Happy Thanksgiving.
Which road are you going to take this season? The steeper route that gets you there quicker or the easier route with the better views?
Take time to enjoy family and friends as I re-share my favorite raw kale salad recipe. I’m taking the easier route now by leaving the stems on the leaves. Just as yummy and more nutritious.
I’m back after a month long sabbatical. I had intended on resting and contemplating the meaning of life and instead got totally inspired in my new favorite activity, mountain trekking.
With a friend and a set of trekking poles I am excited to go out and climb mountains in the Santa Fe area three times a week, three hours at a time. This is something I have never done in my life. I am the dancer, in the safe studio with the bare feet. Now, give me some yak trax, a 2000 foot accent and the smell of sweet pine. I’m discovering muscles I have never felt and a new sense of calm and confidence. What was stopping me before? Fear. Fear of the unknown.
This weeks video talks about hour fear can be an imbalance in the first chakra. If the idea seems a bit out there, I understand. You can’t see them or get a hold of them, but chakras have been a part of ancient wisdom and healing for centuries. Try this quick one minute asana to strengthen your root chakra.
Let me know in the comments below what your next big leap will be. Let’s inspire each other.
As a Pilates student, you should know that Joe was all about the transitions.
He was NOT a dancer, but a boxer.
He studied the movement of animals and nature. Never an awkward movement in the cats he studied and based some of his work on.
Today’s video is required viewing for all of my students of the reformer.
We’re taking a look at transitions on and off of the apparatus. These transitions should become an exercise in themselves.
It’s about economy of movement, precision, grace and elegance.
Moving with these qualities is just as important as strength and flexibility.
Where else can you find more graceful transitions in your life? Let me know in the comments below.
Is it possible to just take a moment for yourself and take a deep breath?
Was that hard? How many moments do you give yourself a day to just take it in, breathe with it?
Today’s Franklin Method imagery can give you a chance to do just that.
News Flash!
Cancerous tissues are acidic where as healthy tissue is alkaline.
Remember those pictures of food pyramids in school showing the scale of the Standard American Diet (SAD)?
If we ate those proportions, 80% of the recommended food is acidic and 20% is alkaline.
We’ve got to reverse those percentages!
Don’t get overwhelmed. It’s not about being perfect. It’s about making healthy choices.
Today is part two of some life changing information and steps you can take to take control of your health.
There are 3 ways to take control of acidity in your body:
1. Diet (eat more alkaline and less acid producing foods).
2. Lifestyle (sleeping late, not exercising, smoking and drinking excessively can cause you to be acidic).
3. Emotions (stress, anxiety and depression can make you acidic).
Click on the picture below to get the full picture.
This is an important post to me. I feel like I turned my health around last year by taking a look at my daily eating habits. I’ve always tried to eat healthy foods, but I wasn’t aware of how many foods I was eating were acid-forming. Acid equals inflammation in the body if not balanced with equal amounts of alkaline foods. Inflammation can cause any number of ailments from heart disease, arthritis, and diabetes to acne, chronic fatigue and digestive issues. Take a look at what you eat daily and make small changes to bring your body back into balance. Eat less acid producing foods and more alkaline. Learn how small steps can create big changes. I’m not saying you have to give up all your favorite foods, just make sure you aren’t eating them daily and unconsciously. Let’s start with breakfast
I challenge you to keep a diary of what you are eating and see what the balance of acid to alkaline is. You may be in for a surprise, like I was. Let me know in the comments below. p.s. I made a mistake on the video. Yogurt is neutral, not acid forming, because of the cultures.
Learn 5 quick Pilates exercises you can do in less than two minutes to strengthen and tone your core. Try doing the exercises mentally with me first. We call this “mental simulation of movement”. Imagine YOU are on the mat moving with perfect form. Feel it. This mental rehearsal will stimulate your brain and fire muscles so when you do the exercises for real you can do them with more efficiency.
Are your feet killing you? Sprain your ankle way too often? Aching feet is one of the number one complaints people have as they get older. We’re using Franklin Method today to share some great imagery and simple exercises to get you back on your feet. I’m also showing off a few hidden talents at the end of the video. Extra credit if you can count how many foot idioms I used in the intro.
Create more radiance, strengthen your nervous system, flush out your chakras with this amazing breathing technique. I’ve been practicing kundalini yoga for over 40 years and this is one of my favorite techniques to feel revitalized. Go slowly, start with one minute and gradually work your way up to eleven minutes. Feel the flush of radiance.
Hold on to your hat. We have a super food here today that is going to give our dear chia a run for its money.
Can you guess what food has the following benefits?
It’s anti-inflammatory, protects your liver, is loaded with 18 amino acids, B vitamins, and lowers bad cholesterol?
Learn fun food facts and the chef’s way to cut an avocado. This should be called the Fountain of Youth food!
Today, Petite Child pays a very tongue in cheek homage to this super food and the late, great, European choreographer, Pina Bausch.
Have I gone mad?? I’d love to hear your comments.
Whether you are wanting to improve your leg circles or just learn to to tell the difference between your hip joint and your pelvis, this video is for you. When I first learned this Pilates mat exercise I was taught to keep my pelvis absolutely still (stable). After watching Joe Pilates teach it (on film), I saw everyone lifting their hips? What’s the difference? Watch for more insights on how to create awareness in your hips. You might even feel more “hip”.
How are your shoulders feeling right now? Shoulder tension is the number one complaint I hear from everyone.
Today, we’re taking a look at a bone that we share with birds. Their’s is called the furcula or “wishbone”. Can you guess what ours is called?
Get this bone rolling and it will be the key to freeing your shoulders forever.
Guess what food has:
*8 times more omega-3s that Atlantic farmed salmon,
*6 times more calcium than milk
*2 times more fiber than bran flakes
*15 times more magnesium than broccoli
reduces inflammation and is a complete source of protein????
I am so happy to share this discovery with you. I have been eating this food for 3 months and our own dear Annie has been eating it for the past year. She gained 8% bone density in one year! Please enjoy and watch what this food has done for me at the end.
This is one secret you’re going to want to share. I know I have. These 5 simple exercises can reverse the aging process, give you more energy, relieve arthritis pain, and turn your grey hair dark again. These are claims thousands people have made who have done these exercises. Deepak Chopra does them and so does Dr. Oz. I’ve been doing them for two years now and I can feel the vitality I have gained. Try them for yourself and let me know how they make you feel. Conduct an experiment. Try them every day for two weeks and see if your feel a difference.
The Pilates Roll Up exercise can be difficult if your back is tight. Learn 3 simple techniques to find a deeper, smoother roll up, keeping your spine as strong and supple as a cat. Watch for footage of Joe Pilates doing the roll up at the end.
Wouldn’t you love to have more energy, a pain free back and be more flexible in your hips? This week we’re taking a look at how your pelvis is supposed to move, in more ways than one. A new image can completely change how an old exercise feels.
It’s practically Independence Day. I want to be free from inhibitions and limiting thoughts. What do you want to gain independence from? Let me know in the comment section below.
I am going outside my comfort zone again this week and having fun. It makes me feel “youthie”.
This week Petite Amour Child is back for a dance with Lucky Pierre and an exotic organic love potion.
Many thanks to our wonderful Campbell Martin and his unique talents. Enjoy.
This week’s video is about the power of words. Choose them wisely.
Use them to transform and heal.
Sound carries a vibration that can affect your body and your mind. This week we’re delving a tiny bit into the chakras. Each of these seven energy centers is associated with a gland in your endocrine system. This one will affect your thymus gland which helps with immunity. Enjoy and have fun with it.
This week we’re heading into our second Pilates video. This is an exercise you either love or hate’ the 100’s. Am I right?
I want to share a little imagery that I use that makes me look forward to this great exercise.
You can practice this imagery without ever leaving your seat or try next time you’re in class.
I’d love to hear from you in the comments below about what you love about the 100’s and what imagery you might do.
Stick around for the end of the video for some archival film footage of Joe Pilates getting his groove on.
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