“Success means doing the best we can with what we have. Success is the doing, not the getting; in the trying, not the triumph. Success is a personal standard, reaching for the highest that is in us, becoming all that we can be.” Last week, at the age of 86, one of the most motivational people in the personal development world passed away. Zig Ziglar served in the US Navy during World War II and after the war he worked as a salesman. Later on he started writing books and he held seminars and live events on how to become a better salesman and on motivation and self-improvement. Today, as my own small tribute, I’d like to share five of my own favorite motivational lessons that I have learned from Zig Ziglar. 1. You have to keep the motivation up. “People often say that motivation doesn't last. Well, neither does bathing – that's why we recommend it daily.” So true for many things in life. It’s not like you can hit a light switch and then you are changed for life. The most meaningful and important things tend to need continued effort. Now, if you want to start your day with getting your motivation up here are two quick tips: Spend 3 minutes with remembering your successes. If you lose your motivation or it is low in the morning then it is easy to get stuck in looking at your failures and so you get stuck in inaction. So instead, sit down for three minutes and just remember your successes. Let them wash over you and refuel your inspiration and motivation. Make a list of upsides. Take a few minutes to write down all the benefits you will get from achieving something, like for example getting into better shape or making more money. And be sure to include very personal reasons and benefits. Like being able to travel to your dream destination or spend more quality time with your son or daughter. Put that list somewhere where you will see it every day until you reach your dream. 2. Failure is not permanent. “Remember that failure is an event, not a person.” It is very easy to start thinking of mistakes or failures like permanent things. Like they are you and you are a failure or loser. But these things are just like successes not permanent. Things go up and down. So don’t identify with the failure. Take some time to accept that it happened but try to not beat yourself up about it or make it bigger than it is. You don’t have to be perfect. And no one who tries to go outside of his or her comfort zone can avoid failures, mistakes and low points. And remember… 3. Learn what you can from your low points. “If you learn from defeat, you haven't really lost.” You only lose when you give up and go home or when don't learn anything from a defeat. If you keep going despite bumps in the road and temporary defeats then you are still on your way towards your dream and goal. So don’t revisit the past too much. Instead, learn what you can from the defeat and keep moving forward. Ask yourself: What can I learn from this? What do I need to do or not do to avoid winding up the same negative situation again? And what is the hidden opportunity within this situation? (there is often one if you just take a little time to look for it) 4. Look at your world and the people in it through an open and positive lens. “The way you see people is the way you treat them.” And the way you treat them they tend to treat you. Now, you may not become best friends or get along splendidly with everyone. But with a positive and open attitude towards the world and the people you meet and know you’ll feel more inclined to listen, get to know them better and to help out if you can. And over time things tend to even out. You get back what you give. For more openness and positivity towards others try these two questions: What parts of this person can I see in myself? How is he or she like me? This one can help you to shift your perspective from what is different and what you feel the need to judge to what the two of you have in common instead. It tears down the mental barriers between the two you and you can feel closer to and more understanding and appreciative of this person. 5. Get the ball rolling today. “If you wait until all the lights are “green” before you leave home, you'll never get started on your trip to the top.” You can wait for everything to be just perfect before you get started but that usually results in years passing you by before getting going. Or you may never get started. Beginning something can of course be scary and uncomfortable as you step into the unknown. But you can make it a lot easier to get started and to keep going. Here are three of my favorite tips for that (they are my favorites because they are so effective for me): Take one small step forward. Instead of focusing on everything you have to do to reach your goal just focus on taking one small and practical step today. Nothing more. But make it a small step that isn't just about reading more about what you want. Make it step that matters and pulls you forward. Book an appointment or set up a meeting. Create a budget and see how much and what you can save each month to be able to go on that trip you dream about. Or take an even smaller step. If that first step feels too big and you start to procrastinate then come up with an even smaller step you can take. Then take that step. Just take care of today. Don’t look too far ahead or you may start to procrastinate. Or your mind may play tricks on you and you become worried or scared. To feel more comfortable while still making progress step by step go smaller and focus on just taking care of today. Nothing more. Tomorrow will come in time. And then you will take care of that today too. Image: ziglar.com

Q. When I do Single Leg Pull (scissor legs) there is popping sound in my hips as I lower my leg.   The same is true when I do the leg circles.  It isn’t painful as much as it is unnerving to have a continuous popping of the hip joint.  Any thoughts?? A: Thanks for writing! First of all, let me start by saying you are not alone in the “hip pops.” It’s a common complaint that I receive in classes and I know it can be a bit frustrating.  Although it is generally not harmful, I do recommend trying to adjust things a bit to limit the popping. Here are few ideas: 1. Make your movement smaller. Draw a smaller circle with each leg circle and the same goes for Single Leg Pull – don’t “scissor” quite as dramatically with your legs – if you hear the pop then you’ve gone a bit too far. It’s hard to remember but bigger is not always better. 2. When performing Leg Circles or Single Leg Pull, think of moving from high up in the leg joint. For example, in Leg Circles, rather than dragging your leg around by the foot, picture the top of your femur (leg bone) deep in the socket, and rotating in place from there, your leg will simply follow. This mental practice can actually help you move differently and perform the exercise in better alignment 3. Focus on drawing in on your abs to stabilize your core while simultaneously releasing your hip joint.  Keep the belly tight, but then relax the hip enough to let the leg move freely in the joint. This will help provide freedom of movement. Additional questions? Feel free to post them in the comments! Ready to BUILD STRENGTH & FEEL GOOD in just 15 minutes a day? Join the FREE 5-day Pilates Strong challenge! JOIN THE FREE CHALLENGE!

“Certain flaws are necessary for the whole. It would seem strange if old friends lacked certain quirks.” Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe “People throw away what they could have by insisting on perfection, which they cannot have, and looking for it where they will never find it.” Edith Schaeffer One of the most common and destructive thought habits but also one that is often celebrated in some form in society is perfectionism. I have had many battles with it. Many of you have emailed me about it throughout the years. Perfectionism can be very destructive. It can drain one’s self-esteem and become so overwhelming that it gets you stuck. And so little action is taken and few things are ever finished. So what can you do about it? How can you replace it and minimize it in your life? In this article I’ll share three obstacles I have faced, how I have overcome them and how that has helped me to raise my own self-esteem and minimize the perfectionism. Just going along with the perfectionism and not seeing the full extent of it. If you just move along in the same old rut and don’t question the perfectionism and what it is doing to you then it will likely stay with you. And that goes for any negative habit. You have to see it from a broader perspective. You have to see and feel what the real negative impact of it has been and will be to be able to change. This often happens naturally at some point in people’s lives when they have had enough or a crisis hits and making a change becomes inevitable. But you can get a broader view and wake-up call today if you like too. Here’s what you do. Ask yourself: How will my life look in 5 years if I continue to stay on the same perfectionist path as now? How will life likely become worse for me and maybe even for the people around me? It may be uncomfortable but try to see the negative consequences as vividly as you can in your mind to kickstart your motivation to get going for that positive change. Try to not just to see the future as detailed and as vividly as you can but also to find your very personal reason(s) for making the change. For example, minimizing the perfectionism will help you to improve your self-esteem. That is great. But to really find the heart of your motivation keep looking for a few more minutes for the more personal answer. That answer could be that by finally getting a handle on the perfectionism your current or future relationship with a partner could become more relaxed and happy. Or maybe you want to make this change to not have to fear that you’ll transfer an unhealthy and self-esteem damaging habit to your daughter or son. The habit of comparing yourself to other people. When you compare yourself to someone else then you may feel good for a while. You are in better shape, have a nicer car or house or a better social life than someone else. But if you do that comparison often then it becomes very hard to not start to compare yourself almost automatically in a negative way too. You may discover that someone at work else has an even cooler car than you. That the neighbor’s new boyfriend is in even better shape than you. That someone else makes more money than you. And now you don’t feel so good anymore. And since there is always someone that is better than you at most things in the world this becomes a habit that may make you feel inferior no matter how well you do. What you can do instead is to compare yourself to yourself. It won’t work every time but little by little – if you remind yourself of the benefits of doing this – you can replace the old habit. When you feel the need to compare yourself and your progress to other people and their progress in some way then remind yourself of how it will hurt your self-esteem in the long run. And then take a minute or two to compare yourself to yourself instead. See how far you have come. Appreciate the effort you have put in and be inspired by the small and bigger things you have accomplished so far. An environment of inhuman standards. Emotions are contagious. So is perfectionism. So one of the smartest and most effective things you can do is to shape your environment to lessen the influence of perfectionism. Take small steps and rearrange your world so that it becomes more and more supportive of you and of human standards rather than perfect standards. Reduce the perfectionism in your world by reducing or cutting out the media sources that every week try to reinforce it in you. Read magazines, blogs, books and watch TV-shows and movies with kinder and more realistic expectations that resonate with you. Spend less time with nervously perfectionist people. And spend more time with people who are trying to improve themselves and/or are living a good life in a positive, healthy and relaxed way.

If you’re like me,  you’re shocked that the holidays are upon us. I realize that I say that nearly every season of every year, but I mean it every time! It’s amazing how fleeting the days and months really are. Especially when we live such busy lives. I figured it might be helpful to send a little reminder to help you slow down and find a healthy balance as the holiday season kicks off (I know I sure need it). Chances are you’re taking a few days off to celebrate. I encourage you to take a moment to think about how we want this holiday to go before it fills up with chaos and disappears before you have a chance to slow down and enjoy it. Here are a few tips to help you find a sense of balance this holiday.. . –  Start each day with a gratitude list. It could be as easy as 5 things you’re thankful for that day… –  Make your home a haven. Turn off the TV, play your favorite music, light candles…create a space for slowing down. –  Save your energy for things that matter, don’t waste it on unnecessary meal prep/cleaning/you name it. –  Unplug. Leave your phone upstairs, log off email and take a social media break. It will all still be there next Monday. –  Volunteer. Give your time in a way that blesses others. –  Take a nap. And ENJOY it! –  Ask for help. You can’t do it all and you shouldn’t do it all. Gatherings are richer when everyone is involved. –  Say “NO”…to things you don’t want to do, to extra work, to the extra piece of pie…and don’t feel bad about it. Hopefully one or two of these will make their way into your home over the holiday weekend. Enjoy a few days off, enjoy the delicious food and enjoy a few days to slow down and celebrate all there is to be grateful for. PS- I’ll be taking the rest of the week off to slow down (practicing what I preach) and spend time with my family. I also have a very exciting announcement coming soon so be sure to check the blog in the coming weeks for updates! 🙂 Ready to finally stay consistent with exercise – even when you’re short on time & energy? Join me for the FREE Creating Healthy Routines Workshop & walk away with an exercise routine you can put into action immediately! I'M READY FOR THIS!

As a Pilates instructor, I’m often asked what the BEST exercise is to build strong abs. While Pilates is full of great exercises for the abdominals, if I had to narrow it down to one exercise, it would definitely be the Pilates plank (also known as front support). The Pilates plank is one of the most efficient exercises to build a strong core (as a bonus, it does wonders for your arms and shoulders too!) When done correctly, it’s truly a full body workout. Sneak a plank into every workout and you’ll feel yourself getting stronger in no time. Read my “how-to” for the Pilates plank on Fit Inforam by clicking HERE . *note: for those of you who have been doing my programs I recommend YOU holding it longer than 30-60 seconds! :)* Ready to BUILD STRENGTH & FEEL GOOD in just 15 minutes a day? Join the FREE 5-day Pilates Strong challenge! JOIN THE FREE CHALLENGE!

In honor of seasonal cooking, today I’m honored to share a guest post from the talented Laura over at LB’s Good Spoon . I can’t wait to try this recipe myself. Enjoy! Although I’m big on all things pumpkin, cranberries need to get their praise this season as well. They’re loaded with vitamins and known by some to help our waistlines. Cranberry juice that isn’t loaded with sugar is nice and tart and can be a fun treat this holiday season when enjoyed with sparkling water. You could also put some cranberries into your ice-cube tray before freezing for added color to your water at Thanksgiving. Then again, you could also eat them in tart form. This recipe hails from Cooking Light and is easy and delicious. It’s great for those casual get togethers with friends and can easily be consumed any time of the day. It’s a recipe you’re sure to enjoy and thanks to the benefits of cranberries you can consider making and consuming this tart for your health. It’s all about balance, right?! Cranberry Orange Tart: 1/3 c. orange juice 2 1/2 T cornstarch 1 c. sugar 1/4 c. orange marmalade 2 T chopped walnuts 1 T grated orange rind 1 12 ounce bag cranberries 1 prepared pie crust (I like Trader Joe’s) Instructions: Combine juice and cornstarch then add the rest. Pour into a tart pan. Bake at 425 degrees for 20 minutes then turn down to 350 degrees and bake for another 35 minutes. Ready to finally stay consistent with exercise – even when you’re short on time & energy? Join me for the FREE Creating Healthy Routines Workshop & walk away with an exercise routine you can put into action immediately! I'M READY FOR THIS! #cooking #recipe

We’ve all heard that exercise is great for pregnancy but there are so many options out there it can be hard to determine what type of exercise is best. While I’m certainly biased, but many doctors would agree, Pilates is one of the most effective and beneficial forms of exercise to accommodate a healthy pregnancy along with a healthy delivery and recovery. via How Pilates Can Help You Prepare For Pregnancy: 1. It builds strong abdominal muscles to support your back, hips and spine while carrying around the extra weight and mass of a growing baby belly (which will also pay off when you’re constantly carrying around 8+ pounds when baby arrives) 2. Many women suffer from back pain while pregnant which is often caused by an underlying postural problem that is made worse by the growing belly.  Pilates builds strong back muscles that can help you maintain a healthy posture , leading to less pain and discomfort. 3. Forward, rounding shoulders are a common side-effect of carrying a child (both in pregnancy and with an infant). Pilates corrects wrong postures and pulls the shoulders back into place, reducing neck and shoulder tension so you can care for your child with ease. via 4. Pilates strengthens the pelvic floor. The pelvic floor is crucial to a healthy pregnancy, delivery and recovery. The pelvic floor is a like basket of muscles that hold everything in down below.  A healthy pelvic floor is able to contract on demand, and release on demand. Pilates is the ideal exercise to ensure that your pelvic floor will remain strong and healthy throughout pregnancy and perhaps just as important, post-pregnancy. 5. Joseph Pilates believed that healthy circulation was the key to a healthy body and mind. Pilates improves circulation throughout the entire body which is especially important when you’re pumping enough blood to sustain two lives. Did you your blood volume increases by 40% during pregnancy? It’s important to keep that blood pumping to grow a healthy baby, keep your energy up and reduce swelling in the later months. via 6.  Through deep breathing and focus, Pilates calms the mind during a time that is often filled with worry. Pregnancy can be an anxious time! There is so much to think about, so much to know, so much to plan for and so much to figure out – keeping a calm, sound, mind is imperative to a healthy, enjoyable pregnancy. Pilates can do just that. 7. One thing unique to Pilates is the focus on healthy feet. Building strong muscles in the foot and ankle to protect against fallen arches, a troubling side-effect of carrying around an extra 30+ pounds for 9 months. 8. And my favorite reason to practice Pilates during pregnancy: it gives women a sense of control over their body during a time where most things feel out of control. via The list could certainly go on, but one of these alone should be enough to get you in the Pilates studio! As an instructor, it is always my recommendation that you begin a regular Pilates practice BEFORE you conceive. It’s important to learn the principles and get comfortable with the exercises before you are carrying a little life and exercising for 2. That way, you will know what feels right and what feels wrong once you begin your Pilates training program. If you are pregnant and interested in doing Pilates contact a professional for one-on-one training and/or enroll in a pre-natal specific class. I’m happy to help you navigate the process if you’re interested. Simply post a comment below and I’ll help in any way I can! Ready to BUILD STRENGTH & FEEL GOOD in just 15 minutes a day? Join the FREE 5-day Pilates Strong challenge! JOIN THE FREE CHALLENGE! #exercise #Pilates #pregnancy #prenatalfitness

Many of you are probably already familiar with Barrie Davenport, life passion coach, author and blogger over at the very popular Live Bold and Bloom. This week she is launching BarrieDavenport.com , a new site that is focused exclusively on uncovering and living your life passion. Since I know – from all the emails and feedback I get – that finding your passion in life is one very common goal for many of you I decided to mix things up here and took the opportunity to ask Barrie a few questions. What do you mean when you talk about passion and why do you help people to find it in life? I like to talk about life passion in the context of what it feels like to be in love. When you are in love, your entire world feels happier and brighter. You wake up feeling excited and thrilled to be alive. When you are with your beloved, everything else around you fades into the background, and the two of you are focused intently and joyfully on each other. Even life difficulties feel smaller and easier to manage with you are in love. The feelings are similar when you have a life passion. You experience those same feelings of aliveness and joy. It creates the same aura of general happiness and positivity because it ignites an internal spark of deep interest, creativity, and fulfillment in your life. These feelings provide the energy to deal with all aspects of your life more easily. You gain clarity about everything in your life. This is especially true when your life passion is attached to a deeper purpose for you. However, unlike the feelings of being in love, the feelings associated with life passion can remain with you for a very long time, maybe forever. Depending on what your passion is and how you make it part of your life, it can be a never-ending source of joy and contentment for you. I help people find passion in their lives because that is my passion. In my personal search for a life passion, I discovered that my passion is helping others uncover what makes them come alive. Through my work as a personal coach, my previous career in public relations, and my personal passion search, I learned some very specific strategies for uncovering life passion, dealing with potential internal and external roadblocks, and creating the actions to change your life so you can live your passion. I know how having a passion has impacted my own life, and I want others to experience that for themselves. What is the most common mistake people make when trying to find their passion? That’s a great question, and I've actually written an entire free guide on this topic that I offer at BarrieDavenport.com called The Passion Myths: 6 Lies Keeping You from Uncovering Your Life Passion. Most of the mistakes people make related to finding their passion happen before they begin searching for it. They make false assumptions or have beliefs about themselves and their lives that simply aren't the truth — or the entire truth. Sometimes they take a few steps toward seeking their passions, only to allow these assumptions and beliefs to get in their way and stop them from doing anything. Once people address these myths, they can clear the path for themselves and begin their search in earnest. But even during the search, one of the common mistakes is not remaining flexible and staying open to all possibilities. Sometimes our passion search will take us down one path, but then an idea or situation will occur that potentially leads down another. People sometimes resist exploring this different path because they feel they must “stick to the plan.” But a passion search can lead in all sorts of wonderful directions. I thought my passion search was leading me to just a coaching career. But it has also led me to being a blogger and creating an online personal development business. I never could have anticipated that when I began my search. What are your top 3 tips for finding one's passion? Tip #1: Begin with a blank slate. While you are searching, try to remain completely open to all possibilities, even if they seem impossible for your life right now. You are capable of doing and changing far more than you initially assume, so try not to assume anything. Just enjoy the ride – have fun on the search. You can deal with the practicalities of how to make your passion work for your life once you find your passion. When you uncover it, you’ll feel so energized that you will find a way to make it happen. Tip #2: Expect fear and doubt. That is perfectly normal. Fear and doubt will creep in at the beginning of the search and will reappear throughout the search. It’s impossible to go through a process of self-discovery and make life changes without the “what ifs” and concerns about your future. But fears and doubts are almost always smokescreens that your psyche is throwing up to prevent you from taking action. The more you take action in spite of fear, the more confident you will feel and the less fear will bother you. Tip #3: Have patience. There are some people fortunate enough to find their passions quickly. But in most cases, it takes time. It can take a year or more to find your passion and then make the life changes to bring your passion to life. I like to view the process of finding a passion as a passionate endeavor itself. When you accept that you are going to begin this journey, enter the process with enthusiasm and a learner’s mindset. You will discover interesting and exciting things about yourself. You will get to explore and experiment with different pursuits and creative ideas. If you view your search in this way, it won’t be just a means to an end. It will be a thrilling adventure. There is often a focus on finding and living your passion through your work. But what if you cannot just quit your job and start your own passion-filled business? What can you do then to still live a more passionate life? This question is one of the main areas of focus for my work at my new website. You see many bloggers and courses teaching people how to find work they love. Since work takes up such a huge chunk of our lives, it is wonderful when we are passionate about our careers. But especially in this economy, many people aren't able to quit their jobs to start over. It’s just too risky for them now. But there are many other ways to incorporate your passion into your life – and your work. You can live your passion through an avocation or hobby. You can volunteer in the area of your hobby. You can begin a small side-business in addition to your day job. And you can even find ways to make your current job more in alignment with your passion if you think creatively. Even living passionately in one small part of your life can dramatically improve your overall outlook and sense of happiness in life. What are the two most common questions you get about finding and living your passion? And what are the answers for those two questions? The first question relates back to the topic of work. “I can’t quit my job, so how can I live my passion?” Again, depending on the individual’s particular passion, there are many ways to incorporate your passion into your life other than through work. It takes some clarity, prioritizing, and life balance to make this work. When you clear out a lot of the extraneous stuff that is stealing your time and energy, you can open loads of space for your passion. The second question is always a “what if” question. What if I can do it? What if I’m too old? What if I’m wrong about my passion? We can “what if” ourselves out of taking any actions. The constant “what ifs” stir the pot of fear and prevent us from moving forward. I encourage my clients and readers to let go of any “what ifs” until they get to the specific details of taking actions to change their lives. Then they can logically and creatively think through potential issues and address them when they actually occur – rather than worrying about them in advance. What is just one or a few small steps that Positivity Blog readers can take today to start discovering their passion? I would invite them to read my free guide on the myths surrounding life passion. That’s a great place to start by eliminating some of the preconceived ideas around the topic. I would encourage them to give themselves the gift of allotting a few hours a week to devote to discovering their passion. It doesn't happen by randomly wishing for it or doing a quick internet search. It’s a process that involves self-discovery, exploration, testing, and planning. There are plenty of articles and action steps on my site that they can use as a guide. By giving themselves this gift of time, they are taking the first step on the path and opening the door to a wonderful new life that awaits them at the end of the journey. It will definitely be well worth the time expended for the amazing results down the road. What are your passions in life? My primary passion is helping other people come alive with their own passions. I do this through coaching, writing, and teaching courses. I wake up every day excited to get to my computer and begin writing or Skyping with a coaching client. It all feels like fun to me. In addition to my work, I also have a passion for travel, biking, reading, and spending time with my three amazing children, my family, and my friends. And that is it. I hope you found this interview with Barrie as helpful and inspiring as I did. If you want to learn more go check out her site at BarrieDavenport.com

One of my favorite clients, Tarah (from Hey Sugarsnap ), recently sent me this adorable Pilates animation. While it’s cute and fun, it truly does an incredible job of summing up Joseph Pilates’ story and how the Pilates method came to be. Many people who love and practice Pilates don’t know the whole story behind it and it’s worth knowing. Take a moment to view this video and then go practice your Pilates in Joseph & Clara’s honor 🙂 Link: A History Of Pilates Ready to BUILD STRENGTH & FEEL GOOD in just 15 minutes a day? Join the FREE 5-day Pilates Strong challenge! JOIN THE FREE CHALLENGE! #Pilates

I love hearing from you all and recently one reader asked me for tips on stretching tight muscles around the shin. If you’re just getting back into a new running or walking routine, tight shins, calves, hamstrings and feet can be a problem. This stretch feels amazing (in a ‘hurts so good’ kind of way). Shin splints or no shin splints this stretch will help keep your legs healthy and flexible so you can continue to keep up with your healthy lifestyle on a daily basis. CLICK HERE TO VIEW ON YOUTUBE . Enjoy! Ready to BUILD STRENGTH & FEEL GOOD in just 15 minutes a day? Join the FREE 5-day Pilates Strong challenge! JOIN THE FREE CHALLENGE! #Pilates #stretching

I’m so excited to have Lindsay Lopez of Form Pilates in NYC here on the blog today. Lindsay is one of the best. She is passionate, intelligent and provides great insight on the body, as well as the Pilates industry as a whole. When she suggested this topic for the post I knew it would be a perfect fit. SO many of us get caught in this trap. I hope Lindsay’s words will be a good reminder to you today… It’s Just Pilates – Signs You’re Taking Your Workout too Seriously We’ve all heard that Pilates is “good” for us. Experts spout a myriad of benefits to getting your sweat on. They range from disease prevention to weight management, with the added bonus that it will make you look good in skinny jeans. So, while we know that we “should” get our weekly workouts in- when does something good for you go bad? Here are my signs that you are working too hard: 1. You are so sore you can’t _______(bend, sit, pee, or tie your shoes) the next day. Soreness happens, but balance and consistency take work. The pain you feel after killing yourself at the gym, comes from your body trying to repair tiny tears in the muscles fibers. While some soreness will be normal especially after vigorous exercise, too much can indicate injury. Plus- being incapacitated will make it almost impossible to make your workout the next day, and then maybe the next, and the next. You get the idea. 2. You aren’t having a good time. I don’t know about you, but getting to the Pilates studio or the yoga mat is challenging enough as it is. If I’m forcing myself towards an activity that I absolutely loathe, then I’m more likely to skip it. I believe fitness should be fun. Walk the dog because you get so much joy from Fido. Put on some tunes and dance until you can barely speak. Do it because it makes you happy and feel magnificent. 3. You’re should-ing on yourself. Most of my life I’ve battled a case of the should-s. I should have my leg higher on that battement (dancer speak for a big ole’ kick.) I should be 5-10lbs thinner. I should be more muscular, flexible, proficient, etc. When you feel like working out and being fit becomes a measure of how loved and accepted you are by yourself, it’s time to change that record. Like food, exercise can get obsessive and destructive if you let it. Consider it a practice in self acceptance and just cool it. One of my mentors, a life-long Pilates instructor and master teacher Bob Leikens, told me one day in a particular grueling workout, while I was gritting and scrunching my face, “ Lindsay relax- it’s only Pilates”. When you find yourself making faces and gritting your teeth stop and ask yourself, “Am I making this a big deal?” Remember- it’s just Pilates. Lindsay Lopez, teaches Pilates in its purest form, improving her clients’s bodies and lives through the Classical New York method. Although Lindsay holds fast to the historical methods of Pilates, her approach is modern, accessible and friendly. Lindsay got her start as a professional dancer, working in feature films and on Broadway. Originally certified through the Physical Mind Institute , she has been teaching for almost ten years and now also holds a classical certification through  Power Pilates . Lindsay is the proud owner of FORM Pilates Union Square , a boutique Pilates oasis in the heart of NYC. In an effort to share her success, she now teaches other fitness and wellness professionals on how to build their businesses and balance their lives. Be sure to follow Lindsay on Twitter too!  Ready to finally stay consistent with exercise – even when you’re short on time & energy? Join me for the FREE Creating Healthy Routines Workshop & walk away with an exercise routine you can put into action immediately! I'M READY FOR THIS! #Balance #exercise #Pilates

Today’s guest-post is written by the lovely Anastasiya Goers of Balance In Me. Anastasiya is a fellow Pilates instructor and promoter of balance. Her site provides practical, informative and helpful tips on creating a life with more balance and value. I love what she has to share with you today. Take it away Anastasiya… 5 Simple Ways To Create A Mindful Body Did you ever hear this piece of advice: Listen to your body and do what’s best for you. I’ve heard this tip plenty of times and most importantly, have given the same advice to many friends and clients. However, how do you learn to listen to your body? How do you know what’s best for you? We can read every article in the world about healthy lifestyle and fitness and get completely confused with the advice and ideas shared in them. Eat meat. Don’t eat meat. Exercise every day. Exercise every other day. Yoga or Pilates? Running vs. walking. Carbs. No carbs. Drink wine. Don’t drink wine. Soy – no soy. Arhhh! Doesn’t this information overload drive you crazy sometimes? Every week there is a new study or a new article in defense or in opposition of a well-known fact. You can find “scientific” support for any crazy idea nowadays which makes finding the right health path very frustrating and intimidating. Listening to your body gets even more important if you want to avoid injuries. Did you ever push yourself in a workout so much that next day you ended up with an injury? I’ll be the first one to admit that I’ve done that plenty of times… Until I discovered how to be mindful of my body. Take a look at these 5 steps that will give you ultimate mind and body connection: 1. Show your body some love. Can you be mindful and happy with your body if every time that you look in the mirror you say “Ahhh, I hate those thighs (stomach, calves, nose etc)”? No way! You need to stop that thinking and start loving what you’ve got. That constant inner hatred will block any signals that your body is trying to send you, and it will cause you to miss important injury warning signs, eat unhealthy comfort foods, skip workouts and complain about the lack of time. Today take some time to think of why you love your body. Be grateful for what you have and what you can do. 2. Discover your body. Did you ever pay attention to how your body feels at different times of the day? What parts of your body are stronger than others? What are your postural habits? Start paying attention to the small signs that your body is giving you. When do you notice those little aches and pains in your body? What cravings do you have at different times of the day? How mindful are you of your movements, your posture and your eating? Then dig out some pictures from different years of your life. What changes can you notice? Do you see any patterns? And finally pay attention to what others are saying about you but don’t get offended at their critique. Our perception of how we look is often very different from the reality if we are disconnected from our bodies. Getting to know ourselves will help us find a way to improve and be more mindful of our bodies in the future. 3. Engage in a mindful exercise program. Any workout can be a mindfulness practice if we choose to. However, fast paced and group workouts are often too distracting to give us time to find our inner center. Pilates (of course!) is the ultimate method of discovering your body and learning to work with it rather than against it. Yoga is another example of a mindful workout. If you get a chance to work in a private setting then pay attention to the corrections that your instructor is giving you and try to use them in your everyday life. If you are taking group classes or using videos then you need to be extra mindful of the cues and how your body is feeling in different positions. 4. Start a journal. Fitness journals are not a novelty but I encourage you to start a mindfulness journal. After each workout write down how your body felt and what moves were most exciting (challenging, pleasant, painful.) Also write down how your body felt after a workout. Do the same for your food and your daily habits. Write down every strange or pleasant feeling that you have, every discovery in your body and every new taste that you acquire. Commit to writing down at least one new discovery about your body a day. In just a couple of weeks you will create a habit of noticing any changes in your body and knowing what exactly your body needs at this moment. 5. Be a student of your body. One thing that any Pilates student will learn is to be constantly curious about their bodies. This curiosity is the driving force of body awareness and mindfulness. Once you get a taste of it you can never go back to being disconnected from your body again. How do YOU connect with your body? Can you always hear what your body is telling you? I’d love to hear your thoughts and tips! Anastasiya Goers is the founder of Balance In Me – the Life Balance Portal where she helps people find their personal life balance with practical tips, genuine support and everyday inspiration. She is also a Balanced Body certified Pilates instructor who teaches virtual ( Skype ) Pilates classes that focus on body awareness, personal fitness goals and mind/body connection. Ready to finally stay consistent with exercise – even when you’re short on time & energy? Join me for the FREE Creating Healthy Routines Workshop & walk away with an exercise routine you can put into action immediately! I'M READY FOR THIS!

I’m beyond honored to have Dr. Eric Goodman of Foundation Training here on the blog today. I first heard of Eric’s core training method when I was living and working in Santa Barbara. As a Pilates professional I admire and respect professionals who are providing safe, effective and intentional exercises to help people move and live more comfortably in their own bodies. Eric does just that. Today he is shedding light on “the core” that we often talk about and provides an exercise that will help to improve your strength and posture. Enjoy! The Core: As concise as possible, the pelvis is where your body is built to have the most stability, therefore any muscle that directly connect to the pelvis should be considered a piece of your core. The pelvis, the center of your body’s stability, is anchored and balanced by the tissue immediately surrounding it. Your athletic ability, flexibility, and strength are all dependent on a powerful pelvis. In order to most effectively stabilize your pelvis you need to take an integrated approach at strengthening all of the muscles surrounding it. The days of the abs and obliques are long gone, it’s time to look at the core in a more complete way. Here is a look at our body’s core muscle hierarchy: 1. Glute muscle groups: These are the powerhouses of the body. They do not work alone though, they need a strong low back and long hamstrings to do their job. 2. Adductor muscle group: This is your built in traction system. When the adductor group of muscles remains strong you have a significant increase in hip stability, arch height in the feet, and a pelvic brace from a couple of the strongest muscles in the body. 3. The lower back muscles:  These muscles facilitate the proper function of the Adductor and Glute groups and have an important role integrating the Posterior Chain of Muscles. When the low back is weak the hamstrings are able to remain shortened and the lower spine becomes a primary bending point. When the lower back is strong enough to resist bending it acts to work with the glutes, adductors and hamstrings to support the entire torso. A weak lower back is the primary cause of most injuries throughout the entire body. Simply put, a weak lower back changes every aspect of your movement patterns. 3. The abdomen and hip flexors facilitate the proper lengthening and tension among the posterior chain muscles. Think of the front of your body as a window that shows what is happening at the spine. When you learn how to keep the hip flexors at their most effective length, your posterior chain of muscles is able to connect more effectively. 4. The Transverse Abdominal muscle : This is built of horizontal muscle fibers and when they contract it acts as a belt that fastens the muscles in place. Think of this muscle as a built in bracing system. When the transverse abdominus is tightened against the other muscles among this core group, the entire system becomes stronger. CLICK HERE to view a demonstration of Foundation Training’s signature core exercise: the founder. Dr. Eric Goodman is creator of the innovative exercise and rehabilitation program called Foundation Training . Eric acts as a consultant to numerous Doctors, strength coaches, athletes, celebrities, and severe chronic pain sufferers around the world. Eric has been featured in numerous magazines, newspapers and National television programs for his thought provoking theory about human movement and chronic pain. Eric and Foundation Training co-author Peter Park ’s first book, Foundation: Redefine Your Core, Conquer Back Pain and Move with Confidence was released in May 2011 followed shortly after by their first instructional workout DVD in early 2012. Eric lives in Santa Barbara, California where he walks in the mountains, surfs in the ocean, and teaches people to help themselves feel better every chance he gets. Ready to BUILD STRENGTH & FEEL GOOD in just 15 minutes a day? Join the FREE 5-day Pilates Strong challenge! JOIN THE FREE CHALLENGE! #Balance #body #Pilates

One of the easiest things you can do for your health involves learning how to breathe. Yes, learning. Learning how to breathe deeply and incoporating it into your daily life can have a profound impact on your health and well-being. I have guest-post up on Balance In Me today that explains why deep breathing matters, what it can do for you, and how to incorporate it into your daily life. CLICK HERE to read the post and feel free to leave a comment. I’d love to hear your thoughts 🙂 Ready to finally stay consistent with exercise – even when you’re short on time & energy? Join me for the FREE Creating Healthy Routines Workshop & walk away with an exercise routine you can put into action immediately! I'M READY FOR THIS!

Today kicks off a week of guest posts as I’ll be enjoying some R&R in the sun and attempting to “disconnect” to take care of my mind and body. As hard as it is to take time off, it’s important that I practice what I preach. I’ll be popping in on Facebook & Twitter to say hello, but here on the blog I’m leaving it to a great line up of guest post for you to enjoy while I’m away. This first post by the lovely and talented Joy McCarthy of Joyous Health is absolutely perfect for The Balanced Life. Her story is a great reminder to us all. Take it away Joy… What does a balanced life mean to me? If you had asked me this question three to four years ago, I would tell you I have no clue what a balanced life means! In fact, I was probably one of the most unbalanced people I know. I was running a business doing in-home personal training, studying holistic nutrition, writing three health articles a week for Aol Canada plus managing my own blog and doing speaking engagements. Then I decided I would somehow find the time to train for a half marathon on top of squeezing in time to have a social life and spend time with my family. This is when my body decided to teach me a valuable lesson. It’s called BURN OUT. As I was finishing the last kilometer of a half marathon (which was quite a feat for someone who never ran more than 10 km) all I could think about was how I would love to sleep for an entire week. I could just cancel all my appointments, skip school, close the blinds and turn off the world for seven days. Sounds like a good plan right? When I finally got to the finish line I cried for two reasons: 1. Tears of joy; I was so happy I was done and could sleep for seven days. 2. Tears of tiredness; I was tired, tired, tired… with absolutely everything. About a week after my half marathon I decided to go out for a light jog along my favourite running path, Toronto’s Harbourfront. I soon realized I was huffing and puffing after five minutes and my legs were cursing at me (despite my seven days of rest). I figured my body was just fighting something off, perhaps a cold. I tried again a few days later and then again. No deals. My body was angry with me and was not prepared to run, for what felt like an eternity. This is when balance was forced into my life by default of not paying attention to my body. For the next six months to a year I was chronically tired, felt down in the dumps and inflamed. What I mean by “inflamed” is that despite being so healthy, I looked puffy all the time, I developed terrible PMS and I was not the picture of health even though I exercised and ate like a nutritionist. Fast forward to today and my life is a completely different story. I feel like a totally renewed person but it took me about 14-16 months to heal from being burnt out. Want to know what my secret to healing was? Gaining balance and getting joy back into my life. Here are a few of the steps I took to heal from BURN OUT: 1. I took the weekend off, indefinitely . I still do take weekends off to play 95% of the time, unless I’m teaching a workshop. 2. Yoga: I got bendy and stretchy on the mat and learned that exercise didn’t have to mean pounding the pavement five days a week. But yoga taught me more than I had ever imagined. It changed my life forever, for the better. Let’s just say it’s a better emotional detox than seeing a therapist (at least for me). 3. I changed my business strategy. I decided that as soon as I graduated from nutrition school I would stop personal training and focus 100% on growing Joyous Health, my nutrition and healthy lifestyle coaching business. 4. I ate nourishing food and took good supplement s to rebuild and rejuvenate my body from the inside out. 5. I scheduled time for the friends I really wanted to see instead of stretching myself so thin meeting with everyone who invited me out because I couldn’t say no. So I said “no” more often! Interestingly, people I haven’t seen in a long time always tell me I look like I lost a lot of weight and I look really happy/glowy. Truth is, I haven’t lost a single pound, but I am not tired, stressed out or inflamed. Balance is always going to be balancing act. 😉 I do realize there will be times when I will need to remind myself to slow down. But I will always remember what it felt like for nearly a year and a half and this will keep me on track. Joy McCarthy Holistic Nutritionist, owner of Joyous Health , coach, writer, speaker, co-founder of Eat Well Feel Well and holistic nutrition/lifestyle expert of Global TV’s the Morning Show . Ready to finally stay consistent with exercise – even when you’re short on time & energy? Join me for the FREE Creating Healthy Routines Workshop & walk away with an exercise routine you can put into action immediately! I'M READY FOR THIS! #Balance #Health #nutrition

Image by Davide Restivo ( license ). [hana-code-insert name='social w twitt face' /] “I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand.” Chinese proverb “Absorb what is useful, Discard what is not, Add what is uniquely your own.” Bruce Lee ”Make it thy business to know thyself, which is the most difficult lesson in the world.” Miguel de Cervantes Personal development books, blogs, videos and audio programs can be truly wonderful. Some of them have helped me to change my in life in small and bigger ways. Over the years I have also a picked up on a few insights that help me to use personal development information in a smarter and more helpful way. I’d like to share a few of those insights and tips below. I hope you’ll get something good out of them. Use your own common sense. It’s easy to be drawn into thinking that gurus or teachers know everything. But a book or blog can’t know or understand exactly what you dream about and all the positive and negative experiences you have been through. No one can know you better than you know yourself. So it is important to use your own common sense with any advice you are given. Sometimes it may mean that you rely on what someone knows and so you take a leap of faith. Sometimes it may mean that you recognize after you have tried it that something does not live up to the grandiose hype but still has useful things to offer. Sometimes it may mean to dismiss something because it just doesn’t sound right or simply doesn’t work for you even though you have tried it five or ten times. Friends and family that aren’t that into personal development can be a voice of common sense. They can ground you if you become a little too lost in theories. So listen to them. But of course, use your common sense here too. Don’t listen to voices close to you that are always negative about just about everything. Be the highest authority in your own life. Be your own guru. Stay with it longer than you may have hoped for. I think it took me four tries to establish a workout routine that stuck. It is common to have to start things over a few times before they really stick. So things may take longer than you hoped for. Life is most often messier than the plan you had. Don’t let that stop you. Be patient, learn from your mistakes and keep moving. If something doesn’t work dust yourself off and try something else. Some things may work well for me to keep in shape or to keep procrastination at bay. But it may not work as well or very well at all for you. We are all different and there is seldom one solution that fits all. I recommend using the advice from Bruce Lee at the start of this article and finding what works and fits you the best. Find just one, two or three tips that really work for you to avoid procrastination or to stay motivated. And then you can let go of the other stuff that you have tried. Do to understand. Spend more time on using what you have learned by taking small steps forward. Don’t hang around on blogs or online forums all day. Don’t get stuck in just reading more and more books about a topic. Use most of the free time you have for experiences, no matter how small they are. Because you gain experience, confidence in yourself and real results by doing things. Not by overreading, overthinking things or having endless theoretical discussions. Focus on spending 20% of the time you have for personal development on learning through books and blogs. And then use 80% of your personal development time on taking small steps forward, on changing small and bigger habits step by step over days, weeks and months. Reinforce what you want to be doing. Maybe it’s just me but I sometimes have a tendency to forget what I want to do. It easily gets lost between old habits and the tasks of everyday life. This has been most common when I have changed thoughts habits such as a more optimistic mindset for example. So I use written reminders – notes on the fridge, in my smart phone or on my bedside table – to reinforce what I am striving for and what change I am working on right now. If I don’t use such reminders then I tend to slip back into old thought patterns more often.

“Give whatever you are doing and whoever you are with the gift of your attention.” Jim Rohn Do you often get distracted online? Do you struggle with getting the most important things done each workday because you get stuck on Twitter or in your inbox? Are you split between your online life and your real life at the same time as you check your Facebook while trying to have a conversation? The internet allows us to connect with people all over the world, to learn about just about anything and check out an endless amount of cute cat photos. But is can also become a huge time- and attention-thief. A source of distraction that add a lot of stress too as you get behind on work or miss out on being fully there with the people around you. So what can you do about it? Here are 4 steps that help me. 1. Shut off your notifications and make yourself unavailable as much as you can. To be able to fully focus on your most important tasks: Shut off notifications in your email client and other such programs. Shut down instant messaging programs. Then do your work with less stress, interruptions and ways to procrastinate. 2. Create a small and time-limited checking ritual at the end of your workday. A less reactive way to handle email etc. – compared to always checking when you get a notification or being online in your instant messaging clients all the time – is to check and use such things at a certain time during your workday. I recommend stringing all your checks one after another into one small ritual. And to perhaps do your instant messaging during that time-period too. By bunching your email processing and social media checking and only setting off for example 20 minutes for email and 5 minutes for Facebook each day you stay focused instead of drifting off and spending too much of your attention and energy on those things. I do my checking ritual at the end of my workday because then my energy levels are relatively low and I know I have used my peak hours earlier in the day to put dents into the most important things (usually writing and creating posts, newsletters and courses). If you can’t wait until the end of the day wait for just an hour. You can probably postpone the checking for one hour in the morning without big consequences. Then, if possible, try the following: After a day or two, try to move the checking further down the day. Maybe to after lunch. Or perhaps even, as I have, to the end of the workday. The further you can move the checking in your workday, the less of a priority it will feel like as you fill the first hour(s) of your day with what is actually the most important stuff. This will reduce the impulse checking that often becomes worse if you start your day with the email etc. 3. Limit your access to your smart phone and computer. I shut off my work computer at seven o clock in the evening at the latest – but usually earlier that that – and it stays off until the next morning. By doing all my online work on this computer and by using our other computer for watching a movie for instance I draw a boundary that helps me to decrease stress and to stick to my work schedule for about 95% of the time. My smart phone can not only become a distraction while I work but also when I am spending quality time with the people in my life. I have learned to handle this by setting up small obstacles to using the phone. When I sleep it is not in the bedroom with me but in drawer beneath the desk in my workspace. When I work during the day or hang out at home during the evening I keep the phone in the bedroom. By putting up small obstacles like these I make sure that the phone is not by my side all the time and the procrastination by phone has dropped to about zero. And if someone calls or sends me a text message I will still hear it most of the time. So if you can, prevent the easy access and what that tends to result in and put the phone somewhere where you can’t see it or where you have to get up and take a whole bunch of steps to get it. 4. Pause when you feel the urge to check and just be still. I mentioned this last week when I wrote about instant gratification but it is well worth mentioning again because it is such a simple habit and it works quite well. When you feel the urge to escape by browsing Reddit, by checking your Facebook or by just quickly popping in to see if there are any new emails in your inbox then pause. Sit still on your chair and do nothing. The urge and impulse will most often not stay for long. So if you just stay still and don’t act on it for a few seconds or a minute or two it will pass.

{credit} I imagine as you read this post you have a hundred thoughts going through your head: tasks that need to get done, calls that need to be made, meals that need to be planned, a house that needs to be cleaned, appointments that need to be scheduled. I imagine you have your plate full…or more than full and it’s a race between you and the clock to keep up with the demands of the day. Perhaps you feel exhausted just thinking about it and knowing that you’ll make it through the day only to go to sleep and wake up and go through it all again. Living like this day after day is stressful. And here I am, encouraging you on a daily basis to take time for yourself, exercise, cook healthy meals, and get plenty of sleep on top of all the responsibilities you have as an employee, wife, mother and friend. When you can hardly manage the tasks that NEED to be done each day, how can I expect you to slow down and take care of yourself? The answer: baby steps. Small changes. I went through a period of time when my stress level got so high that it manifested in my body in ways I never knew was possible. Aches, pains, exhaustion, fear, and ultimately…full blown anxiety. My stress level was at such heights that something needed to change. And since I couldn’t change anything big, like my job or my living situation, I began focusing on little steps that I prayed would eventually help me return to a more normal state of being. And it worked. Slowly, but surely and they have stuck with me to this day. I practice them regularly and encourage my stress-riled clients to do the same. 4. Cut The Caffiene Sorry, but it’s true. If you are at all prone to anxiety or high levels of stress you should avoid caffeine (I’m not a doctor, but in my personal experience this works wonders). Caffiene can increase levels of cortisol (the stress hormone), increase adrenaline, cause mood crashes and impair healthy sleep patterns (read more HERE ). Stay tuned for a post on how to wean yourself off caffiene. It’s in the works. 5. Practice A Daily Debrief Choose one person that you are close to (perhaps a spouse or roommate) to debrief with daily. Let them know that you’re intentionally working on lowering your stress levels and would appreciate checking in for a few minutes each day. This can look however you’d like, but use it as a way to acknowledge your level of stress that day. Use a scale of 1 – 10 and look back on your day without judgment. Often the first step to reducing stress is simply acknowledging that it’s there. Doing so keeps you in the driver seat rather than feeling like the victim. Question: what are your favorite ways to reduce stress? I’d love to hear them! Ready to finally stay consistent with exercise – even when you’re short on time & energy? Join me for the FREE Creating Healthy Routines Workshop & walk away with an exercise routine you can put into action immediately! I'M READY FOR THIS!

Image by Xanetia ( license ). [hana-code-insert name='social w twitt face' /] “The ability to discipline yourself to delay gratification in the short term in order to enjoy greater rewards in the long term, is the indispensable prerequisite for success.” Brian Tracy What is holding you back from making big, positive changes with your habits? What is messing up your progress and making your motivation drop after a while? What makes you sometimes quit before you barely got started? I am guessing one answer could be the need for instant gratification. It was for me. But over the years I have learned a few things that help me to delay gratification for the most part so that I can reach more long-term goals and make new and positive habits into normal parts of my life. Here’s what helps me. Build a supportive environment. When ads, magazines and other media over and over tell you that you can reach a goal very quickly – lose 30 pounds in 10 days! – you may start to expect such results. But in reality it is often a bit messier and takes more time and effort than that. So start recreating the environment you live in. Discard some of your old input that just frustrates you in the end. Add new sources that support delaying gratification. Start to read blogs that keep your motivation and optimism up but also focus on long term progress. Read books from people who have done what you want to do. People who can paint a picture of what you may encounter based on experience and give you a more accurate time-frame for success. Talk to the people in your life or outside of it that seem to be good at delaying gratification. See if they have some strategies and tips that can help you. If you can get accountability partner that helps you to stay on track with for instance your diet or building your own business then that can be very helpful too. Adjust your expectations with the help of your new environment and use the environment for support when you feel like giving up or giving into an instant gratification impulse. Detach from of the outcome and learn to find the pleasure in the journey. When I lost 26 pounds in 2009 and over the years as I have built this blog I have created and used an environment that supported the long term work. But when I have actually done the exercising or writing, day after day and week after week, I have detached from the outcome. I first got this tip to detach from the ancient Sanskrit Hindu scripture Bhagavad Gita. It says: “To action alone hast thou a right and never at all to its fruits; let not the fruits of action be thy motive; neither let there be in thee any attachment to inaction” This tells me to understand that I cannot control the results of my action. I can’t control how someone reacts to what I say or what I do. And that I should do what I do just because it is something I want to do rather than because of some outcome I’d like. But at the same time I should not let these two ideas lead me to become passive and get stuck in sitting on my hands and not taking action at all. Basically, I do what I think is right and that is my responsibility. And then the rest (the possible results), well, that is not up for me to decide about or try to control. I let it go. Now, I apply this when I do something. I can get motivated by future results before the doing the activity. But when I start doing any of those activities I detach and change how I think. I just focus on showing up and doing. This may sound a bit weird or hard but after a while it gets easier and easier to do that shift in your mind and to not start projecting into the future while you are doing. I have applied this to these 3 areas for example: Working out. By focusing on just showing up and doing the workout you won’t get discouraged when you haven’t lost x pounds after a week. You become more patient and more emotionally stable when you don’t think about losing that weight all the time. If you just show up and work out – and control what you eat – the pounds will come off. This really helped me to get into better shape and to find the enjoyment in doing the work outs. Blogging. If you don’t have to worry about what people may think about your next post then it becomes a lot easier to calmly write what you want instead of getting stuck in some kind of writer’s block. This has made it a lot easier for me to keep writing pretty much every week for the last 6 years and to make that journey so much more enjoyable and fun than it could have been. Social interactions. If you detach from an outcome such as someone liking you at a party or on a date then you’ll be less nervous. You won’t try to impress people. You will be more like how you are with your closest friends, relaxed and easy going. Just being yourself is an often cited and sometimes criticized piece of advice. By detaching from outcomes – while still of course using your common sense – it will be a lot easier to just be the best version of yourself. Using this approach was a huge help for me to just have fun and be more relaxed as I improved my social skills. Pause when an impulse is about to sway you onto the wrong path. When you feel the need to give into an impulse to wolf down some candy even though you trying to get into better shape or you feel the urge to check your Facebook instead of focusing on doing an important task then just pause. Just pause and be still. I have found that the need will pass if you don’t do anything for a few seconds or minutes. Then think of something better to do and do that instead. And if you slip and still give into the impulse then don’t beat yourself up. Instead, think about how you can avoid giving into that impulse again. Try to find a solution to use the next time you are in such a situation. Then get back on track again and keep going.

An article of mine is up on Lisa Johnson Fitness today… “Wouldn’t it be great if getting in shape were a one-time event? Like buying a car? You make the purchase and you’re set for a good 10 years. If only … Alas, fitness requires consistent repetition and must be maintained on a weekly, if not daily, basis. If you’re like me, sometimes it’s just hard. Hard to stay motivated and hard to stay the course long enough to make and sustain lasting physical changes. I struggle with motivation as much as the next person (yes, even though I’m a fitness professional), but thankfully there’s a secret to uncovering motivation that actually works. It’s unique, it’s personal, and where it comes from may surprise you …” CLICK HERE to read the rest of the post. And while you’re at it, be sure to follow Lisa on Twitter . She’s full of great Pilates, health and fitness information. Ready to finally stay consistent with exercise – even when you’re short on time & energy? Join me for the FREE Creating Healthy Routines Workshop & walk away with an exercise routine you can put into action immediately! I'M READY FOR THIS!

Another workout is up on The Balanced Life Pilates  YouTube channel! I’ve received a handful of requests for exercises that tone the arms – the back of the arms in particular. This workout is quick, efficient and effective. Squeeze it in a few times per week when your arms feel like they need an extra boost. If you’d like to see more videos here on The Balanced Life be sure to share the links with your friends and I’ll keep ’em coming! Enjoy! CLICK HERE to view the “Long, Lean, Tricep Toner” Pilates workout on YouTube. Ready to BUILD STRENGTH & FEEL GOOD in just 15 minutes a day? Join the FREE 5-day Pilates Strong challenge! JOIN THE FREE CHALLENGE! #Arms #exercise #Pilates

I am so excited to share today’s “Real Woman, Real Balance” interview with you today. I’ve been blessed to call Rachael Lampa my friend for the past 4 years. Her husband, Brendan , and my husband have been best friends since high school. The minute I met Rachael, I hoped that her and Brendan would get married. Her spirit is so bright and genuine that you can’t help but love her. I cherish the time we spend together (although there is never enough) and am honored to have her here on The Balanced Life today. She’s a perfect fit for this series. As a popular singer/songwriter who has been in the public eye since the age of 16 she has managed to keep a strong head on her shoulders. She’s based in Nashville, Tennessee  and lives her life in the heart of the music industry. As you can imagine, being in the public eye and on stage day after day can lead to a certain amount of pressure to look or act a certain way. Yet, she manages the pressures of it all with grace and humility. She’s down to earth, lovable and has a strong sense of who she is. Read on to hear more about how Rachael maintains a sense of balance in the midst of a busy life… When did you start your singing career? I was 14 when I signed my first record deal and have been recording and touring ever since. It’s been about 12 years now! At this point in your career, what do your days look like? Every day varies depending on the season. When I’m in touring mode, my day can start anywhere from 5:00 AM depending on travel arrangements. I either wake up for a flight or on a tour bus. From there, I try to start my day with some time enjoying where I am. I’ll explore the city I’m in and find a local spot to check out :). I’ll then spend the next part of the day doing interviews and sound check. After that, showtime! Some nights are late, some aren’t. When I’m recording at home and sleeping in my own bed I can usually keep a regular schedule of waking up late morning, writing and recording most of the day and going to bed around my usual night owl hour… 12:00/1:00 AM. What do you do when you’re not working? I would say I’m practicing the art of being a homebody. It doesn’t come naturally to me. I’ve spent most of my life on the go, but since I got married I’ve actually found a reason to be home! I love lounging with my husband, trying a new recipe, watching past episodes of Friday Night Lights :). We also belong to our local gym and try to make it an everyday trip. As you know, The Balanced Life is all about empowering women to approach health & fitness with a balanced mindset. How do you handle the pressure in the music industry (or as a woman) to look  a certain way? I learned early on that no matter how much I try to mimic the media’s portrayal of beauty, I’ll never quite get what I’m “going for”. The reason being, I would be going for something that doesn’t exist. The only way I could ‘win’ is if I rid myself of all inner beauty and put everything that I had into looking the part. I decided early on in life to love what I look like and take care of myself. Of course I continue to set goals (still working on that 6 pack) but I try not to overwhelm myself with stuff that keeps me from enjoying my life and my family. What does balance mean to you during your current season of life? Balance for me is all relative to where I am. Since I am constantly moving and changing environments, I have to change my context of what’s normal and what’s not normal and simply adjust. I have to start each day and say to myself “today is NEW no matter what yesterday looked like or what tomorrow may look like”. Balance, to me, means walking everyday with a confidence and a grace that no matter what curve balls come my way, I know who I am and where my heart lies. Who/what inspires you? As a believer in Jesus, I am inspired daily by the simple words of love that are spoken in the bible. I am very inspired by my husband . He is one of those people that calms a room when he walks in. It’s profound…the way he isn’t shaken by much. I also love the words of C.S. Lewis . What is your best tip for maintaining a healthy lifestyle in the midst of a busy life? I try to walk and take stairs as much as possible and keep track of how it all adds up at the end of the day. Sometimes I don’t have the time to break a sweat and go through the whole shower/makeup routine so I’ll do non-sweaty workouts throughout the day. 20 squats/ lunges here and there, 30 sit ups, and best of all, stretching. I love it because you don’t stink or have to re-apply makeup afterward! Meals are the hardest for me, especially on the go, so if I HAVE to have junk food every once in a while, I make sure the next meal involves a lot of fruits and vegetables. It really is about BALANCING it all out! What projects are you currently working on that you’d like us to know about? I just released my latest project in September of last year called All We Need . I have already started the writing process for the next record hopefully to release end of ’12, or early ’13. I am also on the road quite a bit… Keep track of news and dates here: Rachaellampa.com Facebook Twitter: @rachaellampa I am a huge believer and supporter of what The Balanced Life stands for! It is easy to run to unhealthy vices to feel better about ourselves. I love the idea of getting healthy in our minds and hearts along with our bodies! Love you Robin! Have a question for Rachael? Post it in the comments! Pilates Body Program Update: The next round of my online Pilates training program will start on Sunday, September 9th! 6 weeks of online Pilates workouts + weekly meals plans. Be sure to sign up for my newsletter HERE to get a subscriber-only discount. You can see before & after photos HERE & HERE and read more about the program HERE . I hope you’ll join us! Ready to finally stay consistent with exercise – even when you’re short on time & energy? Join me for the FREE Creating Healthy Routines Workshop & walk away with an exercise routine you can put into action immediately! I'M READY FOR THIS!

“If my dreams can happen to me, your dreams can happen to you. Champions are not made on the track or field; champions are made by the things you accomplish and the way you use your abilities in everyday life situations.” Bob Beamon The Summer Olympics are here and in full gear. This time I have probably watched it more than ever and enjoyed a lot of great entertainment in the athletics, triathlon, swimming, gymnastics, wrestling and sailing competitions. For me it is not just exciting, educating and suspenseful to watch the competitions. It’s also very inspiring to see how much work people have put in, the fantastic things they achieve during the Olympics and the joy that people get out of it all no matter if they watch or compete. So today I would like to share some of the most inspiring thoughts I have found from current and past Olympic champions. 1. Don’t make things harder, bigger or more complicated than they can be. “All I’ve done is run fast. I don’t see why people should make much fuss about that.” Fanny Blankers-Koen, sprint, long jump, high jump and more One thing I try to keep in mind is to not make a too big a deal out of things. Many movies or life-stories of successful people tell us stories of the underdog that struggles and struggles until he or she finds the success that he or she was dreaming of. Things often take time. Perhaps longer than one would hope for. And keeping yourself in underdog position can be motivating to keep soldiering on. It can also be a way to make things a lot harder for yourself than they need to be. Every bit of progress and action becomes a big struggle. Approaching things like you’re in some kind of battle may look cool on the movie screens. It may not be the most pleasant way to go about things. Your attitude towards things does to a large degree determine how you experience them. And how or if you take action. Now, things can be difficult. But making things harder than they need to be, to identify with an image of someone who makes progress inch by painstaking inch can make you feel important since your struggle is so epic. It’s a bit unnecessary though. If things are hard or difficult then it is most likely you who are creating much of that in your own head. So be good to yourself. Let that kind of thinking go and replace it with a lighter and a less serious attitude. You’ll thank yourself later. 2. Climb out of the sea of negative voices. “When anyone tells me I can’t do anything, I’m just not listening any more.” Florence Griffith Joyner, sprinter It’s easy to let other people’s negative opinions slip into your mind. But remember, they are just opinions. Not fact. Even though the opinion may come from someone your look up to and respect. When faced with this problem ask yourself a few questions: Have they actually tried this or do they know something about this? Or are they just sharing their own pessimism? Or trying to keep everything as it always has been as change and the unknown can be scary? You may often realize that people are just voicing there own problems and identity. Rather than giving your accurate and experienced advice. Listen to what others have to say. If what they’re saying makes sense, take it into account. But hold your own opinion in the highest regard. Make own decisions instead bouncing around like a pinball while reacting to what others tell you. 3. Don’t let hero worship get in your way and hold you back. “It took me time to realize that the men who won Olympic gold medals in the decathlon are just men, just like me.” Dan O’Brien, decathlete Sure, you may not be able to swim like Michael Phelps. But to put people you admire up on pedestals is to make things unnecessarily hard on yourself. Because everyone is human, no matter what that have accomplished. If you don’t think that you can do anything similar then it will be very hard for you to do so. You won’t feel worthy to do so. You’ll feel that this or that person is so very different from you. And so you’ll hinder or self-sabotage to keep yourself in line with your own expectations and self-image. Understanding that everyone is human can open you up to your own potential. And realizing that everyone fails and make mistakes can remove other mental blocks in your mind too. When you feel like everyone is human you feel more connected to people. Holding people to unreasonable standards will only create more unnecessary conflicts in your world and negativity within you. 4. Be careful with inflating your ego or identifying too strongly with your success. “I’m the same kind of guy before all this happened.” Michael Phelps, swimmer If you let the success go to your head then it can, for one, make you an arrogant jerk. It can also make you more emotionally reactive as you inflate your ego and strongly identify with your achievements. This will feel awesome at first. But soon you may start to doubt that you are still as good as your last achievement and as awesome as everyone said you were. And so you become more reactive to criticism or having a bad day. This affects the steadiness of your focus, thoughts and emotions. And so your inner life becomes more of a rollercoaster. All of this can not only affect your relationships with other people but also your performance. This doesn’t mean that you don’t have a high level of confidence in yourself and your abilities. It just means that you should be careful with getting completely wrapped up in your past achievements and letting you ego inflate to a harmful size. 5. Put your work into a longer perspective. “What I can tell them is the way you become an Olympic champion is to start working now. I tell them why it’s always worth it to put the time and effort into something you want to be good at.” Rafer Johnson, decathlete How do you become really, really good at something? The biggest part is the amount of work you put in. Sure, you can work smart too and save energy and effort. But the people that really fulfill their potential seem to put in years and years of hard work that most people just aren’t willing to put in. Why? Well, I’d say: Because of the support from other people. Because they know that they need the challenge and can’t stay in their comfort zone and just take it easy. But mostly I think it’s because of the love of what they do. So focus on doing what you love – or like a whole lot – to get really good at something. 6. Take a risk. “He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life.” Muhammad Ali, boxer To get what you really want you will pretty much always have to take risks. Of course, that can be scary. So how can you overcome this, take a leap and take the risk? I don’t have some simple and easy solution. But I do have a couple of tips. Really, really want it. When you really want it simply becomes easier to push through the inner resistance you feel. You are so motivated to achieve whatever it is you want that the risk may be scary but smaller than your desire. Ask yourself: what’s the worst that could happen? It is common to build big, negative fantasies in your heads of what may happen if you do something. Huge scary monsters. But probably 90 percent of what you fear never comes into reality. If you remind yourself of how little of what you feared throughout your life that has actually happened you can start to release more and more of that worry from your thoughts. Every time you take the leap and take a risk – even if things might not go your way that time – you can build confidence in yourself. By getting more experiences where you took action instead of sitting on your hands it will over time becomes easier to start moving in the direction you desire and take a chance. 7. Focus only on what you are doing right now. “I'm trying to do the best I can. I'm not concerned with tomorrow, but with what goes on today.” Mark Spitz When you are actually doing the best that you can out on the court, in the pool, behind the computer or wherever you do what you do in then detach from the outcome. Just focus on what’s in front of you. Not on what you missed in the past. Not on the all possible future outcomes of your performance right now. Then things will become easier. You’ll create less inner anxiety and pressure for yourself. And you will perform better because you are just focusing on what’s right in front of you and you are not weighing yourself down with a lot of self-created negativity and doubts. 8. Don’t let the initial impression get you down. “Don't be afraid if things seem difficult in the beginning. That's only the initial impression. The important thing is not to retreat; you have to master yourself.” Olga Korbut, gymnast Since society often tells us to look for quick fixes or instant gratification it’s easy to make the mistake of giving up too soon. After you have tried something maybe just once or twice. Or after you have failed or put in a pretty bad or mediocre performance perhaps 1-5 times. That’s a pretty “normal” thing to do. But what could have happened if you just kept going after that? And for each time you did it you learned more and more about what works? I think people often make a mistake of giving up too early. Your mind probably has a reasonable time-frame for success. This might not correspond to a realistic time-frame though. It’s useful to take a break from common and often advertised perspectives and let more realistic perspectives seep into your mind. Learn from people who have gone where you want to go. Talk to them. Read what they have to say in books or online. This will not give you a complete plan but a clearer view of what is needed to achieve what you want.

Within the course of a day I work with anywhere from 5-25 women who are all working to improve their bodies through exercise. Some women see tremendous, dramatic and long-lasting results. Others don’t. Some women are motivated and consistent for months, even years on end. Others aren’t. They all crave the same results but one group achieves success and improves their well-being while the other is left feeling the same or worse yet, defeated. So what’s the secret? Well surely there are a number of factors involved but one key component that I see among successful clients is not just whether or not they have enough motivation, but rather WHERE their motivation comes from. The secret is in the source. (source) There are 2 kinds of motivation: intrinsic and extrinsic. Intrinsic motivation = doing something because you enjoy it and enjoy the way it makes you feel. The reason comes from within, rather than from external factors. External motivation = doing something for rewards, praise, or a sense of obligation. Take a moment to think about why you exercise. Do you exercise because you feel like you SHOULD to please your spouse/parents/friends/etc.? Do you go to the gym because that’s what others do so you should too? Do you watch what you eat and workout so that others notice and compliment you on your body? Or do you exercise because of the way it makes you feel? Because you feel better in your skin after a hot yoga session or because you actually (gasp!) LIKE it? Take a moment to write down what it is that you turn to when you are struggling with motivation. Do you turn to internal factors or external factors to give you the extra push to get off the couch and out the door? Research shows that those who rely more on intrinsic motivation are able to sustain activity for longer periods of time, avoid burn out, remain consistent and in the end, achieve higher levels of perseverance and well-being. Those who rely primarily on external factors for are prone to giving up, burning out and ultimately losing motivation as time goes on. This yet another reason I’m not a fan on ‘thinspiration’ or ‘fitspiration’ and will never encourage you here or encourage any of my clients to use photos of other women for inspiration. Not only does it makes you feel like crap about your body, it doesn’t work! It’s not a viable source of motivation that will lead to actual, long-term results. Clearly, it’s not just generic motivation that will keep you moving forward toward your fitness goals, but rather the quality and source of the motivation you  rely on day in and day out. On a personal note, I believe this is why Pilates completely transformed my relationship with exercise. I LOVE doing Pilates. I’ve now been doing it consistently for years on end, rarely lacking motivation. I don’t do Pilates because I SHOULD to keep the weight off but because I love going to class, I love learning new exercises and I love the way I feel when I’m done. That’s more than enough motivation to get me to class. For once in my life, it finally feels easy! So what does this mean for you? The balanced perspective: in a perfect world you should find a healthy balance between to the two kinds of motivation. Intrinsic motivation is often overlooked and it may play the biggest role in your success. External motivation is not necessarily negative, it just needs to be balanced with a healthy dose of internal factors. Action step: make it a goal to find one form of exercise that you LOVE doing! Find something that is fun and enjoyable and that you’d do even if it wasn’t considered exercise. Remember, you don’t have to be a gym rat to stay in shape! Try new things, explore what you love and report back 🙂 Ready to finally stay consistent with exercise – even when you’re short on time & energy? Join me for the FREE Creating Healthy Routines Workshop & walk away with an exercise routine you can put into action immediately! I'M READY FOR THIS!

Most of the time I turn to Pilates when I want to challenge my muscles and build strength. But between teaching Pilates, writing about Pilates and planning Pilates programs sometimes my brain needs a Pilates break. Crazy, I know. Lately I’ve been interspersing short, intense circuit workouts into my routine to challenge my body in a new way. The key word here: SHORT. The weekdays get so busy that hour-long sweat sessions are often out of the question. Especially when you have to add on the shower/blow dry/make-up routine post-workout. I’m sure you can relate. This short circuit workout (adapted from Women’s Health ) is incredibly efficient and effective. And though it’s only 15 minutes it still provides the same rewarding endorphin boost as a long workout would  (which is the best part of exercise if you ask me)!  But don’t let the time fool you – your body will be working and your muscles will be screaming. Give it a try and let me know what you think! 15 Minute Workout In The Park First, put 15 minutes on the clock. Second, perform the following circuit as many times as you can until time is up. 10 Jumping Split Squats (10 each side) 10 Pilates Chest Lifts (neutral spine please) 10 Burpees 10 Tricep Dips 10 Jump Squats 10 Tricep Push-Ups (repeat!) This workout is meant to be performed at quick pace, moving quickly from one set of exercises to the next. But remember to pay attention to proper form. Keep your abdominals pulled in and make sure your knees do not go forward of your feet while jumping/landing. Pilates form and alignment can be applied to every exercise even though this is not a Pilates workout. And this is how I felt when I finished. Not pretty because it isn’t easy! Tweet or post a picture on Facebook from your workout in the park – I’d love to cheer you on! Ready to finally stay consistent with exercise – even when you’re short on time & energy? Join me for the FREE Creating Healthy Routines Workshop & walk away with an exercise routine you can put into action immediately! I'M READY FOR THIS!

I am honored to introduce the author of today’s guest post, Marcia Polas. I “met” Marcia through twitter and regularly enjoy her honest, passionate writing on Pilates and life as a woman who lives and breathes the practice of Pilates day in and day out. When I thought about showcasing what  a Pilates-inspired lifestyle means to indivdual people, Marcia was one of the first people that came to mind. I think you’ll greatly enjoy her story…. What a Pilates-inspired lifestyle means to me: “There is little that brightens my day more than learning that someone read my blog and it resonated in some fashion. A few weeks ago, Robin paid me the ultimate compliment by not just reading, but asking if I would be interested in writing a guest post. She offered I repurpose something appropriate or write specifically to her theme, What Living a Pilates-Inspired Life Means to Me. Horrid at repurposing, I began writing and got nowhere. You see, I’m not capable of anything but a Pilates-Inspired life. Every ounce of my being (I was going to say at my very core – but too corny even for me) is steeped in Pilates. Every thought, the solution to every problem, all my coping mechanisms, and the way I find myself are all in some fashion tied directly to my Pilates practice – or shall I say, the practice of Pilates. But digging into what that means to me is a tougher nut to crack. If something has become such a part of you that it is has attached itself to the essence of who you are, can you find words to describe what it means? So after failing at writing anything that felt real or true, I thought back to late November when I had to examine my life before Pilates. I was honored to be invited to speak at a Tedx Women event here in Denver last December on “How listening to my body changed everything.” As I went through draft after draft in preparation, telling myself my story over and over again, I found myself recognizing that I had found the strength, power, and courage to seek all that I needed in life. My Pilates practice changed my life – it changed everything about me – or maybe it just allowed me to find out who I really am. Either way, my entire life is a study in living a Pilates-inspired life….which means continuously growing and learning, accepting my flaws and shortcomings, recognizing my power and beauty, opening my heart and listening – to myself and to others, and making it my life’s work to give what I can to those who seek what I have to offer. My Pilates-inspired life is about allowing myself to both succeed and fail, about giving and learning to receive, and about having a positive impact on the world around me whenever I have the opportunity. It’s about understanding that if I am strong and true and focused, I can prop others up and help them find their way. But it took me many years to become this person who (I’m happy to admit) I really like. So if you don’t mind reading a bit more, I thought I would share with you my Tedx talk – this is the only time I shared it outside the venue on December 1. If you want to understand how I found this inspired (and on a really good day – I hope inspiring) life that I get to live, this is the journey that got me there. I want you to think of the person you love most on this planet. If you were completely responsible for taking care of his or her body, would you care for it the way you do yours? Would you feed it, rest it, exercise and protect it the way you do yours? Would you speak to them the way you speak to yourself? I am the sixth of seven children. Born into a noisy, affectionate, achieving family.  I cannot remember a day of my childhood when someone outside the family didn’t compare me to one of my sisters. My parents raised us to be strong, independent, and successful. In fact, when I graduated from high school, my dad offered to pay for college or my wedding. I replied that I would pay for my own wedding if he paid for college. It was the right answer. So off I went to college and four years later, I was embarking on my professional journey. By my early thirties, I was a successful marketing and advertising executive, living the life I was raised to live. This included an enormous amount of drive to be the best and an even greater amount of stress. The stress manifested itself in all kinds of ways…headaches, rashes and hives, and these tumor-like knots right up here caused by the way I held my head, neck and shoulders. In many ways, I was playing a role I thought I was supposed to play. And that too added to my stress. Someone suggested I should try Pilates. I had never heard of it, but I needed something. So on my 32nd birthday, some friends gave me my first Pilates package. I can remember the first time I got on a reformer. I could feel something inside me say, “This is for me.” And so it began. On my birthday the next year, I moved to Northern Virginia to rebrand a company. This was the BIG job. There wasn’t Pilates nearby, but there was a lot of stress at work. There was also the Pentagon on fire, 4.5 miles from my office, on September 11, 2001. And everything began to change. I was miserable. I hated my job. I hated my life. I felt trapped by a big salary and by the fact that I didn’t think I had a calling in life. I had no talents as I saw it. I was stuck. The Universe unstuck me by firing my ass from my job a week after I received a big bonus and a big raise. The marketing department was being dissolved so to speak and I was out. It took ten months for me to find a job. In October 2002 I moved to Cincinnati, Ohio to work for a Toronto-based ad agency. I threw up immediately after accepting the position. This was not the life I wanted. Then I packed the dog and moved to Cincinnati. Upon driving into the city, I stopped and got some Cincinnati magazines. I knew nothing about Cincinnati. The first magazine I paged through had an ad for a Pilates studio. “ They have Pilates here. I’ll be okay .” The Sunday before I started work, I got online to research Pilates studios. At 10 o’clock in the evening I called the first one that popped up to listen to the message. Stacy Sims answered the phone. We spoke for an hour about Pilates and scheduled a private the next Saturday. {Stacy Sims} On that first day, Stacy taught me to breathe and even though I had taken Pilates for years prior, for the first time I felt my core. Turns out I had found a home . I began taking Pilates 2-3 times a week. Some weeks, I would have to go back to the office at 8:30 after class, but I found a way to get to class. For the first time in my grown up life, I was putting something important to me ahead of work. I began to thrive a little and my body began to change. I can remember the first time Stacy had me hold a plank. I was sure I couldn’t. She was sure I could. I held it for a minute. Strange things started to happen. I seemed to be able to forget everything outside my body. My teachers were trying to get me to focus on five or 10 things at once and there was no room in my brain for anything but that. I started to have what I now call light bulbs going off in my body. The first was while doing a set of something or other with my legs in tabletop.  My entire body started shaking. I had my hands in straps and my legs in the air with a ball between my legs and I was visibly shaking. I thought, “Oh shit. Now I’ve developed some kind of palsy. What the hell am I going to do about this?” I was deep in my core for the first time and you can’t fake the shake. One night I was in my friend Kate’s class. She had us doing about a million slow and deliberate leg extensions and lifts. My overtaxed hip flexors were screeching in pain. I really thought, if she makes us do one more of these, I’m going to rip my leg off and beat myself with it. And then somewhere in my head I heard something else. I heard a whisper. There was still the screeching of my hip flexor, but there was this tiny whisper in my abdominals. I decided to focus on the whisper. And each time we did that horrible single leg work, I made a decision to ignore the screeching and focus on the whisper. And eventually, I didn’t feel my hip flexor any longer, all I felt was my core. I was onto something. I was in Toronto about four days every other week and wanted to be able to teach myself. I spoke with Stacy about going through her teacher training program.  My big concern was that I would be horrible. “You have to promise me that if I suck at this, you’ll tell me because there is nothing worse than a bad class or a bad teacher.” She said, “Well if you suck, I won’t let you teach. But Marcia, the fact that you are this worried about it means you won’t suck.” I never intended to be a Pilates teacher. I wanted to teach myself on the road and planned to work for Stacy a few hours a week in exchange for free classes. Pilates was my escape from my life. It was my joy. I could see how my entire being changed in the midst of a Pilates class. I was as close as I had ever been to that person I wanted to be. My best self. People responded to me differently when I had just taken a class. But I didn’t dream I could get that from teaching. As it turned out, teaching gave me even more joy than doing Pilates. There was more to think about. I had a hundred things I was looking at and those weren’t even the things I was verbally cueing. It was like a drug. And I didn’t suck. So I asked Stacy to add classes on the weekend when I had time to teach and spent the next year teaching with a net. During that year, I practiced as much Pilates as I taught. And as I got deeper into my practice, I started to have to listen to not just my body, but also to my heart and my soul. I was really unhappy. I was trying so hard to be something I wasn’t and it was ripping me apart. I had to recognize that I wanted something else in life and have the guts to seek it. On my desk at work at the time was a card that has become one of my mantras in life. “Leap and the net will appear.” In 2004 I left my marketing/advertising career and began teaching Pilates full-time. I loved my job, but I was still putting everything and everyone before me. I still didn’t care enough about myself to love myself as much as I loved others. Over the next few years I learned a ton and allowed my instincts to lead me. I started trusting my gut in all areas. As a result, I opened my heart and leapt again. This time the net didn’t appear and I fell hard enough to break. The process of putting humpty dumpty back together again was hard. And nobody but me could do it. I had to work through all my garbage and learn to love myself. The big lie was that before that, I thought I had finally figured that part out. I thought I was all that and a bag of chips. Boy was I wrong. I beat myself up. I put myself last. I was looking for validation in someone other than me. I still wasn’t really listening. Two years later I woke up on my 42nd birthday and it seems I had become someone different. There was a song running through my head that morning. It was the remix of the David Cassidy/Partridge family “I woke up in love this morning.” I found it on my iPod and danced around my bedroom naked. And that’s when it hit me. I was madly, truly, infinitely in love. With me. That began the year of dancing naked. Every morning I would wake up and dance naked for at least two minutes. Dance with abandon. And I didn’t always love everything I saw, but everyday I would find something beautiful in the mirror. And I was listening to my heart, my body, and my spirit In my job as a Pilates teacher, I get to watch people find their strength and power. And I spend a ton of time preaching about taking care of ourselves. I have four rules I require new clients to agree to: 1. Never allow me to put you in a position that feels wrong in your body 2. You can’t hold your tummy in and do Pilates 3. Pretty quickly, if it doesn’t feel like hard work, you need to tell me so we can find the work. 4. Don’t say bad things about yourself in front of me I’ve found that I have incredible strength and power, but some times I am an absolute fraud. I have learned to love the quirky things that make me Marcia. I’ve come to recognize that I’m beautiful both on the outside and on the inside and that my heart is incomparable. But when business isn’t going well or something goes wrong in a relationship, all of that love and respect is tested. And can fall back into that old trap of being pretty mean and hateful to me. But when I do, I can hear something inside me screeching. So I’ve created these rules to try to keep me on track. Maybe they’ll resonate with you. 1. If something feels wrong to you, heed and change it. 2. Don’t close yourself off. If you open your heart, to yourself as well as others, the world will present itself to you in the most beautiful ways. 3. If you can’t feel anything, you are phoning it in. 4. Don’t say bad things about yourself in front of you. So this is what I’ve learned. When I listen to my body, my heart, and my soul, I know the answers. I can be true to myself. I can make good decisions. And everything simply works. My body can tell me right from wrong, good from bad, truth from lies. And when I listen, I take care of myself the way I would the people I love most And as I’ve gotten better at this, I learned that my body screeches at me when things aren’t right. I simply have to be willing to pay attention. So this is what I would like to ask you to consider. If some part of you is screeching in your ears, take a deep breath and listen for the whisper. I promise it will change everything.” So there it is – what I think of as the beginning of the work in progress called Marcia. I hope it might inspire you to listen to yourself and live your Pilates-inspired life. A little about Marcia… Marcia specializes in a Pilates in the Workplace program. She brings classes to her clients in their places of business, working to help clients who don’t have the time or inclination to go to a studio to increase their balance, strength and flexibility. Each class takes into consideration the class’ professional use of their bodies, tailoring work to chefs, engineers, dancers, painters, physicians, attorneys, and (close to her heart) marketing professionals. She is also the editor of the Pilates Method Alliance (PMA) newsletter She can be found at www.polaspilates.com where she blogs weekly about life, Pilates, and the things that connect the two. She also writes a monthly column on her experiences as a Celiac who loves to eat. Follow her on twitter and Facebook @polaspilates Ready to BUILD STRENGTH & FEEL GOOD in just 15 minutes a day? Join the FREE 5-day Pilates Strong challenge! JOIN THE FREE CHALLENGE!

Today’s guest post is written by the inspiring woman behind ForTheGlow.Com , Jennifer Jordan. Some of you may remember Jennifer from the Pi-Glow Challenge we co-led a few months ago. What I love about Jennifer is her undeniable passion for healthy living. Everything she does has a purpose – to inspire women to take care of their bodies through diet and exercise. She is passionate, fun-loving and a light of inspiration in the online fitness world. She’s a great fit for The Balanced Life. Enjoy! Love, Love, Love….(Self) Love Is All You Need. We know how interconnected life is, and how our health + well-being holds up the entire operation. The act (or the art) of keeping ourselves healthy ~ What does it boil down to? What are the Top 5 reasons you make an effort to keep yourself healthy? (Take a moment to list them before you read on). 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Do you notice a pattern here? Can you break it down to one underlying, motivating factor? I can, and it’s pretty simple: Self-love. Exercise, eating healthy, all the little things you do to make yourself feel wonderful & vibrant…they are all acts of self-love. So when we skip over the exercise, eating healthy and all the little things you need to make yourself feel wonderful & vibrant…you are detracting from the love you need (and deserve) first and foremost. See the word in bold in the sentence above, DESERVE. I want you to think about something for a moment: What do you think would happen if you loved yourself enough to make your health a priority? What if you sent out the message to the Universe that you demanded nothing less than the absolute best for yourself? What if you decided once and for all that you’d never make excuses for yourself? You will have your own answers to those questions, but can I give you a little hint? Once YOU decide to demand the best & expect the best for yourself, with NO excuses or settling…that energy will trickle into every aspect of your life. This vibrant, energetic confidence and self-worth will open doors, create opportunities, and you’ll attract people who not only feel the same way about YOU, but also feel the same way about themselves. Wouldn’t that be awesome? A little bit about Jennifer… Jennifer Jordan holds a degree in Exercise Science from Arizona State + over a decade of experience coaching women as a nutritionist, fitness instructor and counselor. Currently, Jennifer is the gal behind the women’s health mega-site For the Glow, in addition to teaching in the Seattle area. Connect with her online: Web | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest Ready to finally stay consistent with exercise – even when you’re short on time & energy? Join me for the FREE Creating Healthy Routines Workshop & walk away with an exercise routine you can put into action immediately! I'M READY FOR THIS!

I am so excited to share today’s guest post with you. Jennifer Phelan is a Pilates professional in Boston, Massachusetts. She is widely known for her phenomenal Pilates Fusion classes and has a loyal following of clients and fans due to her energy and passion for Pilates. Her and I laugh because it often feels like we are living parallel lives on opposite coasts. I swear, on any given day we’re probably doing the same thing! She is a fellow Equinox instructor, trains private clients and encourages others on their fitness journies through social media. This post is perfect for all of you who participate in group classes. I love what she has to say and couldn’t agree more. Enjoy! MAKE THE MOST OUT OF GROUP PILATES Group Mat Pilates classes are such a convenient way to bring balance, strength and focus to our lives. Make it a date with your friends, save yourself some money and exercise your body and mind all at the same time. What could go wrong? As wonderful as group classes can be it’s often easy to get overwhelmed by the thought of it all or to hide behind the mask of the class and not get the full benefits of your practice. As an instructor, I too often see my students making simple mistakes that prohibit them from obtaining all the ooey gooey fabulous benefits that group classes have to offer. It’s easy to succeed in private sessions because all eyes are literally on you. It’s harder to get that same feeling in a group class, but it’s definitely not impossible. Follow these tips below and you will be on your way to making the most out of every group class you take. The Early Bird Catches the Worm Nothing leaves you feeling more frazzled than running in late to your favorite class. Plan ahead and arrive early. I always tell my students to arrive 10-15 minutes before class starts. This gives you ample time to set up your mat, talk to the teacher and wind down and mentally prepare. All you need is a few minutes before class begins to settle into your mat and tune your body into ‘you time.’ You come to Pilates class not just for the workout but to also balance your body and mind. This is a simple first step to starting class on the right note. Hey Wallflower Come Out of Your Corner Are you that person who walks straight to the back of the room to set up your mat? Does just the thought of being in the center row send you back to the locker room light-headed? Well get over those fears because smack dab in the front of the room is exactly where you should be. I always tell my students that the best seat in the house is right in the front of the class. Many of my group classes tend to be crowded and it can sometimes be hard to make my rounds in the room, but I always see the people right up front. They are usually the students I end up being able to correct the most, just because of convenience. They also clearly see my demonstrations and easily hear everything I’m saying. When you are in the front of the room, you are usually more aware of the effort you are putting into your workout. There’s no hiding from the teacher or the other students and that’s a good thing. You come to class to work hard not fade away in the back where it’s easier to cut corners. Develop a Relationship with Your Instructor No, I’m not talking about dating your Pilates instructor. I’m referring to putting yourself out there and letting your teacher get to know you. Of course it can be scary to walk up to a teacher but it’s super simple and easy. All you have to say is “Hi my name is Jennifer. I’m new to your class today…” If your teacher is a great one he/she will probably take the conversation from there and ask you some questions. (Example: Do you have any injuries? Have you ever done a class like this before?) This is the bridge to a whole new class experience. Once a teacher actually knows who you are, you’re entire workout will change. You will feel more invested in the class because you know that you are not just another nameless new student. You have made a personal connection with the instructor, even if it’s just small it will make a difference. Trust me, teachers want to know the people in their classes. After all, who is a teacher without students? Listen You may be advanced and attended class 100 times before but treat each class as though it’s your first. Just because you know how to do the Abdominal Five Series does not mean that your teacher isn’t going to throw in his/her new twist or variation. Always be open to learning new styles and following your teachers plans for you and chances are your body will thank you. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve experienced some of my very own students rushing ahead of me before I’ve even given them a cue. I’m sure this correlates to our already hectic lives, but if you can’t slow down in a Pilates class, when exactly can you lessen your pace and be present in the moment? Stay for the Entire Class I know all of the excuses. I want to beat the crowds to the locker room. I have to get back to the office for a meeting. I need to catch my train home. Just as bad as it is to arrive to class late it is to leave early. The end of class is usually a cool down and quite frankly it’s sometimes my favorite time of the day. I like to give my students just a minute or two to close their eyes and feel the incredible effects of their hard work. For a lot of people this may be the only time during the day where you have a few moments alone to yourself to just breathe and be. Don’t miss out on this incredible opportunity to round out your practice by rushing out the door. If you are in a real bind, try to consider other ways to save a few minutes in your outside routine or come to class a different time. What are your favorite ways to focus and get the most out of your group Mat Pilates classes? Do you have any tips to share? I’d love to hear them. A little bit about Jennifer… Jennifer Phelan is a nationally certified and trained Power Pilates instructor. She teaches at Equinox  , private studios and homes in Boston, Massachusetts. She has experience training celebrity clientele, athletes, dancers and pre/post natal clients. Jennifer is a 2012 Naturally Powered Athlete with Team ZICO and a Blake Brody In-Studio Footwear Ambassador. In 2010 Jennifer was selected as a Lululemon Ambassador and her Pilates Fusion class was awarded “Best Exercise Class in Boston” by the Improper Bostonian Magazine. She has also appeared in numerous online and print publications including the Boston Herald, New York Times, Pilates Style Magazine and Stuff Magazine. Learn more about Jennifer by visiting her website www.jenniferphelan.com and following her on Facebook and Twitter , @JPPilates . Ready to BUILD STRENGTH & FEEL GOOD in just 15 minutes a day? Join the FREE 5-day Pilates Strong challenge! JOIN THE FREE CHALLENGE!

Given that this is a website dedicated to inspiring women to take a balanced approach to health and fitness – I find myself thinking about the concept of balance quite a bit. Many people are led to believe that it’s impossible to find balance because there just isn’t enough time in the day or energy in the body. It simply feels impossible to balance all that life throws at us on a given day or week. Take, for example, one of my clients. She is a young working mom with 2 kids, a husband, a full-time job and a nonprofit on the side. On top of these commitments she want to maintain old friendships, build new friendships, keep a clean house, keep her style up to date, do Pilates, train for a half-marathon, cook wholesome meals, garden, read, volunteer at school, go to church, do crafts with her children, find time to relax, etc..the list could go on. She wants to find balance but it simply feels impossible. Somewhere along the way, for my client and for many others, the idea of balance becomes mistakenly synonymous with “doing it all”. Balance is often mis-understood as making all things equal and giving equal weight to all things. According to the dictionary, balance is defined as:  :  a means of judging or deciding  :  a counterbalancing weight, force, or influence  :  mental and emotional steadiness. Finding balance does not come from giving equal parts to all things. Unless of course, you decide that you want to just give a little tiny, exhausted bit of yourself to everything and never do anything with real, commitment, zest and intention. I’m here to tell you, whether you like it or not, you cannot do it all. And if you disagree and think you can, then I would argue that  you cannot do it all WELL.  Living a balanced life means determining what is most important to you and expending your time and energy accordingly. Our society is busy and over-commited. Busy-ness is celebrated and encouraged as if it makes us more worthy and important. But I believe in order to find balance we have to avoid the trap of thinking that more things, more commitments, more everything is always better. We have to decide what it is that matters most to us and what is deserving of our time, energy, and even money, and then arrange our lives accordingly. Once we determine what it is that we want MORE of in our life, then we also have to commit to giving LESS to other areas. And that’s okay. Yes, you read that right, it is okay to do less! Finding balance comes from giving time and energy to the things that build you up and give you life. And likewise, eliminating the things that bring you down and stress you out. For example, when it comes to fitness, if you feel like you SHOULD train for half-marathon because that’s what other people do, it’s time to give it up! You don’t have to run a race to be healthy! You can officially let it go! Isn’t that freeing? The same goes for any other activity you feel like you SHOULD be doing to be a better human. You no longer need to carry around the burden of guilt from all the things you feel like you SHOULD be doing. So, I encourage you today, as you dive into another busy week full of to-do’s, commitments, and high hopes, take a moment to list out what is most important to you in your life. Keep the list short – no more than 8 – and attempt to spend your time and energy doing things that fall within those categories. Balance will not look the same for everyone. Finding YOUR unique life balance will simplify your life in a way that brings freedom and peace of mind. Ready to finally stay consistent with exercise – even when you’re short on time & energy? Join me for the FREE Creating Healthy Routines Workshop & walk away with an exercise routine you can put into action immediately! I'M READY FOR THIS!

Image by VinothChandar ( license ). “Criticism is something we can avoid easily by saying nothing, doing nothing, and being nothing.” Aristotle What other people think and say about you and what you do can hold you back in life. If you care too much about their opinions. You may not take some action that you want to take because you fear being judged by someone or people in general. You may not make improvements or changes in your life because you know, based on previous experiences, how some people could react if you did that. Caring about what other people think about what you do in a healthy way can help you to gain valuable feedback and keep you grounded. But caring too much about what people may say or think if you do something can keep you in the same old rut, unable to move forward and to live the life you truly want to live. So how can you overcome this common issue and find more inner freedom to do what you want? Well, people will always have thoughts and opinions about things. But you can learn how to care about what they say and think in a more helpful way. In this article I’ll share 5 tips that have helped me to make that shift. 1. First, people don’t think about you and what you do that much really. Holding yourself back in life because of what other people may think or say does, in my experience, to a large part come from a belief that people care a great deal about what you are about to say or do. Perhaps you are afraid that people will laugh or analyze what you said or did for the rest of the week or year. But a much more realistic scenario is that they have their hands full with worrying about their own lives and what people may think of them instead. This might make you feel less important in your own head. But it also sets you free a bit more if you’d like that. Yes, in your head you may be the most important person in the world. But don’t project that onto other people. Because in their world the most important person is probably themselves or their kids. 2. Take praise and criticism evenly. My mindset for praise – that I try to stick to as much as I can – is that it’s cool and I appreciate it. It’s great to get praise, but I seldom get overly excited about it and jump and down shouting enthusiastically. A great upside of this mindset is that when you receive the opposite – negative criticism – you can often observe it calmly without too much wild, negative emotions blocking the way. This allows you to appreciate that piece of criticism too (if there is something to learn from it). Going about things this way can help you to not care too much about what other people think. 3. Care more about what you think about yourself. If you care too much about what people think of you then that craving need can make you feel quite needy and you start to define yourself based on what they may think of you. So replace that somewhat desperate need with something healthier, something you have more power over. Something that will give you more inner stability and lets your life not become a rollercoaster of thoughts and emotions controlled by other people’s opinions. Start caring more about what you think about yourself and start raising your own self-esteem. Two ways of doing that are: The daily self-appreciation journal. It is easy to get lost in basing your self-esteem on just what you accomplish, on what you get done in a day or week. Or on what other people may think about you and tell you about yourself. But basing your self-esteem on just that makes it pretty unstable. One way to help yourself out with that and with appreciating what is good and awesome about you is to use a self-appreciation journal. You can do that by taking out a pen and notepad (or use a word processor on your computer or cell phone) every evening for a week. There you write down 5 things you appreciate about yourself. But make sure that you do not only write down accomplishments. Also write down good stuff related to your core-self esteem. By that I mean things that always there no matter how you perform at work or in school. It could be things/traits like your sense of humor, your kindness, your honesty, wisdom, creativity and so on. Be kind and understanding towards others (and yourself). By being kinder towards and more understanding of others if becomes easier to do the same to yourself. One simple way to focus on being more understanding and kind when you feel the need to judge someone is to use helpful questions. One I find to be really effective is: What parts of this person can I see in myself? How is he or she like me? This one helps me to shift my perspective from what is different and what I feel the need to judge to what we have in common instead. This tears down the mental barriers between us and I can feel closer to and more understanding of this person. Try it out whenever you feel the need to judge someone, no matter if it is someone close to you or someone you don’t even know. By doing so it becomes more natural to extend and use this more understanding and kind frame of mind when you view yourself too. And by behaving in this way towards others you will feel better about yourself and in that way raise your self-esteem too. Plus, by being kinder towards others you are more likely to get that kindness back from them too. 4. Remember, not all things that they may say or think is really about you. If someone is pretty much always negative about what other people do or he or she often makes personal attacks and let the destructive words flow then, when such things are aimed at you, remember that it isn’t always about you. Such words or negative habits can be a way for that person to release pent up anger, frustration or jealousy about something in his or her own life. Or a way to reinforce that his or her viewpoint or belief is the right one. Or he or she may have habit of getting others involved emotionally – baiting them – to build a negative spiral, an argument or fight to get attention. It’s about him or her. Not about something you did or want to do. It can have a calming effect to remember this. And to remember that the other person is still human and might be having a bad day, month, marriage or job. 5. Listen to the supportive and level-headed people. I wouldn't recommend to stop caring about what people may say altogether. Listening to what they have to say can provide you with valuable feedback and help you to keep yourself grounded so that your life and relationships do not spin out of control or break down. But try to choose who you listen to. Listening to your relative that is always angry about everything or a friend that always sees the pessimistic side of things may not help you so much.

Has insecurity regarding your body or abilities ever held you back from trying something new? Or participating in a sport or activity? Or perhaps insecurity has simply kept you on the sideline, rather than diving into life and taking part. I personally can think of multiple occasions where I chose to lay still, poised, and partially covered on my towel rather than getting up and playing in the ocean or on the beach out of insecurity around what I look like in a bathing suit. In retrospect, I’ve done this far too many times. This past week I received an email from a Pilates Body Program participant that made my week. Over the past 5 weeks she’s been doing Pilates 4x per week through my online program and has steadily been building strength thanks to her consistency and commitment to the program. She recently sent me this email: My family & my husband’s family are big boaters. We go up to the lake any chance we get. Well, about 2 weeks ago we were up there, and I decided to try water skiing. I haven’t skied in like 8 years. Generally it’s not my favorite activity, as it’s always been really hard on my back for some reason. But I decided to give it another try. As I was in the water waiting for the boat to pull me up, holding the position as best I could, all I kept thinking to myself was “teaser teaser teaser!!!” (basically the hold, except for your knees are bent). I knew to push down on my legs once I got going, and hold my back flat. Hard to explain, but seriously, because of all the Pilates, I totally believe I was able to pop right up on the FIRST try, and ski for much longer than I used to and with less discomfort! It felt great, and I felt so excited. I did it again yesterday with the same ease! So thank you for that! I know I’m stronger and this just really helped encourage me.  bet there are a lot of things I used to hesitate to d, that I would be capable of doing now. And that feels great. I was so encouraged by the email and I hope you are too. By taking time out of her week (only 40 minutes, 4x per week) to do Pilates she has improved her strength, confidence and ultimately the quality of her life. Has Pilates helped you in another area of life? I’d love to hear about it! Ready to BUILD STRENGTH & FEEL GOOD in just 15 minutes a day? Join the FREE 5-day Pilates Strong challenge! JOIN THE FREE CHALLENGE!

Image by mattzor ( license ). “Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.” Maria Robinson “A year from now you may wish you had started today.” Karen Lamb I didn’t really try to improve my life very much until I was 25. Before that I mostly just moved along in the same old rut. Since then (I'm 32 now) I have tripled my effectiveness, lost more than 30 pounds, adopted a more optimistic view of my life and raised my own self-esteem greatly. I have learned to simplify my life and to inject a lot more happiness into my days and years. Why am telling you this? Well, the point here is not to brag. My point is that you are not stuck permanently in the life you have now. Even if it may feel that way. It may sometimes feel like you should have started to change your life earlier, when you were a kid or in your teens or early twenties. Or that you should have been born into those right circumstances right away as you came to this earth. It may feel like it is too late now. You may look to your past and tell yourself: “if only had done this or that then things would have been different and better now”. That may be true but you cannot really change the past unless you got a time-machine. And reliving the past in your mind does not change today and this week and month. It just has you hooked on mental reruns that keep you in your regretfilled rut. It isn’t too late for you to improve something in your life that you really want to change. No matter what age you are at. Over the past 5+ years I have received thousands of emails from readers of all ages – between 14 and 72 – that have told me about how they have changed their life in a positive way. I understand that you may not be able to change your life in any way you want right now. There are real limits in most people’s lives and personal development isn’t magic that can fix just about anything quickly and easily. But you can do what you can with what you have where you are right now. Start there. Make a small change if that is what is possible. From that small change and success you will gain confidence and you can build upon that to make more and perhaps even bigger changes. 4 steps that will make it easier for you to get started 1. Think about what you really want to change. Maybe you already know it. It could be your social life, your confidence, your health or money situation. Or take a few days to think about it. Take time to focus on this because if you really want something then it becomes a whole lot easier to keep going. Or let your curiousness guide you. Ask yourself: what would I like to explore in life now? Find one or a few areas to improve or habits you would like to incorporate into your life. Write them down. 2. Choose one thing or habit to focus on for now. If you have found several things or habits you would like to focus on then choose to focus on just one at a time. Spreading yourself too thin pretty much always leads to failure because life tends to get in the way. If you have a regular life then you’ll probably won’t have the time and energy to change three things at once even though you really hope and think you can. If you like, choose a theme for a year and focus just on that. I have chosen themes in the past like health and social skills. Then put most of your efforts for 365 days into creating new habits and routines in just that one area. 3. Take small steps. This is very important. The feeling that something is too big or scary or difficult is one of the most common things to hold people back from taking action at all. On the other hand, people also tend to overestimate their own willpower. The plan sounds so good in your head but when you execute it then you can’t really take as much action or move as fast as you thought. Focusing on just one thing at a time and doing it in small steps may feel kind of like something a child would do. I have thought that was the case – like so many other people have in the past – and then fallen flat on my nose after a few days or weeks of trying to change too many things too quickly. Instead, ask yourself: what is one small step I can take to move forward in this situation? I use that question pretty much every day in some way and it has been immensely helpful over the last couple of years. 4. Ask yourself: What is one small step I can take right now to get ball rolling ? Don’t get stuck in planning. Or thinking that you will get started tomorrow or next week. Get the ball rolling instead. Do that today by just taking one small and practical step towards what you want.

There is a trend going around the internet of people sharing “A Day In The Life.” Simple posts that expose what a typical day looks like in a certain career or lifestyle. I love getting glimpses into other people’s lives and often have people ask me what it’s like to be a Pilates instructor. I usually keep it mostly business here on the blog but today I thought it would be fun to get a little personal. One reason I was attracted to this field was for the flexible schedule and light hours. I figured I would teach for half a day and then have plenty of time off. After working a very traditional 9-5 job the idea sounded like heaven. Now that I’m full time in this career it’s safe to say that my hours are not light, but not all Pilates instructors work like I do. It is certainly possible to work short days as an instructor, although it does take a good deal of time and commitment to build up an ideal schedule. When I first entered this field, I focused all of my energy on teaching but now that I’ve expanded my business online my world has changed quite a bit – and I LOVE it. So if you’re curious what a day in the life of a full-time Pilates instructor looks like, here it is… Thursday, June 21st 5:00 am: alarm goes off. 5:00 am wake-up call #4 of 5 for the week. Whew, one more to go… 5:30 am: finish getting ready, grab a bite to eat and a mug of coffee before I head out the door. I also tidy up the house so that it’s clean and ready for my in-home clients that will be coming later in the day. 6:00 am: teach a group Pilates reformer class at Equinox. 7:00 am: train a private client at Equinox. 8:15 am: rush home to meet my 8:15am client for his session in my home studio. 9:30 am: train a private client in my home studio. 10:30 am: have a snack and respond to emails either in my little home “office” or at Starbucks if I feel like getting out. Today I’m working on: -Summer registration for my Equinox Pilates classes. Registration opened at midnight and classes were full by 7:00am! This is not my favorite day because I hate telling people that they’re on the wait list. -Responding to my Pilates Body Program participants (I love these ladies). We have weekly “weigh-in’s” so I respond to their questions, cheer them on and track their progress. I genuinely love emailing with them. -Scheduling clients. -Sending class reminders. -Writing a blog post. -Brainstorming my next program. -Checking in on Facebook/Twitter. 12:00 pm: train a private in-home client (she cancelled today so I’m using the time to write this post and re-stock the studio). 1:00 pm: lunch at home. I try to take a break from work but often end up emailing through the lunch “break”. Sometimes my husband comes home so we can chat and catch up for a few minutes before the afternoon/evening schedule begins. 2:10 pm: Leave the house to drive to a client’s home. 2:30 pm: train my client in her basement on her own Pilates equipment (I do this 3-4x per week. She’s got a great set up). 3:45 pm: return home, snack on an orange and some almonds, and finish up emails that didn’t get finished along with a bit of bookkeeping and invoicing. 4:30 pm:  attempt to rest, go for a walk, or fit in a run and disconnect for the next 45 minutes so that I’m fresh for my evening class. 5:15 pm:  head over to the Stanford campus. Thankfully it’s a super quick drive but parking can be a challenge. 5:45 pm: teach a mat class for a wonderful group of cardiovascular nurses on the Stanford campus. 7:00 pm: arrive home, collapse on the couch and stare at the ceiling a bit before gathering the energy to cook dinner. Thursday’s usually call for an open screen door, a glass of wine and James Taylor to unwind while cooking dinner. 7:45 pm: enjoy dinner with my husband (if he’s not in class) chat about our days and hang out. I love this time of day. 8:30 pm: clean up, relax for a bit, respond to my PBP members and prep for tomorrow’s classes & clients. 9:30 pm: bed time! 5:00am always comes too fast… So there it is. A day in the life. Not all Pilates instructors have a schedule like this. In fact, I currently feel that I’m in need of a little “balance check” (writing the phrase “attempt to rest” reminded me of that). For me personally, these hours are not sustainable long-term, but they’re working for me right now and I’m lucky to love what I do. I’ve chosen to add the online component that takes up a lot of my time because I absolutely love it and love interacting with my online clients.  I’m so passionate about it that I can’t help myself. The more women I can reach and the more women I can encourage in their health the better. If you have a blog, I’d love to see you share a day in your life. Write up a post and share a link the comments below! Ready to finally stay consistent with exercise – even when you’re short on time & energy? Join me for the FREE Creating Healthy Routines Workshop & walk away with an exercise routine you can put into action immediately! I'M READY FOR THIS!

Image by Mitya Kuznetsov ( license ). ”The world we have created is a product of our thinking; it cannot be changed without changing our thinking.” Albert Einstein Your thoughts and mind are truly powerful. A change or a positive habit when it comes to your thinking can make a world of difference. But on the other hand, getting stuck in the same old thought habit can be that one thing that cripples you, paralyses you, causes much suffering and gets you stuck instead of getting you to move forward towards a happier and more positive life. In this article I’ll explore 7 common destructive thought habits that I have had to struggle quite bit with in the past and what I have done to overcome or at least minimize them. I hope you’ll find something helpful in this article. 1. You see things in black and white. Instead of seeing life as it is, somewhat messy with a lot of exceptions to different rules, you see things in black and white. You are right and someone else is wrong. This way is good and that way is bad. Things are either this way or that way and there no exceptions or gray areas. This makes it harder to make sense out of things, to take action in the right way and can be a way of thinking that makes you more and more inflexible as time passes. You get stuck and you can become terribly critical and unfair towards yourself and other people. You put barriers in your mind and life and this creates a lot more unhappiness and suffering than necessary. What to do about it: Try to understand the other side. It’s easy to stick to your point of view. But you can gain powerful insights about the other person and yourself too by trying to understand their point of view. This also tends to decrease harshness and negativity and can make it easier to reach an understanding where both parties feel more satisfied with the solution. Be aware. Like with any habit in this article, just being aware and paying attention during your normal day can help you to discover and reduce these thought patterns by stopping that thread of thought and then changing what you focus on. Find the exception. If thoughts pop up telling you that you suck in school or that your partner never helps out at home then say stop before those thoughts become a big black cloud of anger. Pause for a second or two. Then ask yourself: what is the exception to this thought? Find one exception or more to that black and white thought you are feeding. You may for example realize that your partner cooks a lot of the food at home or do many of the repairs. Or that you are pretty good at writing and geography but have some improvements to make when it comes to math. 2. You look for problems even when there are none. This is a weird one. In the past I have found myself looking for problems even when there are none really. I think in part comes from snapping back into your old mindset. I used to be much more negative and see problems everywhere for many years. So the mind is conditioned to operate that way and so used to it. So on some days you sit around and suddenly realize while thinking that you are looking for a problem in a situation or area of your life where there are none. What to do about it: One thing that really helped me was to have this written down on my white board on my wall to remind me each day: “There is no problem”. Nowadays, if I am faced with what I start thinking is a problem I ask myself: who cares? I most often then realize that this isn’t really a problem in the long run at all. I also think this can come from thinking a bit too much about personal development and working on that. You become so accustomed to looking for solutions that your mind wants to find problems that it can solve. This personal development stuff is awesome. But read about and think about it in moderation and not all the time. 3. You are addicted to your comfort zone. If you are always thinking about how to feel and be really, really safe then making a positive change will be impossible. The unknown and change is uncomfortable and scary to the mind because it tends to want your existence to be stable and continue to be as it has been so far. What to do about it: Do it in small steps. What holds us back in our zone of comfort is often a fear or that facing that fear head on might be overwhelming. Doing things in small steps allows you to stretch your comfort zone and slowly making it less uncomfortable and frightening. Focus on the positive past. Realize it can be fun to get out of your comfort zone despite what your mind and feelings might be telling you before you get started. Think back to the previous times when you have broken out of your comfort zone. Focus on the positive memories, when you got out there, when you took a chance. And you will probably remember that it wasn’t so bad, it was actually fun and exciting and something new to you. 4. You think that what you feel now is just how it is. One habit I used to have was that I used to think what you feel right now is kinda permanent. That it is how you really feel about things and will feel in the near future too. However, it is really hard to predict how you will feel just an hour or 15 minutes from now. The mind fools you as you identify with the emotions you are feeling right now. This can really hold you back. What to do about it: Use and strengthen your discipline muscle. You may for example not feel like going to the gym today. Your mind might say “It’s ok, you don’t need that anyway, you were there three days ago”. And so you lie back on the couch. But you can also say to yourself “No, today is workout day and I will go even though I don’t feel like it/don’t think I need to right now”. And so you go. And after you have been there for maybe 15 minutes you start to enjoy it and you’re glad you went. Just be aware that your mind doesn’t always want what you know is the right thing to do. The mind often tries to get us to choose the easiest option in our daily lives. It makes it seem like what you feel now is reality. Even though emotional states are fleeting and you can change them around in just a few minutes or hours by going to that gym. 5. You think you already know how things work. If you think that you already know something then your mind will not be open to actually learning it. Whatever someone is telling you, your mind will sort through based on what you think you know. You’ll only hear and learn what you what you want to hear and learn. What to do about it: Whenever you want to learn anything it may be a good tip to disregard as much as possible of what you think you know. Keep your mind as open as you can. In my experience this makes it easier to pick things up and not disregard important stuff. Of course, the ego often wants to jump in to meddle and strengthen itself by making you think that you already know whatever you’re about to learn. Be a bit careful with trusting that somewhat arrogant inner voice. 6. You get stuck in envy and it poisons your life. Envy can be like a tiny devil on your shoulder that whisper words into your ear, gnashes on your soul and makes life into something that is often filled with suffering and much negativity. Or the envy can just be something that irritates and distracts you from time to time. What to do about it: Focus on yourself when it comes to comparing. Comparing what you have to what others have is a good way to make yourself miserable. It feeds your ego when you buy a nicer car or get a better job than someone else. You feel great for a while. But this mindset and the focus on comparing always winds up in you noticing someone that has more than you. That someone has an even better job or car than you. And so you don’t feel so good anymore. The thing is that there is always someone with better or more than you. So you can never “win”. You just feel good for a while and then you don’t. A more useful way to compare is to just compare yourself to yourself. Look at how you have grown and what you have achieved. Appreciate what you have done and what you have. See how far you have come and what you are planning to do. This will make you make you more positive and emotionally stable since you are no longer comparing and feeling envious of what the other guy have that you haven’t. Be grateful for what you got. Besides comparing yourself to yourself it can be helpful to add a regular gratitude exercise to your life to minimize the envy. So take just two minutes out of your day to focus on being grateful for all the things you got. Make a list of them in your head or write them down in journal at the beginning or end of the day. Get a life. If you find yourself sitting around too much and not having enough to do then it’s very easy to feel stuck and to get stuck in thought loops and go into a downward spiral. Simply by filling your life with more fun activities and people and the things you want out of life you won’t have time or a reason to be envious. Other benefits of getting a life are that you become a lot more relaxed and less prone to overreacting about the little things. So spend less time analyzing life and more time living and exploring it in whatever way you’d like. 7. You overthink. I used to be a chronic overthinker. This makes taking action very hard, you analyze small things until they become big and scary in your head and in general overthinking things most often leads to a negative view of those things. I have however successfully reduced or almost eliminated overthinking in my life. It did take time, but on the other hand you are in the company of your mind each day so you might as well start working on a better relationship between the both of you. What to do about it: How did I do it? The most important thing was probably that I focused a big part of a year in my personal development on reading/listening to books by Eckhart Tolle like Stillness Speaks, A New Earth and The Sun Will Also Die and establishing a habit of being in the present moment. I listened to those books over and over on my mp3 player while out walking, while riding the bus and so on. This had two big benefits: I was very focused on his advice and it popped up in my head during the day which made it easier to stay aware of though patterns and Tolle became a sort positive influence in my weekly life. Just like a friend can influence you with his/her positive, negative or ambitious attitude and vibe. Practice being present and it becomes a lot easier to minimize overthinking and to use thinking as a tool rather than letting thoughts control you. One effective way to realign yourself with the present moment and to let go of overthought thoughts that just run around in circles in your mind is to breathe. To just sit down for 2 minutes, close your eyes if you want and take relatively deep belly breaths. Focus 100% of your attention on the air going in and out of you during these 2 minutes. This calms the mind and body and gets you back into living in the moments that are unfolding right here, right now. Set short deadlines for decisions. Another very helpful thing is to start using short deadlines. Instead of thinking about something for days, tell yourself that you have – for example – 30 minutes to think. Then you will make a decision. I also use even shorter deadlines for smaller, daily decisions. I don’t sit around thinking about decisions like if I should exercise, make a phone call, try some new food or anything where I may feel a bit of resistance from within. Instead as soon as I think about it I make a decision to do it within maybe 10-30 seconds and I start moving. I have found this to be a good way to become more decisive instead of falling into the paralyzing trap of overthinking.

Many of my clients complain of knots in their back; those aching, aggravating, tight spots that just never seem to go away. Perhaps you can relate. Hours of sitting and typing at your desk is an invitation for those little spots of tension take up residence in your neck, shoulder and back. Unfortunately, workouts can do the same. I encourage my clients to get massages on a regular basis to help relieve muscle tension and to release tight fascia and I recommend you do the same. I’m also a big supporter of massages for the additional health benefits such as increased circulation, improved lymphatic function, stress relief, injury prevention…this list could go on but I’ll save that for another post. If you’re stuck with an achey knot in your back and don’t have time for a massage here’s a trick  you can try. How To Release Knots In Your Back Tennis Ball Massage I use this trick throughout  the week to fight off the bundles of tension that live beneath my shoulder blades (teaching is not always easy on the body and scoliosis doesn’t help). HOW TO: 1. Lie on the floor and place a tennis ball between your back and the floor (place it under a muscle, not on a bone or your spine). 2. Lean into the ball and roll it up and down along the tight muscle/knot in your back. 3. When you feel a point of pressure (a knot) hold the ball and relax into it until you feel the knot release. Breathe as you do because it might feel quite intense! You can increase or decrease the depth of the massage by how hard you lean into the ball. For a less intense version, try leaning against a wall instead of lying on your back. Travel Tip: Throw a tennis ball in the car on long road trips and use it by placing it between you back and the car seat to release knots while on the road. It works wonders! I hope this trick brings you some relief. Remember, knots may not go away over night. If you’re holding tension in your body day-after-day, they will keep coming back. Which means you have all the more reason to embrace a more balanced, stress-free lifestyle. Enter here for more balanced living tips and a FREE 20-minute workout… I’d like to receive the free email course. Subscribe PS – you may also like 5 foam roller exercises to relieve shoulder tension and the “anti-computer” stretching & upper back series . Ready to BUILD STRENGTH & FEEL GOOD in just 15 minutes a day? Join the FREE 5-day Pilates Strong challenge! JOIN THE FREE CHALLENGE! #Balance #knotsinback #NeckPain #body #knotinback #Tension #tensionrelease #back #Wellness #fascia #BackPain

I’m home sick with the flu. Oh, the flu. It’s so hard to be home sick. If it’s not already obvious, I am do-er that likes to keep busy. You know, the type that adds items to a to-do list just to have things to do and cross off. It’s a problem. So in essence, sick days are good for me. I need to be told to slow down. And this flu is telling me loud and clear. Our bodies are brilliant and they deserve to be listened to. And if we don’t listen to them, they will revolt and make their needs known. And so, my body is forcing me to rest. And Imm attempting to do so without guilt or restlessness. The past 2 days have included a lot of these… Spinach, Grape & Coconut Smoothies And a lot of this… water, couch + Friday Night Lights Sitting on the couch has allowed me to catch up on much-overdo blog reading and I’ve forgotten how much I love reading about others’ lives and experiences and learning from their wisdom. Inspired by Shauna Niequist’s post today , I decided to share 10 of my favorite blogs. Some fitness related, some not. I’d love for you to share yours too. 1. Shauna Niequist Of course. Ever since I read Cold Tangerines and Bittersweet Shauna’s blog has been one that I check on a regular basis. Shauna has a true gift with words. Everyone who reads her writing feels as though she is the best friend that they haven’t actually met yet. It’s amazing. Her blog is nothing less (and I promise I was reading her blog LONG before she mentioned me . That was simply a dream come true). 2. Q Blog I cannot say enough about the quality of Equinox health clubs. I’m a huge fan of their newly launched blog as well. I teach at the Palo Alto location and am continually impressed by their level of customer service, intelligent & experienced instructors/trainers and offerings in general. Q blog is full of practical fitness advice from trustworthy, professional sources. 3. Restored Style I love her style – both in blogging and home design. 4. Sprouted Kitchen Delicious, healthy, whole food recipes with gorgeous photography. She is the epitome of a well-done food blog. 5. Summer Tomato Her blog is full of practical, helpful healthy living tips. And I also love that she’s a San Fran local 🙂 6. Well In LA Erin is such a breath of fresh air. I don’t know her personally but I feel like I do! Her blog provides and instant dose of joy and inspiration and serves as a bright spot in the world of healthy living blogs. 7. Camille Styles This blog makes me want to quit my job and entertain full-time. Okay, not really, but she gives leads me to believe that I can create a simple summer soiree on a budget within minutes. Now if only… 8. Design Sponge This blog is so full of brilliant ideas that I can barely keep up. I love the variety and the fact that it was started by a young, motivated, woman entrepreneur. It’s the original Pinterest. 9. Lisa Johnson Fitness Lisa is a Pilates instructor from the Boston but has her hand in all kind so fitness related endeavors. Her blog is fun and relevent. She covers a multitude of health-related topics but I especially appreciate her love and wisdom for the Pilates method as it relates to healthy living. 10. Zen Habits Leo masters the art of simplicity. His blog is clean, pure, to-the-point and practical. I love his style. So, your turn. What blogs to do read on a regular basis that I should be reading too? Get 3 FREE Pilates workouts in your inbox now! YES PLEASE!

When I tell people what I do for a living I often hear “Oh, I can’t do Pilates, I’m not flexible enough.” To which I usually respond, “all the more reason for you to do Pilates!” First of all, let’s set the record straight, you do NOT have to be flexible to attend a Pilates class. In fact, if you’re tight and stiff then I recommend you sign up for a Pilates class right away. Sure, it may be challenging at first but our bodies were meant to move and the longer you wait to move your body the less mobile you will become. Flexibility is as much a part of “being fit” as being able to run without getting winded. A well-rounded fitness routine should include exercises that stretch your body and increase/maintain healthy range of motion. You don’t want to be all big, tight muscles with little flexibility. That’s not a comfortable body to live in and it’s a also body begging for injury. A fit body is a balanced body. Flexibility is just one of the many aspects of the Pilates method. Many of the exercises are designed to increase range of motion and lengthen muscles that have become tight and short over the years. So, if you’re one of those people who can hardly bend down to touch your toes you may want to consider joining a beginner Pilates class to do your body good. As a beginner you may find that some of the positions are hard to hold and maintain. I recommend using a modifications to make the exercises more comfortable while you gradually improve your flexibility. Below are a few common modifications I use with my clients on a regular basis… Spine Stretch Forward/Saw This simple seated position can be very hard to maintain if you have tight hips or hamstrings. Your goal should be to sit up straight without rounding forward. Tip : Fold the towel a few times and use it as a little seat. This will allow more room for you to move with ease. It may also be helpful to bend your knees. The Roll Up The roll up is a very challenging exercise and is made all the more challenging by tension in the low back. Tip : Fold the towel 1 or 2 times and place it under the small of your back. This will act as a tactile aide and relieve tension as you roll up and down. Bending your knees may also help. The Pelvic Curl The pelvic curl is a fantastic exercise to increase the flexibility of the spine. You may find it hard to roll smoothly through each vertebrae if you have a stiff back. Tip : As you roll down from the pelvic curl position, allow your heels to lift slightly off of the ground. This will provide more room for your back to lengthen and stretch helping to relive tension throughout the exercise. Planks Planks are a fantastic exercise to build full body strength but can put excess pressure on the wrists until adequate strength is developed. Tip : Fold your mat (or a towel) up under wrists to lessen the angle of pressure. In many exercises using your elbows can work as a modification as well. Side Leg Series The side leg series is fantastic for shaping and strengthening the sides the body. Based on the angle of your hips you may find that it is uncomfortable to rest on your side. Tip : Place a towel under your hip as you lay on your side for extra padding. This should alleviate any discomfort. In addition, if you feel strain along the side of your neck fold a towel 2 times and place it between your arm and your head. This will bring your head back in alignment with your spine and relieve tension in the neck and jaw. Do you have other questions regarding exercises I didn’t mention here? Feel free to ask in the comments! Ready to BUILD STRENGTH & FEEL GOOD in just 15 minutes a day? Join the FREE 5-day Pilates Strong challenge! JOIN THE FREE CHALLENGE! #Balance #body #Pilates #Fitness #exercise

Image by visualpanic ( license ). “A perfect summer day is when the sun is shining, the breeze is blowing, the birds are singing, and the lawn mower is broken.” James Dent “Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under the trees on a summer's day, listening to the murmur of water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is by no means a waste of time.” John Lubbock Summer is here. Many people around the world and readers of this blog will start their vacations soon. And although the longer vacation that many get from their job or school once a year is dreamed of as time to recharge and relax it can become a time of overwhelm and shoulds instead So how can you prevent that and find a good balance between doing fun stuff and catching up on things you want to do and just relaxing? Here are a few tips to help you out. Let go of what you “have to do”. If you are feeling totally stressed out and wrapped up in everything you “have to do” during this vacation then here is a good question: Will this matter in 5 years? Or even 5 months? This is of course not an excuse for you to not do anything. But a reminder that the small things we get wrapped up in when we feel stressed are often not that important when you view them from a wider perspective. In the end you can choose what you want to do and not do. There are of course consequences to everything that we do and that is something one must keep in mind. But I think it is very important to feel like you are in control of your own life to be able to stay centered and minimize stress and pressure. It’s important to be able to say no and to choose what you want to do instead of always living in reaction and feeling controlled by outside forces all the time. You may for example feel like you have all these things you “just have to do before the summer is over”. If such thoughts are stressing you out, then choose to say no to at least some of those things. Make a list of the priorities or things you feel you need to do and eliminate or minimize 2-3 of the least important or meaningful ones. Now, saying no can be a bit difficult but if you don’t then it’s easy to get lost in too many of other people’s plans and shoulds during the vacation. Here is one tip that can help you to say no: Disarm and then state your need. It becomes easier for people to accept your no if you disarm them first. You could for example do that by honestly saying that you are flattered or that you appreciate the kind offer or clever idea. Then you, for instance, add that you do not have the time right now for accepting and doing what they want. Since some pushy people want to overcome your objections and convince you to do something even if you first say no with a valid reason you can try this: state how you feel as a reason for saying no. For example say that you do not feel that this offer is a good fit for your life right now. Or that you feel overwhelmed or tired after the long winter and spring and so you cannot do whatever they want. The point of telling someone how you feel is not only to make them understand your side of the issue better but also that it is a lot harder to argue with how you feel rather than how you think. How you feel is your thing and no one can really come up with good counterarguments to that. And remember, this is your life. And your vacation. Sure, you may need to compromise a bit too but by letting go of shoulds, saying no to some things and yes to other things you can choose and you create a truly enjoyable and meaningful vacation. Stop thinking that the world revolves around you. One common way to make your life unnecessarily hard and difficult is to assume that the world revolves around you. It can make you feel like you are trapped in a cage built out of social pressure. Not pleasant at all. But is everyone watching everything you do? Thinking about you a lot and discussing what you said or did? Probably not. It’s very seductive to think they do because it makes you feel important and it gives you validation and attention. But they are probably spending most of their time worrying about their own challenges in life and what other people think about them. It’s not easy to let go of the belief that the world revolves around you. But there are huge benefits such as decreased shyness and increased openness towards people and trying new things. So you give up or decrease the importance you put on validation from the outside. And by doing so you can release a lot of pressure and stress and increase your own inner centeredness and freedom to feel that you can do what you want in life. And as you do so you stop raising your self-esteem and increasing positive feelings about yourself through the validation people may give you (or at least you cut down on it a lot). Instead you now raise the self-esteem and increase the positive feelings by doing more of what you think are the right things to do in life and by caring more about what you think and feel about yourself and how you are living your life. This can help you not only to have the vacation you deep down want and to chill out but also help you long after this summer is gone. Spend your time online in a very focused way. One change I usually do during the summer is to minimize the time I spend online. I cut it down to the bare essentials. Basically that means I update the blog and send out new newsletters. And I check my email/Twitter/Facebook maybe once every other day. Of course, you may not have the option or want to make exactly those changes. But you may want to try to cut down on your online time a bit. Maybe just check all the things you check online once a day. I have found that it makes me a lot more relaxed, focused on the most important things and leaves me with more time to use for other things. Set a low bar for happiness this summer. When you wake up in the morning, tell yourself: “Have a low bar for happiness today.” When you tell yourself this and try to keep it in mind during the day you’ll appreciate things more. That is my experience at least. It makes the sunny summer days feel more wonderful and I appreciate the small and big adventures even more. The food tastes better and I tend to enjoy the sensations of the day more mindfully. I take more pauses for a moment or two to take it all in and to appreciate the people in my life and the things I have instead of taking them for granted. Take a few days and do nothing at all. Accept how you feel. Maybe you try some of the tips above. And maybe they still can’t help you to shake that stress, inner pressure or whatever you are carrying around from the past few months of hard work. If so: Take a few days or a week where you take it easy and do pretty much nothing. It can do wonders for your mind and body. When stressful feelings or impulses pop up during those days, sit down for a moment or two and just pause. Be still. Then tell yourself: “This is how I feel right now and I accept it”. By accepting how you feel instead of resisting it you reduce the emotional energy that you are feeding into these issues or negative feelings. And then inner pressure, stress or other impulses that can sabotage your vacation just tend lose speed like a car that runs out of fuel. Oftentimes these things becomes so weak after while that they disappear. Or they at least become a lot less powerful. And so you can release the inner pressure and the stress bit by bit. You can truly wind down for a few weeks and spend that time as you want to without the extra baggage.

With the launch of the summer edition of The Pilates Body Program I have been coaching the new members through the art of meal planning. For some, meal planning is a brand new concept. But since the program is designed to create new lifestyle habits, meal planning is a skill that is encouraged and necessary for success. If you’re not used to planning exactly what you’ll eat each week it can feel very overwhelming. It can also feel time-consuming. But with a bit of practice meal planning can be a quick and helpful process that ends up saving time, stress and money. Who doesn’t want that? So today I thought I’d share the process I go through each Sunday to prep for a healthy week. Hopefully you will learn something that will make the whole idea less daunting and more practical: Every Sunday I start with a list with the following items: Sunday: Monday: Tuesday: Wednesday: Thursday: Friday/Saturday: (usually I leave these blank) Breakfasts: Lunches: Snacks: Misc: These days, every single dinner & lunch recipe comes from my PBP meal plan (hello, easy). But if I’m in the mood for something new I’ll peruse Pinterest , Real Simple , Cooking Light , LB’S Good Spoon , Joyous Health  or Whole Living  for new recipe ideas. (are we following each other on Pinterest yet? click here) I start by filling in the list above with dinners for each night (sometimes noting that we’re going out or just going to play it by ear). From there, I choose: 1-2 breakfasts options to have on hand (plus one for my husband) 1-2 lunch options (often these are leftovers from dinner) 2-3 snack options to have on hand. Most of my lunch recipes make 2-4 servings so I can make it once and eat it throughout the week. Once the meals and snacks are planned I go through it and write out all of the ingredients on a scratch piece of paper (usually while yelling to my husband in the kitchen “do we have this? do we need that? do you need milk?”). The next part of my system makes me laugh. When I was a little girl I remember watching my mom meal plan (in this exact same way) every Sunday. She’d finish up by writing out the list in the order of the grocery store aisles. I could not BELIEVE she had the grocery store memorized, and here I am, doing the exact same thing. Funny how that happens isn’t it? She taught me well 🙂 I re-write the list in order, crossing things off as I go to make sure I don’t forget anything. This part is optional but let me tell you, thanks to this last step I can be in and out of the store on a busy Sunday in under 20 minutes flat. Gotta love that. One other habit that I encourage among my PBP members is batch cooking. I do this weekly and it’s become a habit that I can’t live without. I recommend taking an hour or so every weekend to meal prep. For example, this past weekend I made a big batch of turkey breakfast sausage (and froze half for weeks to come), made Almond Beauty Bars and hard-boiled eggs for snacks, washed & chopped veggies to eat with hummus and made a batch of chicken salad for lunches on-the-go. Batch cooking is the secret to healthy eating in the midst of a busy life. It doesn’t take long and it saves you time, money and stress during the week. All good things. I’d love to hear from you too. What are your favorite tips and tricks for planning a healthy week? xo, PS- you may also like my personal to-do list strategy and healthy kitchen staples . Ready to finally stay consistent with exercise – even when you’re short on time & energy? Join me for the FREE Creating Healthy Routines Workshop & walk away with an exercise routine you can put into action immediately! I'M READY FOR THIS! #recipes #mealplanning #Health #cooking #tips

This is one for all the Brussels sprout lovers out there. And in fact, if you’re not a fan of Brussels sprouts yet this recipe may just change your mind. Add bacon to anything and it tastes good right? I tore this recipe out the San Francisco Chronicle a long time ago and have been loving it ever since. The original recipe is from Rene Ortiz, the chef/owner of La Condesa in St. Helena. The sweet and savory combination of this veggie dish makes it a crowd pleaser. I use turkey bacon to lighten it up a bit and it works just as well. Brussels sprouts are high in Vitamin K & Vitamin C. They’re a part of the cruciferous vegetable family which means they’re full of antioxidants that aid in detoxification. They are also known to help reduce inflammation in the body, so eat up! Ingredients: 1 lb Brussel sprouts 1/4 lb turkey bacon (I often use less) 1/8 cup olive oil 1/8 cup minced garlic (about 1/2 bulb) 1.5 cups halved red seedless grapes sea salt & pepper to taste Rinse Brussels sprouts and trip ends. The original recipe suggests separating them into individual leaves to distribute flavor. I choose to halve them when I’m pressed for time. You should end up with about 4 cups of packed leaves or halved Brussels sprouts. If you choose to halve them, you may want to blanch them in water for 2-3 minutes just to jumpstart the cooking process. Set aside. Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove from the pan and drain on paper towels. Remove the bacon dripping from the pan. Add olive oil and garlic to the skillet and stir until garlic begins to brown. Add chopped bacon to the skillet along with the Brussels sprouts. Stir until leaves begin to melt – approximately 7-10 minutes. Hold the grapes over the pan and lightly crush them, allowing some juice to squeeze into the mixture. Then simply drop them into the pan and stir. Season with salt & pepper to taste. Serve warm. Enjoy! Ready to finally stay consistent with exercise – even when you’re short on time & energy? Join me for the FREE Creating Healthy Routines Workshop & walk away with an exercise routine you can put into action immediately! I'M READY FOR THIS!

Balance is a fundamental principle of the Pilates method. While it can be applied in a variety of different ways, today I want to focus on the value and importance of  sculpting a balanced body. Most of us have developed muscle imbalances over the years without even knowing it. Imbalances can be caused by any number of things; things like handedness, postural habits, or activities that use repetitive movement patterns. Common everyday activities that can lead to muscle imbalances: – carrying your purse on the same shoulder everyday – playing sports that favor your dominant side (golf, tennis, baseball) – sitting in the same position at your desk day after day – a daily response to pain or discomfort (your muscles work in a way to protect you from the pain) – occupational habits/demands Imbalances often go unnoticed, and therefore un-corrected, because many exercise regimens don’t incorporate single-side exercises. Many times our stronger side does the majority of the work in a given exercise and we don’t even know it. Consequently, our stronger side gets stronger and our weaker side gets weaker. Allowing muscle imbalances to go untreated can eventually lead to chronic pain, injury and joint dysfunction. Practicing single-side exercises will help you understand which side has more strength and help you to correct the problem. A good Pilates workout will incorporate some level of single-side exercises to develop a strong, balanced body. The good news is that most imbalances can be corrected or shifted. The first step is noticing. The second step is finding ways to restore balance through proper exercises (often this where the value of private instruction comes in). Here are 3 things you can do TODAY to sculpt a more balanced body: 1. Adjust your daily posture to reflect balance: uncross your legs, sit equally on both cheeks, avoid leaning toward your mouse, etc. 2. Carry your purse on the opposite shoulder each time you pick it up. 3. Incorporate more single-side exercises into your routine. I recently shared 2 effective single-side exercises for the Pi-Glow Challenge… CLICK HERE for the Single Arm Tricep Push-up. CLICK HERE for the Shoulder Bridge. Remember, when attempting to sculpt a strong, balanced body quality and precision of movement is of utmost importance. Don’t rush it. Take the time to do it right. Doing so is far more effective and will provide much better results. Give it a try and let me know how it goes! Ready to BUILD STRENGTH & FEEL GOOD in just 15 minutes a day? Join the FREE 5-day Pilates Strong challenge! JOIN THE FREE CHALLENGE! #Hamstrings #Pilates #Legs #Workout #Glutes #Arms #exercise

Happy Memorial Day weekend! I’ll be taking some much-needed time off this weekend so figured I’d share a few photos in lieu of a Pilates post. As you may know, I had the honor of working with Jeff Shipley a few weeks ago. We did a lifestyle shoot for The Balanced Life all around San Francisco and had SUCH a great time. I have always admired Jeff’s work and am even more in awe of his talent after our shoot together. He is a true artist. His attention to detail and calm demeanor make him a joy to work with. He really wanted to capture what I’m about here on The Balanced Life and I think he did an incredible job. He took the time to understand the message I’m passionate about sharing with all of you and crafted photos that expressed it in a beautiful way. Notice there aren’t any “sexy perfect body” shots or photoshopped abs. We kept it real & honest. This is a place for strong, confident, healthy women and I want that to be depicted in everything I do. An example of his brilliance: these photos were taken in a tunnel. We were standing in pure daylight so I had NO idea the lighting would look like this in a the photos. I love the way they turned out. A special thank you to Jeff for coming all the up north to work with me! Be sure to check out his blog for more of his work. His wedding photos are to die for. Have a great, healthy holiday weekend everyone. See you back here next week! PS – a special welcome to all of the new Pilates Body members who came over from Shauna’s blog! I can’t wait to start working with you. T-minus 8 days 🙂 Ready to BUILD STRENGTH & FEEL GOOD in just 15 minutes a day? Join the FREE 5-day Pilates Strong challenge! JOIN THE FREE CHALLENGE!

I love Lululemon as much as the next girl, but given the fact that I live in workout clothes 7 days a week, I’d be broke if I did all of my shopping there. So I’m always on the lookout for fun exercise gear that is actually affordable. One of my favorite finds as of late are these super cute tank tops from Costco…yes, Costco! I was hesitant at first. First of all, I’ve never purchased and Costco clothing before. And second of all, at $14.00 a pop I was worried they’d be ill-fitting or too short (the worst when you’re bending in and out of Pilates positions). But I’m in LOVE! They have a handful of bright, summer colors and they fit perfectly; thin enough to stay cool and long enough to feel confident throughout class. I couldn’t find the link to purchase them online but you can view a classy little video showing them off by using this link… Kirkland Signature Yoga Collection I highly recommend picking up a few next time you’re on your big Costco shopping trip. Fit Tip: Adding new pieces to your workout collection does wonders for motivation. Invest in a clothing that you actually LIKE to wear. It will make it much easier to get dressed, get inspired & get out the door. Get 3 FREE Pilates workouts in your inbox now! YES PLEASE! #Pilates #Workout #Health #yoga #shopping #exercise

It has been a whirlwind of a Tuesday! I’m working on a super helpful post for you regarding a set of muscles you’ve probably been neglecting without even knowing it. But in the midst of my busy-ness today I didn’t have time film the video that goes along with it, so it will have to wait! In lieu of my regularly scheduled post I’ll share this little sneak peek of my photo shoot with J.Shipley. He is truly gifted and managed to turn my awkward poses and silly faces into some truly beautiful photographs. Have a look by clicking HERE . Let me know what you think! Stay tuned for more helpful Pilates posts coming your way this week 🙂 Ready to finally stay consistent with exercise – even when you’re short on time & energy? Join me for the FREE Creating Healthy Routines Workshop & walk away with an exercise routine you can put into action immediately! I'M READY FOR THIS!

I’ve been doing a fair amount of writing around the internet lately and I have forgotten to share the links with you! I recently wrote about unhealthy comparison and how it can be made worse through social media over on Carrots ‘N’ Cake . You can read the article HERE . Please let me know what you think – I always love to hear your thoughts! I shared why the weight loss & advertising industry motivates me to get out of bed every morning over on Everyday Glow. CLICK HERE to find out why. One of my favorite restaurants featured my “Lyfe Story” on their Facebook page a few weeks back. I whole-heartedly support Lyfe Kitchen’ s philosophy so I was honored to be their first feature. CLICK HERE to check it out. If you’re a runner – CLICK HERE to check out my Pilates tips for runners on Body Checklist. These will help to keep your body balanced mile after mile 🙂 And last but not least, are you a high heel lover? Then please read THIS post to take care of your feet day in and day out. These quick exercises will ease your pain at the end of a long day and more importantly, protect you from doing long-term damage to your delicate soles. Have a great Tuesday everyone! PS- I’m sending out  BIG discount on The Pilates Body Program for subscribers only this afternoon (plus a guide to what’s in season for May & June). If you’re not already on the list, today’s a good day to get on it. Sign Me Up! Ready to finally stay consistent with exercise – even when you’re short on time & energy? Join me for the FREE Creating Healthy Routines Workshop & walk away with an exercise routine you can put into action immediately! I'M READY FOR THIS! #Balance #Pilates #diet #running #Health #restaurants #nutrition #exercise

Image by lastquest ( license ). [hana-code-insert name='social w twitt face' /] “A year from now you may wish you had started today.” Karen Lamb “Give whatever you are doing and whoever you are with the gift of your attention.” Jim Rohn One thing that is very easy to get hooked on nowadays is to endlessly be checking your email, Facebook, Twitter etc. all day long. I have certainly had a few bouts with getting hooked mostly on checking email too much. Many of my readers have emailed me and told me how they often spend too much of their days on Facebook or on checking their inboxes. This may not seem that serious of a problem in theory, but these small bad habits can add up and disturb your life quite a bit. The excessive checking leads to: Spending your weeks, energy and time on the wrong things. When you spend too much time and energy in the wrong places then you often don’t get the most important things done. Your most important actions and tasks at work or school and your dreams and goals become something you neglect or procrastinate on. The illusion of getting important things done. When you are doing stuff in your inbox or social media accounts it may feel very important. But what of those things are really important 5 years from now? Or even 5 weeks from now? Some of that stuff is truly important of course. But don’t get lost in busy work. Increased sense of feeling worried, anxious and stressed. The more I checked my email the more nervous and anxious I became of missing something or that I would get a really angry or disappointed email. Plus, when you get stuck in using too much of your time and energy on the checking then you often don’t use your days in a good way and so the self-esteem tends to go down. So what can you do to break out of these habits? Here are a couple of tips that helped me to stop being hooked on checking my email account too much and to be careful with Facebook and Twitter. Be conscious of why you are doing it. One thing that really helps me is simply to be conscious of why I wanted to check the email so much. I could be because I didn't want to miss something important, to get compliments and validation from positive emails, to quickly solve the issues of people with a question or simply to relieve an inner feeling and impulse to check the email once again. By just being conscious of this when I feel that I probably should check the email it becomes easier to say stop and go do something else instead. Ask yourself: what is the worst that could happen if I don’t check it right now? If you want to check the email many times a day because you are afraid something bad will happen if you don’t then ask the question above. And look to the past for references of how things usually go when you haven’t checked your email for a while. Don’t get lost in wild, disastrous fantasies taken from your overthinking mind. Pause when you feel the need to check and just be still. I have found that the need will pass if you don’t do anything for a few seconds or minutes. Then think of something better to do and do that instead. Set clear boundaries. Check your email, Facebook etc. just once a day if possible. Turn off your computer or cell phone at a certain time in the evening. Or put your smart phone where you can’t access it without getting up and walking a small distance. Or put is somewhere where you can’t see it, like in a drawer. These boundaries will reduce checking and also make it easier to spend quality time with the people in your life without having to see that phone or computer and letting the impulse to do one quick check ruin a good conversation. Make a deal with yourself to postpone checking for one hour in the morning. You can probably postpone the checking for one hour in the morning without big consequences. Then if possible, after a day or two, try to move the checking further down the day. Maybe to after lunch. Or perhaps even, as I have, to the end of the workday. The further you can move the checking in your workday, the less of a priority it will feel like as you fill the first hour(s) of your day with what is actually the most important stuff. This will reduce the impulse checking that often becomes worse if you start your day with the email. Simply fill your day with more important and exciting things. Checking up on Facebook, Twitter and email can be a good help and addition to your life but it can also become a sort of replacement where it becomes easy to spend time instead of going out and having other experiences and being there fully. Stuff like being out in nature, playing sports or playing in a band, working towards your biggest goal, having uninterrupted conversations or a fun night out. By filling your life with a bit more fun or exciting activities, people face to face and the things you want out of life you simply won’t have time or as many reasons to do all that checking anymore.

This past weekend I had the honor of working with the insanely talented photographer, Jeff Shipley . We spent the day trekking all over San Francisco taking photos for The Balanced Life. It was such an honor because I’m telling you, Jeff is a creative genius.  He has an eye for design and art that is out of this world (yes, I just said out of this world). While he’s working you can see the creative wheels turning in his head. An extra special bonus was his second-shooter for the day, Isaac James . Since I’m a fitness professional, aka, not a model, they coached me throughout the day and styled my wardrobe for each location. They made it easy and fun. These two make a perfect pair and this picture says it all. Isaac made me laugh when I felt awkward and Jeff put me at ease the entire day. The two of them banter in the best of ways. I’ve worked with some good photographers in the past but these two are on a whole different level. I cannot say it enough. They are the best of the best. Since this website is all about balance and a healthy fitness perspective, and since I’m passionate about keeping it real, I have to confess to you all: I was stressed before this shoot. It was my first official fitness photo shoot and I put pressure on myself to be in perfect shape and lose weight. This is SO not what I’m about and this is SO not the message of this website so in the weeks leading up to the shoot I had to make a conscious effort to remind myself that the pressure was unnecessary and a skinny body attained by deprivation or over-exercising  is not the message that I want to portray to my readers and clients. I share this with you just to let you know that we ALL struggle with these things. I’m no different. In fact it’s why I do what I do. I don’t think the pressure to look a certain way will ever fully disappear but I do know that it’s a daily discipline to remind myself what I believe, what I care about and how I want to live. Living under the pressure to be perfect is tiring, exhausting and entirely ineffective. So in order to combat this pressure I felt creeping in I decided to focus on caring for myself to the best of my ability in the days leading up to the shoot. Just like I encourage my clients to do. I focused on eating lots of fresh produce & lean protein (straight off the PBP meal plan), drinking lots of water and getting at least 8 hours of sleep per night. I did my daily Pilates routines – sometimes 15 minutes, sometime 60 minutes – in order to keep my mind calm and my body strong. That’s it. It’s amazing how the pressure lifts when you focus on how you can care for yourself instead of how you can deprive yourself.  Did I radically transform my body before the shoot? Nope. Not even close. But after making this shift in my perspective I felt beautiful, healthy & strong which exactly how I wanted to feel. Jeff told me to bring clothes that represent me and my personality – so naturally my hangers were full of long flowy skirts and dresses…my weekend uniform 🙂 It was an incredibly beautiful day in the City. We had so much fun driving all over and rewarded ourselves with hard-earned Cinco De Mayo margaritas. These are just few behind-the-scenes iphone photos taken by my dear friend & personal styling assistant for the day. I can’t wait to see Jeff’s final product. More to come soon! Ready to finally stay consistent with exercise – even when you’re short on time & energy? Join me for the FREE Creating Healthy Routines Workshop & walk away with an exercise routine you can put into action immediately! I'M READY FOR THIS! #Balance #Pilates #Fitness #Health #Wellness #exercise

I apologize for being so quiet this week. I was out of town with my little nephew and now I’m running around crazy with client sessions and prepping for the Pi-Glow Challenge. The welcome email will be going out tomorrow morning so be sure to sign up today! If you want to learn more CLICK HERE . It’s 100% free and 100% fun so you’ve got nothing to lose. I’d love for you to spread the word and rally your girlfriends to join you. The more the merrier 🙂 Excited to help you get “fit for life and FAB for summer!” More soon! Ready to BUILD STRENGTH & FEEL GOOD in just 15 minutes a day? Join the FREE 5-day Pilates Strong challenge! JOIN THE FREE CHALLENGE!