My First Aerial Routine - Rehearsal Video

Hope you all had a great weekend!  Mine was pretty full with teaching, family, and working on the new business.  I admit, I can get a little obsessive with work projects so I took the kids to the Boston Rock Gym for a little climbing and some time on the silks.  There's nothing like physical exertion to get you out of your head for a while!

Thought I'd share this video of a basic aerial routine I'm working on -- it's actually my first!  I'm no Cirque du Soleil performer yet but I'm so glad I picked up this hobby and look forward to continuing to develop my skills.

It's never too late to start something new -- the first time I touched the silks I was 29 or 30.  Not that that's old!  My point is I didn't grow up doing this, or even doing gymnastics for that matter.  My favorite quote:

"The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago.  The next best time is today." -Chinese Proverb

Have a great week! Andrea

Only the Most Exciting News (That you may have already heard)

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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!

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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

Discover this Hidden Vacation Gem - Before Everyone Else Does!

When I went in search of a good surf retreat this winter, I was surprised to find that Nicaragua kept coming up in conversation. I was told it's like the "new Costa Rica" -- a newly popular spot for yoga and surf retreat centers and home to beautiful beaches still unspoiled by tourism.  Having never been to Costa Rica I can't compare the two, but I can say that the week we spent in Nicaragua was possibly my favorite vacation ever.

I booked our stay at Soma Surf Resort based on the endless 5-star reviews on Trip Advisor.  We were not disappointed.  The small, friendly staff and ownership truly made us feel at home, and the fresh, local food was AMAZING, healthy and inexpensive.  (I don't know why I didn't take more pictures of the food!)

Our driver met us at the airport for the 2.5 hour drive to Soma.  We spent the last 45 minutes winding down dirt roads dotted with local farms, where "traffic" consisted mostly of cows, horses and dogs.  Soma is located in the hills with beautiful views of the surrounding farmland and nearby ocean.

Because we were visiting during the off season, the beaches were practically deserted every morning for our daily surf lessons.  It was great sharing the waves with our fellow guests at Soma, and even though the mojitos were the BEST (a handful of fresh mint goes into the blender for every glass,) we were in bed by 9:00 or 10:00 and up with the sunrise every day.

our friend sammi, soma resident...

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walking popoyo beach to magnific rock and exploring the tidepools...

rainbow popoyo beach

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magnific rock sunset happy hour...

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still a learner, but i'm making progress!

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no restaurants (and not many people) on this beach! but see that little straw roof?  there are a few hammocks, and a guy with a cooler over there if you need something to drink...

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The only way I could stand leaving this place was to promise myself I'd return!

I think I may have found the perfect spot for a core/yoga/surf retreat...

Who is coming with me on the next trip??  :)