The Past Year, Mostly in Pictures
I'm excited to be returning to the blog after almost a year off! Wow. Glad you're still reading! The last big moment I shared was in April 2014. Here are a few events, big and small, that have happened since then. I'm looking forward to diving deeper into a few of the stories below, and I have a list of other topics I can't wait to write about.
April 2014: Harry Potter World at Universal Orlando! I had to include this because OMG, have I told you how much I LOVE Harry Potter?
We made a trip up to Maine for my birthday at the end of April break 2014. Driving through Portsmouth, NH on the way home, I noticed this space for lease. One thing led to another... and for the next few months...
May, June, July... Many delirious days and late nights were spent creating Barre & Soul's second studio (after Melrose). Having grown up close to Portsmouth, each day that I made the drive felt like coming home. This is one of the playlists that kept me company on the many trips back and forth.
The day we put this floor down, I was so exhausted I stretched out on it and fell asleep in the middle of the afternoon.Later that night, Jason and I watched the 4th of July fireworks through the studio window. And then we finished the floor. And then one day... sometime in August...It. Was. Done.Jay and I drove up to Bar Harbor, Maine and celebrated our 7th (!) anniversary. I had never been before and it was soooo beautiful.All the while, my kids continued to get huge. They went back to school. 3rd grade and 9th grade!!I did a radio interview. I was nervous at first, but it turned out to be an AWESOME experience! I look forward to sharing more about that.When I decided to make a go of opening this studio, "Fortune Favors the Brave," was the mantra I repeated daily... I could not have had a better group of women find me. I am so grateful for the team that makes it all possible. This is the truth. September... Barre & Soul Portsmouth's Grand Opening. We partied in partnership with the very gorgeous and talented ladies of oomph salon, downstairs from us. Also, I get so much help from this guy.October. I went to hear the Dalai Lama speak. (You couldn't take pictures, but this is one I took outside.) He said some things that really resonated with me. He also said some things I couldn't relate to at all. It was an interesting experience and I'm glad I went.Halloween. After spending the summer painting and driving to his music, I got to see my favorite artist, Hozier, live. There are really no words. I realize that by the time of this writing, you've all heard at least one of his songs (over and over and over.) Listen to them all. Really.November. Barre & Soul partnered with Centre Yoga at their beautiful new studio in Woburn, MA as our second "affiliate" location, (after Lexington Power Yoga, where it all started!) This means our signature barre program and teachers can now be found there, in addition to Centre's already- wonderful yoga offerings. Then the holidays came. We did family stuff. These are just a few of the members of the incredible team I get to work with. A lot of people ask me how I have managed to grow the business so quickly. Sometimes I can hear their doubt, like they are really asking, "Are you out of your mind? How can this work?" I will tell you what I tell them: It's not me. There is a huge team that makes it work... I don't mean to sound sappy, but I love this team so, so much... I was very emotional, and cried a lot throughout the holidays. They were almost always happy tears.
Oh yeah, and then I saw this place... You can probably guess where this is going.Huge portions of the past year were spent leading Teacher Trainings (barre and sometimes yoga.) The bad: The schedule is usually grueling and it is nearly impossible to maintain what we call "balance" during these periods. The good: There is no other experience like it for building instant connection, community, and long-lasting friendships.
February: MEXICO. I swam in this cave. There were bats. It was awesome. March. More Hozier.More joy. And then this happened. Barre & Soul Studio #3 lease was signed. The big one. Harvard Square.
First selfie in the future flagship studio.
I also got to cry my eyes out on opening night at Big Fish, Boston. I am so proud of my friend, Lee, who is starring as Karl, the giant (obviously.) This was a true "War of Art" moment and a triumph for self expression. This man was born to perform. He is also the one who encouraged me to sign up for a 10 month personal development course I just completed, called the Wisdom Course. I don't have any photos from the course specifically, but I want to acknowledge that since last June, risks are less scary, friendships more dear, and life a bit more playful.
One of the facets of my divorce/custody arrangement is that roughly once a month I have to drive to upstate NY. This can be a burden when it comes to scheduling, driving, overnight accommodations, you name it. What has been interesting is how I have come to embrace these weekends as an opportunity to recharge. I've really fallen in love with Lake George and the Adirondack Mountains. I've found that perhaps the best thing for my creativity is to book a room, alone, for a weekend. ("A room of one's own" still ringing true 86 years later.)
The past year has been a whirlwind, and as you can see it has been largely focused on my business. I love it! And, it's exhausting. A "day in the life" is not what you may think. There is generally less yoga, less play, less sleep than I would like, and more stress, more sugar, more over-scheduling than I care to admit. Being a mom of two and a business owner, plus trying to take care of my physical and non-physical well-being is a balancing act.
One thing that has been missing for me is writing, more specifically, expression around issues that matter to women and to me. Sure, I've been busy. We're all busy. But I want perfectionism to lose. I want self-expression to win. I want to share.
Thanks for reading,
Andrea
Only the Most Exciting News (That you may have already heard)
Barre+Soul_gray_®
I am pleased to announce the creation of my new business venture!
Introducing... Barre & Soul, LLC!
Barre & Soul offers signature barre classes at select studios. Our first location is Lexington Power Yoga in Lexington, Mass, and classes are already underway! In the coming months, Barre & Soul will expand to additional locations, starting with partner studios and eventually opening our own freestanding studios. If you are interested in opening a licensed Barre & Soul studio anywhere in the world, or if you currently own a studio in the Boston area and would like to partner with Barre & Soul, please email us at info[at]barresoul.com.
And if you are interested in training to become a Barre & Soul teacher, please get in touch as well! Teacher trainings will be offered starting this summer and fall.
Where Barre & Soul came from:
I've been teaching barre since 2007, and for years I would try to explain to people what I did, and why it was sooo awesome, while they stared at me with puzzled expressions. But not any more! Barre has finally gone mainstream and word is out about this amazing, safe, effective method of exercise. Now that there is so much demand for barre, I thought I would put my years of experience as a teacher and teacher trainer to work in developing my own program.
Over the last several years, my journey has led me from the barre to the yoga mat. There were things lacking for me in my barre practice that I could only get in yoga, like backbending, back strengthening, meditation, an open heart and a sense of oneness with others. But in yoga, I sometimes missed the incredibly effective results of the barre practice. What if I could create a program that blended the best of both worlds? That's what I've tried to foster with Barre & Soul's signature classes.
Barre & Soul Class Description:
Live powerfully, love your body! This one-hour class combines ballet conditioning, interval cardio, Pilates, yoga and meditation to strengthen your core, lengthen your muscles, center your mind and lift your spirits! Pioneered in the 1950s by professional dancer Lotte Berk, barre classes have proven effective for decades at producing impressive total-body toning and flexibility results while maintaining the utmost safety and accessibility for all students.
This barre class picks up where others leave off by incorporating even more of the beneficial practices of yoga - playful arm balances, back strengthening and back bending to counter deep core work and keep the body in balance, inspiring mantras, meditation, and a philosophy centered in mindfulness, gratitude, compassion and interconnection.
Over time, I'll be moving more and more of my business under the Barre & Soul umbrella, including my yoga and aerial yoga classes. Please help support the growth of this newly sprouted seed by liking our Barre & Soul Facebook Page!
barre & soul facebook
Thank you!
Andrea
Beloved Boston, Keep Faith in Humanity
ghandi faith in humanity
When I saw the first images yesterday and the news began to sink in about the terrifying events that were unfolding in our beloved city, I felt "it." The same feeling I had after learning of the tragedy not long ago in Newtown, CT.
It was the familiar tug of despair, threatening to pull me down.
Yesterday had been a relaxing day off for our family and, if we'd been feeling a little more adventurous, we might have been there with our kids at the scene where this horrifying violence was now occurring in our beautiful and vibrant Boston. As my mind went over this possibility, I was flooded with hopelessness, the inside of my body feeling like a dark pit, empty except for this question:
HOW DO WE KEEP THEM SAFE???
My children, all of our children, how do we protect them from such unexpected cruelty?
As initial news reports were unclear in those first few moments, I went immediately to social media, searching for answers, knowing so many people I know and care for would be close to the scene and praying they could provide some kind of reassurance.
It was touching to see the outpouring of love and concern on Facebook, and a relief to learn that many of my friends were reporting they were OK. However, there were no real reassurances to be had. It didn't matter whether the people hurt or killed in this event were folks I knew or not. It didn't make it any more OK. I grieved for whoever had been in the path of the explosion.
We grieve for them because we are all one.
Over the last day or so, I have been fighting to not let the fear and grief take me down. I will cry, yes. But I will not despair.
dalai lama on tragedy
We cannot afford to give up hope. Unfortunately, we can't know whether or not we can keep our children safe. But we cannot afford to stop trying.
I will tell myself that the world is not unraveling.
I heard someone point out on public radio today that, sadly, humanity has a long history of war and violence. If we look back at events such as the Holocaust, the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the Crusades, we cannot say that we live in a time when things are getting worse. We need not jump to that conclusion.
The devastation that occurred yesterday was the result of a single act.
I will not even call the person or group who did this evil. I believe we all possess the same divine light and capacity for good. This was an action. A drop in the ocean of loving actions being carried out all over the Boston area and beyond, before the tragedy, during, and after.
It gives me hope to see the outpouring of love and generosity from my fellow Bostonians and in fact the rest of the country and the world.
Boston, I love you. Don't give up. We will not succumb to hatred, resignation or bitterness. We can get better. We have to.
When something like this happens, our instincts tell us we must help. One friend who was near the blast told me today that she had to fight with herself to force her body to run away from the scene as the police ordered her to evacuate. Her soul was pulling her like a magnet, telling her to run toward the victims and try to help someone.
We all want to help. In the coming weeks I'm sure many opportunities to do so will emerge. Many people are opting to donate blood. The city of Boston has set up a fund for the victims. Individual fundraising pages are also being created.
If you are interested in donating to Boston Children's Hospital, please consider making a $15 donation via my fundraising page.
A portion of your donation will also help to bring healing to the people of Newtown, CT, a cause still on my heart and mind every day.
May all those who are affected by this trauma find healing, hope and peace. May we come together in love and compassion. May we remember that we are all one. I promise to do my part to help our city heal. I promise not to give up hope.
Love you Boston.
love boston
