stanbridge first tried Pilates at the gym and really liked it. She was training with a personal trainer at the gym, trying to get back in shape  after years of not exercising.  At the time, her kids were at Redline Athletics and that's how she first heard about Body in Balance Yoga (back then it was still Studio J). She started Pilates and Yoga classes and hasn't looked back since! Elizabeth shares with us how Pilates has changed her confidence in her body exercise awareness.

Q: On a scale of 1 - 10 how did you feel when you first started taking classes at the studio?
A: I felt fairly strong (from the gym) but not balanced. Maybe 5,6/10.

Q: Results: where are you now and how do you feel?
A: Probably 8/10 - I have more work to do. I am more flexible. I feel like I am not as prone to injury, because my core and stabilizer muscles are stronger. I feel more confident because of the relationship I've developed with Jordan as a Pilates instructor. I trust that she will push me, but knows my limits. I am learning to analyse aches and pains and plateaus, and am learning to figure out what to do with them. The instructors have helped a lot with that learning (mainly Jordan and Rose). 

Q: What's next?
A: Keep going, keep learning, keep getting stronger and more flexible. The inclusive environment here makes it feel like I'm missing something in my life when I can't/ don't come to class. 

2017 Special Offer! Only $55 / month Membership

2017 Special Offer! Only $55 / month Membership for  Yoga, Barre and Mat Pilates Group Classes (Excludes Reformer) Call / Come into the studio to Sign Up or Online: Register / Sign in to Mindbody - Online Store - Unlimited Group Classes AutoPay

Meet Jordan, a Body in Balance studio Pilates Reformer & Barre Instructor

Reformer Pilates basic footwork

Letting go and being open

To let go, we must first agree that what we are holding on to is not worth our grasp. Yet this is so difficult for us to do! What makes it so hard? Even when we are holding onto what is causing pain and misery, we would rather embrace the suffering than give ourselves up to whatever else there might be. It's like when you are in a yoga posture that challenges you, and all you can think about is how much longer you can bear it. Yet the yoga happens when you want to exit the pose, when the mind wants to go somewhere else, when you think there is something better so you rush out of the moment. The yoga happens when you find yourself right there, the timeless eternal being that you are, gazing right back at you, and suddenly everything is fine. This is the letting go. 

Your small self, partly wrapped up in the human mind, acts as if it knows something. It acts towards staying alive. It wants to keep things the way it has 'known' them, so it can be organized, fit for survival. Evolution has done a great job of simplifying this, so our organism can focus on the material needs. Avoid pain, move towards pleasure. Run from the predator, get the food. Find the mate, propagate the species. Our lives and our ancestors lives going back many, many millions of years have been governed by these basic mechanisms. Yet now we are at a stage in evolution where we have satisfied our basic needs so completely that we are fabricating perceived threats to keep the mind occupied. 

We live in a world that is now governed by empty threats. Stress is the number one killer in America, being the leading cause of heart disease - even above factors like 'genetics' , diet, history of smoking, etc. Our organisms have not fully adapted to being in such freedom. Yet there seems to be something pulling us towards further evolutionary advancement and it's not additional physical traits that will help us to move up the ladder of evolution. Perhaps the answer now, is a spiritual one. Perhaps now, we are surpassing our old, outdated animal nature and moving into higher states of consciousness that allow for transcendence of the material plane?

We certainly experience both ends of the spectrum - the animal nature side of us, which primarily dictates our sensory experiences and can be difficult to manage at times (anyone ever had a late night ice cream craving?) and the spiritual side, the human quest for unraveling the mysteries of the unknown, the unsatisfactory answers we receive from science that leave us ultimately unfulfilled and turning our eye towards the F word. 

Faith is this solution, the variables being letting go and being open. That brings me to wrapping up this post. Yes, the F word. Faith. From time immemorable, since the etchings of written history and perhaps even before then, humans have been explaining the ways by which we liberate ourselves from our lower consciousness (animal nature) and step into the higher conscious beings that we are. In order to stop living under every beck and whim of our small self, governed by old patterns and habits that have been forever in our evolutionary survival toolkit, we have to give ourselves up to something that we cannot sense with our five senses. This is necessitated as an act of faith. 

It is through letting go, being open, and living in faith that we can establish a relationship with something way beyond our comprehension. We can step into a higher 'Self' that is governed by love, compassion, joy, and peace. These are the promises of all major religious texts. This is indeed the ultimate realization through the practical science of yoga. 

Yoga is the modern human science of evolving the spirit. Through yoga, we practice letting go and being open. We work on the material body to remove ourselves from its bondage, moving into the spiritual state of being that is our true nature. May your practice provide you with the tools to let go, be open, live with faith, and step into your highest Self. Sat, chit, Amanda. Truth, consciousness, bliss. 

Peace and light,

Grant

3 Tips to Balance Life & your own Yoga Practice when you’re a Yoga Teacher

Just over one year ago, as a freshly certified yoga teacher, I was hungry to snap up every opportunity to sub or teach a yoga class. Eventually I had regular teaching slots, I was teaching different styles of yoga and I still had subbing requests.  I was teaching most days and on my time off I was preparing classes. Life was grand and full of yoga, one of my favorite things!

However my life was lacking a personal yoga practice. I found myself not being able to take my favorite yoga classes because I was teaching at the class times. This really sucked because my biggest inspiration came from taking classes with my favorite teachers. After their classes, I would often take notes and weave some of their sequencing or cues into my own teaching. So I tried out some other classes at other times. But mostly I just taught and prepared.

Then one day it hit me. I had a day off, I hadn’t been to yoga in ages and there was a number of classes I could go to, but I wanted to be nowhere near a yoga studio that day. A week later I did make it to a class though but, by then, I couldn’t remember when the last time I took a yoga class was.

Teaching yoga means having to give a lot of yourself. Pouring your passion, energy, knowledge and personality into classes. Keeping the energy levels up for your students. Dealing with people face to face. And that’s why it’s so important to re-energize and reward yourself - with time for yourself. Balance. Isn’t that something we learn as yogis?

So I started finding ways to incorporate my own yoga class themes and yoga teaching I had learned, into my life again. Stoking the yoga fire again, so to speak. And here’s 3 simple tips I have for you that might help you do this too.

Home Yoga Practice

A teacher once told me to practice every day, even if it’s only for 15 minutes. Even if it’s just a breathing exercise. Yes a home yoga practice takes discipline. Do any of you remember your yoga teacher trainer telling you to have a home yoga practice? We’ve probably all tried it and failed at some point or another.

Until you incorporate your home practice into your daily routine, it probably won’t happen. Not regularly anyway. Make it a habit. A daily allocated time slot. (Before, or with, my morning coffee usually works for me).  If you need some motivation, dust off that old yoga DVD or try an online yoga class. There are some great, free yoga classes online.

If your schedule is all over place, keep your yoga mat in your car and try find a quiet park between yoga studios and roll your mat out on the grass. Who knows, a short time meditating and people watching may inspire your next class theme.

Look after your Health & your Body will take of You

When we get stressed or busy it’s so easy to eat takeout or, my favorite, leftovers for breakfast. This is probably the worst thing you could do for an overworked body. Our body could never need nourishment more than in these times.  You work hard for your money, you should spend it on good food. If AJs and Wholefoods are out of your budget, prepare meals at home with as much fruit and veggies as you can.

Perhaps a massage or an hour getting your nails done is affordable? Then book it. And don’t spend too much time thinking about it. Otherwise you’ll find an excuse not to spend the money on yourself.

Re-ignite that Passion

Do you remember what fueled your drive for yoga in the first place? What made you want to become a yoga teacher and what you learned in your training?

I went back to my old notes from my teacher training and browsed over sentences I had underlined in my text books. I had also written a mission statement and bio (which has been altered about 20 times since then). But the original copy made me smile. My eagerness, and ignorance? There was so much more to yoga than I realized back then. And I have come so far. I was amazed at how much I had learned since then. But I was also amazed at the passion I felt back then. The passion that got me where I am today. Passion is catchy. Your students can feel it. They can also feel when you’re run down and neglecting your own practice. So don’t let that happen. The best thing you can do for your yoga career, even if it’s only a part time gig, is to take care of yourself first. Fill your life with your own yoga so you can pass it on to others.

By Donna V

How Yoga Nidra can help with Stress - May Newsletter

But one thing stands above them all, and it doesn’t just affect the waistline, it affects our well-being on every level, it’s the big “S,” and I’m not talking about soft serve ice cream, in fact so much has been written on this that many of you reading this probably already know where I am going… Stress…  The BIG “S”.  Before I give you the good news, let’s just get the not so fun info out of the way.

According to the Mayo Clinic, stress that is left unchecked can contribute to chronic health issues such as high blood pressure, obesity, heart disease and diabetes (1). Much of this is due to the long-term effects of adrenaline and cortisol on the body.  Since most of us live in a world with a variety of multiple stressors a day, cortisol and adrenaline stays in the blood stream consistently, and this can disrupt nearly every process in the body.  This puts one at risk for a number of health-related risks such as:

• Anxiety
• Depression
• Digestive problems
• Headaches
• Heart disease
• Sleep problems
• Weight gain
• Memory and concentration impairment (2)

So, basically, if you’re working on getting fit, but the cortisol adrenaline levels in your bloodstream on a daily basis is consistently high because you do things like drive in traffic, attend to multiple small children, or are under tight deadlines at work, then your biology is working against you to help you reach your wellness goals.  
Whew!  Glad we got that out of the way…  So, let’s get on to the good news… The good news is that you don’t have to totally revamp your workout routine or go on a strict diet or do anything that is unpleasant at all to get the most of your wellness routine and potentially bring your quality of overall well-being to a whole new level!  

The only thing you need to do is give yourself a gift, the gift of relaxation.  Know that there is no greater gift that you can give yourself as well as those who know and love you then to take an hour a week to relax even deeper than we do when we sleep at night.  
The type of relaxation I am referring to is Yoga Nidra.  Translated as “Yogic Sleep,” it is a systematic method to help the body slip into a profound level of relaxation and rejuvenation.  The different techniques used activate different lobes of the brain in a linear way that slows the brain waves down.

 When this occurs, those high level cortisol and adrenaline levels we talked about earlier balance back out.  With regular weekly practice, one starts to learn on a physical and mental level how to handle stress better overall, which can help curb some of the health risks listed above. 

Ready to have more energy, get better results from your workout routine, improve your digestion and overall mood?  If you are, then this Mother’s Day, no matter if you are a mother or not, start by giving yourself a gift of 1 hour of deep relaxation a week and see if what you can bring into this world is the best possible YOU that you can offer.  You and those close to you in your corner of the world deserve it. 

By Trinity

Sources:
(1) http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/stress-symptoms/art-20050987
(2) http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/stress/art-20046037?pg=1

My goal for Body in Balance Yoga - How yoga changed my life

My goal is to share my experience of not being flexible; the feeling of being insecure and unstable in my life. I thought that I needed to know I had everything figured out in my life. I had the chatter of the mind and I would hit the replay button often, creating the should’ve and the could’ve. I started to realize that I was creating my own stress by allowing the chatter that we do so often. With these stories I made up in my mind, I created all this stress and anxiety.

As I started to realize I was the one creating this drama in my life, I also learned that I didn’t need to hit the reply button. I started to apply myself to the practice of yoga and the more often I would show up on my yoga mat or blanket, moving through the postures or practicing a breath. I started reassuring myself that I needed this practice. I would drop into this place, breath and move. I began to discover this is what I needed. As I continued to breath and practice, it became a little easier for me to connect with my physical and mental body. I started to share these feeling and thoughts with my friends. I was studying and practicing yoga daily with my teachers, as I started to share this practice with my friends, family and the students that come to my classes, I began to share authentically my personal growth and thoughts. Sharing the practice of the breath, the stillness and the movements.

The truth is the stillness is what frightens me the most. For if I kept moving, there was no time to think about my feelings. The unknowing, the darkness to drop in and to see me, was such a scary, uneasy, and uncomfortable feeling. The more and more I practiced, the clarity came. I reminded myself that I am not those thoughts and that I did not need to attach myself to these feelings. I had the power to receive or not. As my practice continued I realized that I had control over those stories and that I had control over “the should’ve and could’ve.”

Knowing that I had the choice of whether or not to hit the reply button, to say out loud “not today,” next thought and become present in the moment was new for me. It helped me see the road ahead and to know that everyday there is something new, that every moment is opportunity to embrace life. I started to listen to my friends, family and students giving them my full attention, not allowing my mind to race off to the things I needed to do or should have done prior to their conversion, to be fully present. I want my students to know that I see them, I hear them and that I am there for them, that they are not alone. I will remind them to breathe, to laugh, to move, to forgive, to be flexible, to be accepting of themselves and others, to feel and to know that for the hour or so they are important. To Let go.

Peace & Light
Ev Steeb