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February 2012 Issue #1
This January I took it upon myself to try a new kind of cleaning house. I had juiced before but after starting Nutrition school, and having had a real awakening into the science of food I thought I might try something completely new. Enter JouleBody, a raw food cleanse that has, how shall I put it? Oh, yes... real food! Starting a new health kick from the inside out is always a good idea since the effects are so readily felt. During my 3 utterly raw days I got to thinking about the idea of working from the inside out. In Pilates we do this routinely - paying careful attention to the initiation of each movement and making sure the core is at the heart of every exercise. One early definition of the movement of PIlates is "movement flowing out from a strong center". I made it a point to incorporate and even stress certain movements on the Reformer, and Cadillac during my cleanse. Stomach Massage, Rolling in and Out, Footwork on the Reformer and exercises on the small barrel are all exercises that target the internal organs of the body. Performing these moves really heightened my internal awareness and reminded me that good clean food was nothing more than energy. A string of chemicals connected together that would ultimately be broken down and then utilized by my system one molecule at a time. Somewhere along the way, it occurred to me that Pilates was just like this. Every element of each exercise is like fuel for the body. There are no wasted moves or meaningless routines. And when we breakdown our Pilates exercises you can identify the purpose of each segment, the exact muscle targeted and the result your body will achieve. In essence, nutrition and Pilates do the same thing. Feed the body one ingredient at a time. The outcome? A healthier and more energetic you!
Join us in our February Theme of the month:
Working from the Inside Out!
Exercise of the month?
Simple: Rolling in and Out with the Roll Back Bar.
Read more about Instructor Shari Berkowitz, learn a new Push-up and see our new Valentine's day Shop below. And stop by on Wednesday, February 8th to sample the JouleBody cleanse and meet the founder Yvette Rose.
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 Turning the Spotlight on Uber-Trainer: Shari Berkowitz
"I just want to help people. The human body and psyche fascinate me. Helping people feel more comfortable with themselves drives me. People who really want to feel good and learn are special to me!" So says Shari Berkowitz, one of Real Pilates' resident Master Trainers. And she means it. When asked about her greatest accomplishment (and this is a woman who has run a prestigious teacher training program, presented at virtually every conference in the field, taught workshops at home and abroad, written countless articles for Pilates and fitness publications, and teaches teachers on a regular basis) Shari replied that it was her work with her clients, regardless of ability, injury or stature, that brings her the most joy. It is also her personal relationship with the method that makes her the spectacular teacher we have come to know and love. Shari came to Pilates after she suffered a traumatic and temporarily paralyzing injury. 11 months after the injury, she was stable enough to have 30 minutes of Pilates. "Pilates that restrengthened my body and my psyche. I regained confidence in my physical abilities! I mean...I hadn't been able to do anything even near a pull up before I had been injured...and now I was even stronger? I was sold!". Shari's love and enthusiasm for the method are truly infectious, her voice immediately recognizable and her workouts unforgettable. Along with teaching Pilates, Shari designs jewelry for her jewelry line www.sharibjewelry.com. You can see the one she made for me recently by clicking here!
To Book a Private Lesson with Shari, Email us Here.
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Get Aligned! This coming March, I am bringing my patented Real Alignment Mat to the ECA annual fitness conference where thousands of trainers and teachers converge to sample the latest and greatest the industry has to offer. I was thrilled to be invited to participate and have been working hard to fine tune the workouts that will marry the exerciser to the mat. If you haven't had a chance to try the Mat yourself - head over to our YouTube channel and checkout the videos highlighting the Mat. You might even catch sight of master scheduler and actor Johnny Pruitt in one of them - if you are paying attention! If you are like me and have precious little time to peruse Youtube videos - but you already have your Mat, here's a little "do this right now". 1. Assume Push Up Position on Hands and feet with hands on the shoulder circles (directly under the head circle) 2. Lower down to your elbows one arm at a time placing elbows where the hands were - directly on the shoulder circles. 3. Push back up onto your hands one arm at a time. Hands back to shoulder circles once again. 4. Repeat over and over until you have completed 8 -10 Reps. If you don't have a Real Alignment Mat - find something to use as markers, it could be a design pattern on your rug or something you place right outside of where you will place your hands to keep you perfectly symmetrical! Good luck! |
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Inside the Box (For Teachers Only)
Reminder - my brand new Pilates business builder meet-up is in 2 short weeks. We are half full as of this post. Join me for Lunch at my home and yak about all things biz related!
February 23rd, 12 - 1pm - $65. Book Here.
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Alycea's Workshop this past January
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"....One year ago I started dabbling in Ashtanga Yoga. I sucked at at. But I could see all the elements of Pilates in the practice and I wanted to be better at it. I wanted to be able to bring those moves, ideas, inspirations into my PIlates teaching so I stuck with it. It was uncomfortable. Incredibly uncomfortable. Not just physically. I was uncomfortable emotionally being incompetent at something. I'm used to being good at what I do, and I wasn't good at this....." Want to read more? |
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What's Hot in the Shop?
What do you get a Pilates lover for Valentine's day? Check out our Real Pilates Valentine's day shop, for sweet treats that don't expand the waistline. Find Pilates iphone cases, pj's, coffee mugs, and yes--even thongs. We thought of everything to help you share the Pilates love this Valentine's day. This particular shop is my favorite and the pajamas are the newest addition to the lot.
Can someone say low-fat gift idea? ~See you at the studio! |
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