In a few of my previous blog posts, I’ve mentioned the idea of Ahimsa, or nonviolence, and how it’s really been a game changer for me in terms of beating some of my self-destructive habits. Ahimsa is the first of the Yamas (essentially ethical guidelines) that make up make up the first limb of the…
A little over a year ago I officially gave up dieting. I remember the day that I announced this–I was having brunch with two of my best friends. I can’t remember the exact conversation but I believe that one of them was talking about trying to cut her nightly wine habit (too many calories). Or…
There is no doubt that there are plenty of great health benefits to exercising and moving your body on a regular basis. Being committed to a fitness routine is often seen as a virtue, and those of us who work out regularly are consistently praised for our discipline and work ethic. If something is good,…
This week I had a bunch of ideas for blog posts–things like how to tell if your “healthy” obsession with exercise has gotten out of hand. Or why I don’t like the phrase “strong is the new skinny”. Those posts will likely come soon enough, but this week they just seemed kind of petty. In…
Within the past week alone, I’ve had multiple people comment on my apparent happiness. I actually had one of my yoga students thank me the other day when I ran into him at the studio. The funny thing was, I didn’t even teach his class that day–I was just there practicing. When I asked him…
Today at the end of my Yoga Sculpt class I encouraged my students to come chat with me after class and ask me any questions they might have. I was expecting/hoping that I might get asked to help someone with their chaturanga or tell them the name of the song that I used during squats….
I am a self-proclaimed body positive dancer, yogi, and fitness professional. And I’d like to personally admit that body positivity does NOT mean that you always have positive feelings about your body. I know I sure don’t. But today, I’d like to give a quick shoutout to my feet. Because for the past few weeks,…
First and foremost, let me just state that I am in no way shape or form interested in debating the health benefits/drawbacks of eating coconut oil today. I am also not a Registered Dietician, nor do I play one on the internet. That being said, I found myself really rattled this past week when I…
A body positive fitness professional huh? It’s an unlikely combination considering the prevalence of diet culture in the world we live in. I notice it every time I teach or take a dance, yoga, or group fitness class. It’s there every time I glance at my Facebook feed, and whenever I’m at any sort of…
Last week as students filtered into my group fitness class, everyone was in a good mood because of the weather. As Justin Timberlake reminds us this time of year, it’s gonna be MAY. 😉 As I started my class on a set of calf raises, I excitedly announced: Hey friends! Summer is coming! You know…