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Hello everyone! Greetings from Costa Rica! Bre and I finally made it to the Goddess Garden. It is a lovely little retreat seemingly in the middle of the rain forest. Met up with our class of 19 or so fellow yogis. So looking forward to being a student. The yoga room is amazing! Will post more as we can!

Seems I post a lot about Spinning (Indoor Cycling) these days as we have to make sure everyone who wants a seat can have one! I’ve said before, it is the administration side of running a business that I dislike the most. The promoting, shouting from the roof tops what we offer because many folks just don’t know what we have here!

My true passion is teaching – not preparing to teach, not telling what we teach, and not scheduling the 100 some classes a month at the gym or the 30 some I travel to. Teaching is my passion. I fall in love with every student with whom I interact. I may struggle to remember the names of all 200 individuals I work with each week. It has been especially fun with about 8 new white belts – four of them blonde haired, blue eyed boys – each one’s name begins with C. But I love them all.

Each student has their own reason for attending. Each has their own path they are attempting to follow or racing to stay on. My students range from age 3 to over 80. My classes are yoga, Taekwondo and general fitness/cardio classes. All these students are on a different path, but the same path nonetheless. Each one holds a place in my heart. Each has different needs. Some work to be better athletes. Some to be better people. Some come to yoga to heal from their other athletic pursuits, or to heal their own hearts, broken by life. Some want to lose weight, build strength, or look good. Some come because it is part of their school curriculum and they have to. Some come just because their particular class may not cost anything. Some say they would pay double. Some come to de-stress or feel better. Some come to martial arts to learn a new skill or because someone has hurt or threatened them. Some need encouragement or hand holding. Others reined in a bit. Many are loyal and have been with us for years and years. Many come try something and then move on. Others leave because the go on to college or their jobs take them to faraway places. Some get bored and want to try something else. Regardless, my heart breaks a little when a student comes up to me and announces they are moving to Cincinnati or Arizona or Germany, wherever. I will miss them. I will miss hearing them share their stories, for there are many! Last week a preschooler asked if I knew his grandma. I answered, maybe. We talked a little and it turns out I did indeed know his grandma. I told him to tell her I said hello. He said, she wanted me to tell you hello, too. This stuff warms my heart. I had a fairly new student tell me he was being transferred for work, this would be his last class with me but that he would be sure to find yoga at his new home. I was touched that he made the effort to say good-bye and thank me. Teaching has changed my life – not the practice of teaching – the people. As humans, most of us need to be guided, to be told or shown what to do. With that guidance comes a mutual respect and many friendships. I laugh at myself. I never considered myself a hugger. I was the one who would be like, okay, hug, awkward pat….done…phew! People changed me though. Touch is so important – whether a hug or maybe just a hand on a shoulder to calm an anxious heart, holding a kid’s foot to show them how to hold their toes down for a side kick, a little pressure on shoulders to show how to let go of tension. Anyway, I can hug now without that awkward feeling.

I am so fortunate to do what I do. I love my job. I probably could not make a living at it, but boy have I made a life!

~Love, Jeannette, owner of LaGrange Yoga~

 

WOW…..what an awesome day at the Arnold Classic – the largest multi-sport event in the world where an estimated 22,000 athletes from 60 nations competed in a record 80 sports and events from February 28-March 3 in Columbus, Ohio.

As for me, Annette, LaGrange Yoga’s ZUMBA instructor, my day was a full day from Kangoo Jumps training, a master class in Kangoo Jumps and a master Zumba class.  Not only did I meet many wonderful people throughout my day, I learned a lot about myself.  I am extremely thankful to all that share their talents and experiences to help you be successful in anything you want to do;  #Raja, #Ritza, #Dahrio, #Gina and the entire Kangoo class that rocked!

Even though I have a background in dance and music, I found something interesting that I had difficulty doing — counting!  Yes, that 32 / 64 count beat and making sure you can provide direction, intensity and cueing in an efficient manner.  I actually said out loud “I don’t think I can do this!”  Knowing yourself and  your limitations can only make you better.  I am not good under pressure and on my way home, I got it!!!  I was counting and cueing in my car like no other.  I only needed my time to digest and have the tools to accomplish that.  I have no intent on giving up and know with time and work, I will get there.

What I want anyone reading this to remember is that you’ve got this!!!  Knowing what workouts you are passionate about, identifying limitations and working with those limitations, knowing what drives you to go or not go to work out or make healthy choices, and finding something that challenges you can only make you stronger.  What I do know is Zumba is my passion, the moves and music come natural to me but I am always learning.  I promise to always bring exciting rhythms and dances to our classes at LaGrange Yoga.

~Love, Annette~

Living in today’s world, it can be a bit tough to remain strong, be motivated and most of all be YOU.

The good news is … if you try hard enough and want it bad enough, you can achieve almost anything!

And that goes for anything in life … including exercising!

I have had friends tell me they are nervous about yoga; and I’ve heard all the excuses:

“What if I lose my balance?”

“What if I can’t hold the plank long enough like everyone else?”

“What if I simply can’t do what the instructor is showing me?”

I will be the first to tell you, I have lost my balance more times than I can count.

When I started planking, there was no way I could hold that difficult pose more than 10 seconds – and while 10 seconds may not seem like a long time, trust me, when you are planking, 10 seconds FEELS like 10 MINUTES!

As for not understanding how to move your body during yoga – that is what the instructors are there for. They are there to HELP you achieve success. The BEST news is when someone isn’t sure if they are the proper move/technique, the instructor is there to HELP move the body the right way – without hurting the student.

Life is too short to be afraid.

So, be STRONG … be motivated … and by all means … BE YOU!!

~LaGrange Yoga~

Every time we exert energy, our body burns calories … and if we work hard enough, we sweat.

But why do we sweat and why is it good to work up a good sweat?

For starters, the fitter you are, the faster you’ll sweat. Seems like it’d be the opposite, but: “When you sweat early into your workout, it means you’re able to regulate your temperature before it gets too high, which requires less energy,” says Lawrence Armstrong, Ph.D., director of the Human Performance Laboratory at the University of Connecticut in Storrs.

Sweating also eliminates toxins within the body; helps keep our body cool; and in the long run, makes our skin glow.

The best part about sweating – it doesn’t take long to feel the effects!

According to a study published in “Psychology of Sport and Exericse,” it takes only 20 minutes of sweaty activity to feel stronger and even slimmer,

“It’s not just about the mood lift that comes with the release of endorphins: Exercising at a moderate to vigorous intensity actually encourages you to see yourself in a new light right after the event, a perk that researchers say can improve your internal dialogue over time,” the article stated.

So, what’s holding you back from working up a good sweat?

Come see us at LaGrange Yoga!

~LaGrange Yoga~