Hey Hey Barrebabes,
I hope this finds everyone well and staying warm. Your newsletter today consists of a super rad announcement & a pelvic floor strength tip. Happy reading!
Fitness Faceoff
I am so pleased to announce that the Barre Program at Chalk Gyms has been nominated for Best Workout Routine in News 12's Fitness Faceoff! As many of you know, I created Barrebod for Chalk almost 7 years ago, and in 2016, I had the privilege of writing the training program for all our amazing barre teachers. I am passionate about helping people connect to their bodies and feel great in their own skin, and developing the Barre Program at Chalk has been my absolute joy! Mad props to our amazing teachers Sarah, Laurence, Julius & Kyla for carrying the torch and and being rad. Voting starts this coming Monday 1/13. Please vote and feel free to share!
Pelvic Floor Video Games
No offense to the gamers out there, but generally video games are not my thing. However, I recently bought a Perifit, which is a cool little device that helps strengthen the deep and superficial pelvic floor muscles (PFM) with little games you play via an app for your phone. The device then measures the force, strength and duration of your contractions and relaxation phases. I've been suspicious of this thing, knowing that PFM strength is more than just Kegel exercises - posture, core control, and overall length and activation of your muscles all play an important role - but as I'm prepping for another baby and it was on sale, I went for it, and in the process I learned an important nuance in working this area of the body that I wanted to share:
Your abs are not your pelvic floor. While it's important these muscles all work together, it's possible & even likely that the transverse abs (the corset of muscles that wrap around your torso, think "flat belly" muscles rather than "6-pack" muscles) are stronger than some part of the 3 layers of PFM. This means that when the abs contract with more force than the PFM lift, they can actually put downward & outward pressure on the pelvic floor, which we don't generally want (unless we're in active childbirth). I learned this because I noticed that the longer I played the Perifit games, the more tired my PFM became. My compensation was to contract harder on my abs, which actually eclipsed my PFM contractions, e.g. nothing down there was actually happening. So...
My practical advice is to isolate PFM without any abs, then use them both together.
1) Start by consciously relaxing glutes & abs, then take a deep inhale and relax PFM as well.
2) On the exhale, contract PFM only, as if trying to lift something up towards the heart with those muscles.
3) After a few reps, place hands on lower abs. Inhale to relax the muscles as before, and exhale to contract them in towards midline and spine, along with the PFM contraction.
4) Try not to cinch in at the waist or move any bones. Engage your transversus like the wall of muscle it is. 5) One last tip is to think of lifting the public bone up towards the rib cage without gripping the glutes.
OK babes, that's it for today. Please remember to vote on Monday via the links above and above all, BREATHE!
With love & planks,
Annie
Hey hey Barrebabes!
I hope this finds you all well in these last few chilly weeks of March. Diego and I have been enjoying the extra sunlight and the fresh astroturf at the track at McCarren Park, eating homemade gluten-free honey-sweetened muffins (I bake now, it's a thing), and I am gloriously busy dancing, Pilates-ing, and cooking up many batches of CBD Muscle Melt (holler if you want some! It's joy in a jar :)
Unsolicited advice
Sharing with you some things I've had on repeat in my head recently that have been useful in grounding and focusing me, especially as I get busier and a little more spastic as spring approaches.
- just because it's possible, doesn't mean it's desirable. This goes for moving to a new apartment, your workouts, accomplishing to-do lists, bagel toppings, art, and life choices. Being a bit choosy prevents us from feeling overextended, helps to hone focus, and illustrates our unique tastes and style. It's also worth adding that just because it's possible, doesn't mean it's desirable TODAY. Tomorrow is always a different story, which leads us to my next mantra...
- work where you are today. I know I say it all the time in class, but it's because I really, really mean it! Owning where you are means you progress better AND enjoy the journey, as they say. I know the continued success of my postpartum recovery is due to being patient with and listening to my body. I have rebuilt myself stronger, stretchier, and more capable than ever before, thus far without injury, excess inflammation, setbacks, or burnout, and I attribute this to slowing down and paying attention without imposing judgment. It's magic.
- less is best. Not only does a little go a long way, focusing on "less" helps magnify the effects of that focus, just like when you tap a face when taking an iPhone photo and the camera brings it into better view. For me, I've been doing less exercise but doing so much more efficaciously, drinking way less wine but truly enjoying the occasional glass, and using less plastic (because plastic sucks!) I spend less time on my phone but get a lot more accomplished with less mental chatter and FOMO. I eat less cheese, bread and sugar; don't miss them one bit, and seriously love it when I do have a treat (rainbow cookie, anyone?) Also magic.
Soapbox Alert
Speaking of plastic sucking, between the widespread death of ocean creatures, giant islands of floating plastic refuse, trash everywhere, serious endocrine disruption from leached chemicals, and the disaster that is plastic recycling in this country since China no longer buys it, it is truly up to us as consumers to stop the madness and USE LESS. I'm talking reusable grocery bags and paper straws as the very minimum you can do, but trying to impact businesses to provide better options as well. I want take out that comes in aluminum or paper rather than a cheap tupperware that will never biodegrade - or maybe I don't want take out at all. I want to buy fresh produce that isn't encased in plastic because there's other ways to get it home (and I've joined a CSA to try to eat all the fresh things and reduce my plastic consumption at the same time). I want beauty products in glass jars because they keep the products and recycle easier than plastic. I skip the lid at the coffee shop. And, no thank you, I don't need a bag.
It's not my intention to preach green at you. And I don't judge - my own child eats pureed fruit out of a plastic pouch every day and wears conventional diapers and I am too tired to cook and get Seamless instead pretty much every Thursday. I've just been thinking a lot lately that our internal health and peace can and should have positive effects on global health and peace, and in a time when public problems seem so big and out of our control, it's been good to remember that small changes can have a big impact.
I'd love to hear what your small changes are, whether it's a few minutes of meditation each day for self-care or unplugging your power strips for the environment, so please share, any time!
Be well, first and always,
Annie
Hey Babes,
Just a few words for you today, on joy.
Joy!
There is an assumption in our culture that mistrusts ease, views happiness with suspicion, puts a premium on effort and confuses hard work with sacrifice.
I call bullshit.
One of the best takeaways from my latest Resolution Reset is that basically everyone who did it was able to find healthier eating & lifestyle habits that felt good, applicable and sustainable to them (and yes, they all look incredible!) Part of that is finding both ease and pleasure in the new habit. It is all well and good to eat only whole or raw or organic or low carb or macrobiotic or juice or whatever for awhile, but if you don't truly enjoy it/find it accessible, what's the point? Who wants to look back on a life of strife, deprivation, punishment?
Not me. I choose ease. I choose fun. And I choose joy.
I choose dance-based workouts precisely because the hour just flies by and I feel like I'm not working hard (though we totally are - one barrebabe clocks over 700 calories burned each time she takes barrerhythms!)
I choose to cook delicious healthful foods because if they are yummy and available, I will eat them before any other expensive, industry-driven plastic and corn syrup laden nonsense. I don't want to eat the machine.
It doesn't mean I don't love challenge and intensity. I do, and like hot sauce, I have some every day. But like hot sauce, my challenges add something positive, not punishing, and I am sure to be moderate to prevent burning myself twice.
Just because it's fun doesn't mean it isn't "working." I strive for accessible change, good vibes, and loving the work. I am immensely grateful for the opportunity to do so and to share what I learn with you.
Oh, I also like to share my playlists. Here's the latest.
Thanks babes. That's it for now :)
With love & planks,
Annie
hey hey Barrebabes!
charity & chill
As a mindful movement teacher, I spend most of my professional life helping people achieve personal goals and work towards strength, balance, and peace within themselves so they can then send that energy out into the world. Now, we can send something a little more material than good vibes to those who need it more than us. I'm very excited to announce my first annual Chillout for Charity with CBD, a fundraiser party featuring my signature CBD stretch class followed by wine, raffle prizes, and a mini-marketplace with CBD products and gifts. Proceeds go to Covenant House, an organization providing immediate assistance to homeless babies and children in NYC. Join me at Solfire clothing storeTuesday, December 11th 6-8pm.Entrance tickets/donations if you can't make it are available here.
abs abs abs
The holidays are generally a terrible time to focus on abs because of the onslaught of indulgent meals, cocktails, and family/work stress - all of which, for various reasons, can hide your excellent midsection with a layer of puff. But I think it's actually a great time to focus on technique and let go of outcomes for a time. While I can't promise super flat abs from here till New Year's, I discovered while pregnant & post-partum that truly focusing on alignment and forgetting about pancake flatness helps keep deep connection and strength in the center so that when the puffy layer finally does deflate, it will reveal a smooth, firm low belly zone.
Movement teachers, myself included, often tell classes to "keep abs in," "pull navel to spine," or "hollow out the belly." Real talk, this is basically short cut language to keep your back safe and get possibly lazy bellies out of bed, but you really don't want to try to stay like that permanently. If you've been working out for awhile, chances are your core muscles already do their job, and who has ever seen any improvement from walking around with your abs sucked in all day? Not I, says the ex-ballerina with teenage body image issues.
Instead:
- focus on moving/standing/walking with a properly aligned, truly neutral pelvis.
- bring your pubic bone into the same plane of space as the front of your hip bones.
Try it, with hands on the bones to sense their placement. Check in with your alignment while seated, standing, walking, etc. If you, like me, tend towards a slight sway back/anterior pelvic tilt when standing, you will feel a lift in low belly when you bring pubic bone forward. If you, like me, tend to slump a little when seated, bringing your pubic bone back to line up with hips will feel like a similar lift. No grip, no clench, certainly no stress, just your good 'ol postural alignment serving you well.
That’s all for today!
With love and planks,
Annie
Happy Halloween, barrebabes!
Today I have some Halloweeny things for you, my schedule, and other tidbits, somewhat unrelated to barre class, but hopefully useful nonetheless. Welcome to my new subscribers! This is my once-maybe-twice monthly newsletter in which I send schedule and event updates, musings, and fitness/wellness tips to you, and I absolutely love to hear your feedback and questions so don't be shy :)
cbd curious?
I'm so excited about my next Stretch RX with CBD class coming this Saturday and can't wait to share my chill methods of self-care with everyone! The class booked up quickly (but stay tuned if you're on the waitlist) and I'm planning some more events coming up, but if you're both curious and don't want to wait for the next one, you can buy a jar of magic muscle rub from me anytime you like. A 1oz. jar is $36 and a 3oz. jar is $100. The rub is entirely natural and I make with beneficial oils for skin like almond and coconut, shea and mango butter and beeswax, healing and yummy smelling essential oils like cassia and niaouli, and of course, super strong CBD oil. One barrebabe uses it to heal from a knee injury, and hubs uses it for tech neck, old skateboard injuries, and tendonitis. It just feels good!
i bake now
I've written before about adjusting eating habits to the changing seasons, not only in terms of what you eat, but how. This fall has been a particularly awkward adjustment for my body, and I've really noticed the problem of summer eating habits like cold drinks, raw produce, and intermittent fasting as the days shorten and the windchill kicks up. In Ayurveda, autumn is a Vata season, Vata being one of the three doshas that is expressed through air, motion, light, rough, dry and cool (read more here). Since "like increases like," as it gets cooler, drier, and windier outside, so too will the body, resulting for me in dry skin, belly bloat or even upset after certain foods, disturbed sleep, and scattered thoughts. To address this, I've been cooking more, especially warm, mushy, one-pot meals, drinking tea, and eating sweeter (not necessarily sweetened) things. To that end, I've found myself making two recipes pretty much every week that seem to help pacify Vata (and Diego and Papa love them, too):
Low-Sugar Low-Gluten Banana Muffins
Preheat oven to 400. Butter (or use muffin wrappers) a muffin tin. Mush together 2 soft, ripe bananas, 2 eggs, 1 cup of full-fat Greek yogurt, 2-3 tablespoons of honey, and vanilla extract. Add in a mixture of 1.5 cups oat flour (or oats that you've Vitamixed into flour), 1.5 teaspoons baking powder, .5 teaspoon baking soda, and a sprinkle of salt. Mix it up and add .5 cup or so of chocolate chips/dark chocolate hunks/whatever you like. Bake for 15 minutes or so till a knife inserted in muffin center comes out clean. Hell yum!
Apple (or Peach, or Pear) Crumble - Vegan Optional
Preheat oven to 375. Butter or coconut oil a baking dish. Peel and chop about 5-7 apples/whole fruits. Toss with .5 tablespoon lemon juice, a generous dusting of apple pie spice AKA cinnamon, allspice & nutmeg, and 1/4 cup sugar of your choice (honey, brown sugar, coconut sugar - you do you). Mix 2 cups of oats with some flour (or oat flour if gluten-averse) and half a stick of butter (or equivalent coconut oil & applesauce for the vegans - you probably know better than I do), a generous amount of cinnamon/apple pie spice, and a little salt and some vanilla. Put the fruit in the baking dish, cover with crumble topping, bake 30 minutes or till the top is crispy.
Cooking fruit makes it easier to digest, which in turn eases Vata troubles while being delicious and good for you. Both treats are great for breakfast AND dessert, and eating them warm makes the insides happy. Both are naturally sweet because of the fruit with adjustable sweetness levels to taste, and the banana muffins in particular are full mini-meals in themselves as they contain protein, fat, energy-dense oat flour, and chocolate, (which is a pretty much a food group, no?)
starring mr. baby
Apropos of the holiday, Mr. Roddancerbod and I made a mini-horror movie for a competition at Clem's Bar. Watch it here (if you dare!)
With love and planks,
Annie
hey hey barrebabes,
letting go
I've been meaning to write about this topic for awhile, and hearing some insights from a particularly badass barrebabe ignited the spark to do it. She told me that lately, she hadn't been feeling the workouts in the same way, and she wondered if her hyper-focus on keeping pelvis still and abs in had something to do with it. She decided to let go of pelvis just a little bit to see what happened, and in the process discovered deeper work into abs than ever before - I noticed, too, that her ab work looked extra rad. (Brava, babe!) While pelvic stability is key to many exercises, overdoing it - or over-tucking, which was likely the culprit for our barrebabe - can grip up the hip flexors and prevent the deep abs from really working. It's when we release tension, unlock the sticky spots and relax into the work with good alignment that the energy can flow, and strengthening truly takes place.
This reminded me that we are all changing, constantly, and because of this, some of the things that we needed when we were beginners will no longer serve us as we advance and grow. My tips to take what you need and leave the rest:
- listen to your body. I say it all the time, but checking in and really listening, every single day, helps us to know what we need, to acknowledge both where we are and how far we've come. One day a few months after Diego stopped breastfeeding, I realized I didn't have to throw my shoulders back and down; they were already there. Another day, after a heavy computer session, I needed some extra shoulder rolls and chest openers to get there. Notice the differences in your body day to day and tend to them.
- don't cling to a cue. Overdoing an alignment cue is kind of like repeating the alphabet over and over to make sure you remember it when you can fully read and write. At some point, the thing we most needed in the beginning no longer serves us, and letting go of those early touchstones helps us make way for new growth.
- don't stay tucked. We use a tuck, or posterior pelvic tilt, all the time in barre class to strengthen pelvic floor and abs and intensify virtually any exercise, and I love them because they connect so directly to our deepest source of strength, But there's a difference between performing a lift of the front of pelvis and tucking tailbone under and walking around like that all day. Clench is different from contract, grip is different from engage. More is not always better. Go where you feel the work, and remember that my cues to the class in general are general in nature, so please listen (duh) but see if the cue is really meant for yourbodythatday.
What could you let go of that you don't need anymore? Mismatched socks? Whack nail polish you never use? Me, I'm trying to let go of self-judgment to make way for self-awareness and of overdoing things without allowing for rest. Also, baby clothes. Definitely ready to get rid of some baby clothes :)
relaxy-lax
Which leads me to my new ventures into Stretch Rx - you may see special classes pop-up and more thoughts from me on stretchy super-chillin. These classes include working with foam rollers, massage balls, and my delicious homemade muscle rub, and we'll mindfully relax, stretch, and soften the kinks with myofascial release techniques and the magical, pain-relieving, anti-inflammatory effects of CBD. Message me if you'd like to ask a question, or to buy some balm!
With love and planks,
Annie
Hey hey, Barrebabe,
stand tall
Believe it or not, there's compelling evidence that we can burn an extra 300 calories per day simply by implementing proper spinal alignment aka good posture. Your posture determines how you meet the world, influencing both how you feel about yourself and how you appear to others. Not just an upper body concern, your posture also influences your abs, pelvic floor and hip function, which means reduction of sciatic and low back pain, happy insides, and the famous flat belly. My posture - and abs - have both changed for the better since having Diego and digging deep into fixing my upper body after the demands of breastfeeding and early motherhood. Here's some do-anywhere tips to improve your mood & midsection:
chin tuck - the non-surgical kind, obvi. in fact, tuck might be too strong of a word - just gently drop your chin to lengthen the back of your neck. imagine if you had a heavy nose. try to do this when standing, sitting, or working out on all fours.
arm circles - keeping abs in, ribs down, chin slightly tucked, shoulder blades integrated into the back, inhale and lift straight arms up to by your ears, palms facing each other. then turn palms to face down as you exhale and press air down. repeat, standing tall and imagining the circle comes from your armpits, side boob zone, or rib cage tattoo. try it with light weights. stabilize your shoulder girdle to release clicks and tension and strengthen the underneath muscles which help lift your upper body up from your pelvis, requiring your core muscles to lengthen and strengthen.
stretch your pecs (and strengthen upper back muscles and lats) - when shoulders are stuck rounded forward, the pecs are chronically shortened and tightened. in addition, when the spine is in flexion, there's a lot of downward pressure going out into the abs as well as into the pelvic floor. when you're able to truly open the front of the body, you're able to truly access and change your ab muscles. try making "goal post" arms laying on a foam roller or pressed up against a doorway.
I love to hear from you, so if you have questions, or have already implemented the tips above and feel some kinda way about , let me know!
Love and planks,
Annie
Hey hey, barrebabes,
Earlier this month marked my 10th anniversary here in NYC, and I wanted to take a moment to share with you a little celebratory retrospective of my favorite decade so far and a look ahead toward what's to come. Of course, also included is the schedule and a new playlist. Happy reading!
looking back
Thinking back to my first few weeks in New York, I remember having the distinct feeling that I was doing exactly what I was meant to be doing, even though I felt like I had no idea what I was doing, ever. For me, it felt like my life was just starting when I came here, and I remember being simultaneously overwhelmed by all the beautiful and amazing people but also feeling like I truly belonged, for the first time in my life. Here's some highlights:
- earning my masters from the Gallatin School of New York University in dance & Africana studies
- dancing professionally with numerous amazing companies and projects, both here in the city and abroad in Guinea, West Africa
- working continuously with a Guinea-based dance company, including performing, co-directing dance & cultural immersion workshops bringing people from around the world together to learn about Guinean dance and drum. and raising money to help fund social projects in Guinea
- developing the Barre and Danceprogram at Chalk Gyms, changing my body and life forever :)
- becoming a certified Pilates instructor at Romana's Pilates/True Pilates New York (one of the most challenging and rewarding things I've ever done)
- meeting and marrying the man of my dreams
- having the cutest sweetest baby, who makes being a mama the best thing that's ever happened to me
- developing effective movement programs for mamas after becoming educated about pre/post natal bodies and completing two certifications to that end
- meeting so many awesome, inspiring, cool people and friends, including all of you - seriously, each of you are SUCH RAD BABES!
Aside from knowing I would dance and (probably) finish grad school, I had no idea that ten years would bring me here, to such happiness, to such creativity and success, to a life as a movement teacher, forever curious student, as an artist of the body. Looking ahead to the next ten, though, there are some goals and plans I'd like to share with you:
1) develop my stronger-than-before-baby postnatal recovery program
2) lead super fun, restorative, magical retreats and hang in the desert with all you rad babes
3) keep dancing. keep learning. keep moving.
What about you? What have you accomplished in the past few years, and what do you look forward in the next? Share it with me, write it in the sand, or simply think about it - whatever your effort, it's kinda rad to look at the awesome you are and think about everything in store.
music
like what you hear in class? here's the latest from barrerhythms and pilates. or just follow me @annieforeal on spotify.
keep pulsing,
Annie
hey hey, barrebabe,
i hope this finds you well and beginning to stretch your springtime legs a bit. i for one am beginning to add things to my social calendar for the first time in forever and am feeling increasingly positive about the future. (sidenote: i am also hyped because every. last. pair. of my shorts & jeans fit, just in time for ramona's first birthday this month and the warmer weather! three cheers for zoombarre because real talk: i definitely haven't been "dieting" "eating low carb" "restricting" or even "cardio-ing" my way to pre-pregnancy size, that's for sure).
pelvic priorities
my mind is continually blown by the intricacy and beauty of our bodies. in much of the fitness world, we don't often talk about the muscles of the pelvic floor, but considering how important they are, i think that we should (and lord knows i personally do a lot).
generally speaking, pilates and barre class, when done well, automatically train this zone to be strong, but it is wise to be mindful about our exercises precisely because they are effective. it's possible to overdo it and cause unintended consequences. as i often say, exercise is medicine, and as such, the type and dosage must be carefully applied.
some things to look out for:
1) overtraining abs to cinch in for an "hourglass" waist without corresponding training of the pelvic floor. intense contracting inwards of the abdominal muscles can put downward pressure on the pelvic organs, muscles, ligaments and connective tissue, which in the extreme could lead to troubles like pain, pee leaks, etc. this is why even the super-fit sometimes struggle with pelvic floor issues, and why i emphasize proper breathing and rests to reset proper form when we're working out. for most of us, it's easier to "talk" to our abs than our pelvic floor muscles and thus easier to strengthen them, so it's good to slow down and work from the bottom up. in other words, contract pelvic floor first, then abs.
2) holding a kegel all the time always. this is terrible advice that is unfortunately rather prevalent and is absolutely a bad idea. walking around all day with these muscles locked and loaded is the equivalent of going everywhere with a 5lb dumbbell in your bag. would that make you stronger (maybe a little) or just tight & tired? (definitely a lot). as i learned from the incredible dr. sarah ellis duvall, in order for a muscle to strengthen, it must contract against a force, and in order for the muscle to fully contract, it must fully lengthen first. so remember to rest & relax. it's a life lesson.
3) coordination is key of the pelvic floor muscles with the abs, that is. to prevent excess downward pressure on the pelvic floor that leads to dysfunction, it's important to start both breath and abdominal exercises at the very bottom of the torso, which is the perineum and pelvic floor. visualizing each exhale as starting from the base of you, in between pubic bone and tail bone, will help engage and lift the pelvic floor muscles just before and alongside the contraction of the abs. remember BBM - breath belly move (and conveniently also the barrebabe method!)
obviously, pilates and barre are great for all of these concerns because of the emphasis on breath and mindful connection to your body. another gentle option is the practice of hip circles (a fave pastime of mine) because they bring circulation, awareness, tone, and a little sass to the whole pelvic area, which will help facilitate both differentiation and coordination of key muscles (plus, they're fun!)
for those curious about the anatomy of their pelvic floors, i love The Female Pelvis by Blandine Calais-Germain. it's an actual real book.
that's it for me for today, babes. i love to hear from you, so click the email icon below and let me know what you think!
with love & planks,
annie
hey hey, barrebabes,
i hope this finds you feeling well, chill and able to take some time to go outside in this wild sun and make yourself some vitamin D. today i have for you a flexibility challenge, and a few words about posture.
let's get flexible, flexible
flexibility is, by and large, a use it or lose it situation. for most of us, i'd be willing to bet that there's been more lose than use in the past 12 (?!) pandemic months. and being flexible is more than having sweet poses for your instagram. neuromuscularly-speaking, a nimble body contributes to a flexible, adaptable mindset, helps us go with the flow, and maintains youthfulness both inside and out.
so begins the barrebabe splits challenge!
or bsc, for short.
here's what to do:
- snap a photo or film yourself doing a front split. no judgment! what's measured is managed, so this will be your "before"
- check out my how to video here for targeted stretches to improve your splits
- stretch. for at least 3 minutes. every. single. day for 30 days
- stick around after zoombarre for a bsc stretch, or find your favorite time & space each day that works for you
- share your progress! tag @pretendmermaid on IG and keep your eyes peeled for tips, tricks, mini-challenges, and other accountability-related fun.
if nothing else, someday, when there's parties again, you'll have a cool trick up your sleeve with which to wow your jealous friends :)
not your mama's posture
while i know i more or less constantly lecture on posture, it occurs to me that the word posture is actually pretty culturally loaded and that this is not always (or often) a particularly progressive or positive thing.
in general, the idea of "good posture" in mainstream american culture is more than a little patriarchal, with midcentury military-inspired ideals of conformity mixing with charm school ethos. sit up straight, follow the rules, puff up your chest, stiffen against showing strong emotions, strive for perfection. these are obviously not the ideals a body-positive feminist fitness instructor wants to espouse.
at the very least, "good posture" isn't rock and roll.
and yet, i think practicing good posture is actually culturally subversive. for my teenage self, at least, ballet was the only thing that kept my angsty, fishnets-and-cutoffs-wearing, black lipstick-obsessed self from slumping my way to rebellious oblivion under the table. and in an increasingly tech-heavy world, i'm ever more thankful for that. i see more and more 20-somethings with hunchbacks and headaches that won't go away. the struggle is real.
but posture isn't a place. it isn't a static, cookie-cutter image that can be surveilled and controlled. rather, posture is dynamic. it is embodied dynamism. its practice takes you out of your devices and frees you from the grip of the borg/high tech stress-laden society in which we dwell and returns you to health, to autonomy and freedom in your physical life.
it also recruits your abs and burns calories, which certainly doesn't hurt :)
posture is how you meet the world, and my aim is that we all feel confident and strong in our posture, and our lives.
with that, my loves, i bid you a good week, full of health and all good things... with love & planks,
annie
hello, babes!
happy shiny monday to you, and i hope this finds you well. today i have for you a few words on perspective affecting results and physical-izing your pandemic day.
not just counting steps
the physicality of motherhood is often foremost in my mind, and i've been thinking a lot lately about that in the context of mindfulness and daily movement patterns in a pandemic. eating feelings and the quarantine fifteen aside, our covid-era bodies are a little different because our daily movement requirements are different. for instance, i've noticed in class that everyone is super strong in plank, a generally static exercise, but that maybe our ankles are getting a bit wobbly because they are unused to balancing, or our quads and calves need a little extra pump because they aren't hauling up a gazillion subway steps every day. i feel the need for more posture work than ever before, as many of us are hunched over our work or technology, and because anxiety, fear, and grief all manifest in the body and we literally carry the weight of the world on our shoulders.
this is only human. there is much we can do to help, but even the best or most intense one-hour workout can't fully combat 8-10 hours of work, or stress, or breastfeeding all night, or only walking the same path from bathroom to desk to fridge, over and over again. me, too - even though i still get to exercise for money, i am doing so much less frequently than ever before (7 hours a week versus minimum 20) and while my post-baby strength/bikini-confidence goals are still a work in progress, i am still roughly where i was when diego was ramona's age.
why? because of perspective and mindfulness: i propose that the more we view our daily movement as exercise activities, the more positive mental and physical results we'll see.
as a movement professional, it honestly wasn't too hard to get back to fighting shape after having diego - it was, after all, my job to exercise, and i had daily access to pilates apparatus and lots of time for walking around. but with ramona, it has been a different world. i, like many or most of us, simply move around so much less, and i haven't so much as touched a spring or strap since early last march, and while i have lots of time every day in which i'm not working for money, absolutely none of it is free (because i am a stay at home mother = a worker with constant work piles that are never, ever complete).
it might sound a bit silly or even selfish, but i view taking care of a baby as an intensely physical act with whole body potential. playing with her by tossing her into the air is strength for shoulders and triceps, long stroller walks a great opportunity for centering and healthy wrists, chasing after diego on the playground can become real cardio intervals, and doing the dishes is a true test of alignment. not to mention squats and lunges going down to play on the floor and getting back up, or lifting people up onto the changing table 50 times a day. even running errands with ramona in the carrier (because when else would you strap a 20lb dumbbell to your chest to go walk around and buy bananas?)
the point is that contrary to the narrative i've received that mom bodies are less strong, toned, or beautiful or in more pain than non-mom bodies, i've found that by treating motherhood as physical work and exercise, i have been able to strengthen my body, reduce pain, and beautify myself (albeit more slowly than i'd like - the camera really does add pounds and reveal allllllll the weaknesses).
i'm not the first to write about the power of perspective to create the shifts and changes we want to see in our lives - there is much out there on this topic - but i am a pretty decent example of it in action. some things, like making it through two pregnancies without stretch marks, are either genetics or just luck, but many many other things are entirely within our control to change for the better.
as you go through your day, see where the movement happens, and be excellent in your execution of it, however mundane. carry your grocery bags home like you're uma thurman hauling water up the steps in kill bill, or hinge your hips and keep your back straight as you bend to wash your face, vacuum the floor with your non dominant hand, walk your dog with bearing and aplomb.
also, never miss an opportunity to foam roll or stretch when it's time to relax in the evening. after all, you've had a hard, physical day, whether you "worked out" or not!
that's it for today, babes. as always, i love to hear from you, and i can't wait to see you onscreen soon!
keep pulsing,
Annie
hello babes,
Happy New Year (is it still ok to wish each other hny?) and i hope this finds everyone healthy, well, and rejuvenated after the "holidays."
i, for one, feel amped to cast off the cobwebs of last year and refresh myself with a little structure, restraint and get-it-doneness. i always seem to be in a semi-permanent state of self-improvement projects, but this year brings with it both need and opportunity for a crap-ton of growth. rather than setting a bunch of resolutions,i'm preparing in 3 ways for what's to come in 2021:
1) working smarter not harder, and to that end i've set up an automatic scheduler to make all our lives a bit easier.(i've also acquired a very key, fancy piece of fitness equipment called a *new computer.*)you can now sign up for class, purchase class packages and subscriptions here. thank you for your patience with as i continue to work out the kinks. scheduler or no, you are always always more than welcome to email or even text me with sign up questions, or with anything pertaining to your virtual workouts.
2) resetting my system via the Resolution Reset. by identifying eating & life patterns that no longer serve me, i can replace them systematically with healthy, sustainable habits that help me think clearly, balance my energy, and eventually trim away the last few handfuls from pregnancy. now that the christmas cookies and chocolates are gone, it feels good to reduce excesses and indulgences and nurture health and moderation. you, too, can join me by signing up for the resolution reset. for a modest fee of $36, i offer you a month of eating tips, encouragement, support, information, recipes and solidarity with an excellent crew of proactive babes as we journal and adjust our way to success. get started now!
3) setting bite-sized, achievable goals(with a zoomed-out focus on the long game) instead of giant tasks or total overhauls. instead of my old practice of making a giant list of everything in my life that needs to be attended to and will literally never be accomplished in a timely fashion (which is overwhelming and depressing) i divide up my to-dos into categories and aim for one task from each column each day. for example, i have a mental spreadsheet of categories like "work" "household" and "cool mom stuff" and set the intention to tick off a task in each category, which might mean that on a given day i'll write this newsletter, do some laundry, and bake cookies with diego. or i'll make a new playlist for class, deal with the dmv, and send some holiday cards. this approach helps me feel balanced and accomplished without the overwhelm and constant failure.
and, of course, the most impactful thing i do to keep my mind right (and booty tight) is having a daily movement practice of pilates, barre and dance!
thank you so much for being here with me - it means the world to be stay connected with you. let's take 2021 one day at a time, one change at a time, one small victory at a time. see you at the barre, my loves!
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
with love,
Annie
hello beautifuls!
pandemic or no, these last few weeks of the year are always busy, stress-y, and sometimes heavy. we know stress accumulates in the body, and the accumulation of 2020 is a juggernaut of altered movement patterns, working from home (laptop on the bed... you know who you are), plus the physical patterns of anxiety, worry, fear, and grief. i know from zoombarre babes that many of us are dealing with new aches and pains or areas of concern, from sleepy hamstrings to sore necks. personally, this is the first time i've ever had jaw tension and clenching (and it mildly sucks) but the point is - it's not your fault. our daily lives have changed more drastically in the past 10 months than basically ever, and all we can do is the best we can to feel better.
to that end, today i humbly offer some posture-focused technology related advice, a virtual CBD Stretch workshop, and a recap of my end-of-year specials to help you help yourself to feel better now :)
break up with your phone
or, at least set and respect boundaries with it. thing is, many of us spend hours at a computer for work and then more hours on our smartphones (on which you're probably reading this now). smartphones are amazing, incredible tools, and i wouldn't give up my super-camera/baby photo storage/map/music library/source for layperson ayurvedic advice for anything, but i think that now more than ever we must be careful with our relationship to our devices.
i am of an age where i clearly remember life before cellphones (i didn't get one till i was in college, i think) and i was about 9 or 10 when my family got our first computer (my mother wrote the DOS codes for Tetris and educational games on a sheet of paper on the desk) and i find it a bit daunting to navigate the super connected, hyper-visible world of social media and smartphone/watches/etc. for my children. while that question is more than a little beyond the scope of this newsletter, one thing i know for sure is that growing up with too much technology leads to posture problems that are really, really difficult to solve, and i want my kids to be able to stand tall. thus, i know i need to model "device independence" for diego and ramona, to put my phone down and show them how to use technology as a tool, not as a crutch nor lifeline.
with that in mind, here are some shortcuts i use to protect my posture( and progeny) and spend less time on my phone:
- no phone the first and last hour of each day, or no phone 2 hours before bed
- no phone during movies
- use a screen time tracker
- check email only twice per day, facebook/IG once
note that i don't do all of these things at the same time, or even any of them every day. i try, though, and if nothing else, at the very least hold your phone UP to your face rather than hunching over to look DOWN at it.
on a separate note, babes, if i've learned anything from the past 11 months, it's that i have an abundance more to be grateful for than i do to be bummed or stressed about, though i know sometimes it's hard to keep that perspective. i just want you to know i am immensely grateful that you exist, for your loyalty and support, for your general awesomeness and that if i can help you feel the same, even a little bit, i've succeeded in life. you rule!
see you at the zoombarre,
Annie
Hey Hey Barrebabes!
A real quick one form me today with some links to my equipment faves and some musings on feeling good in these crazy times.
Stuff and Things
As you know, my workouts are effective with or without special equipment, but a small investment in a few pieces goes a long way. thus, here are some links to things i like, by request :):
theraband
practices to help feel better when everything sucks
Amid the many emotions brought about by the pandemic, i have to say that a very genuine sense of gratefulness is one i feel every day. i feel fully aware of how lucky i am - and how fragile it is - to live the life i do. i am intensely grateful for my safe home, healthy family, and amazing job. but feelings of fear, guilt and frustration come creeping in, especially about systemic racism, climate change, the election/related and the coronavirus. i know i’m not the only one, so i humbly offer some actionable tactics for putting good vibes out in the world even when it feels a bit pointless:
1) put your phone down.the reasons for this range from protecting your posture to preventing the total breakdown of society (check out “the social dilemma” on netflix and you’ll know what i mean!)
2) act with courtesy and kindness to everyone. always.be anti racist in word, deed, and thought. actively pursue this always.
3) reduce.(then reuse & recycle). one small way i’m reducing is using less paper products for cleaning and using up all my skin care before allowing any more into the house. we also limit takeout to no more than twice a week (a move that saves in many ways all at once!)
4) have a centering, grounding movement practicefor your sanity, energy and long term health... like barre class (duh :)
what do you do to feel better/do better?
that's it for now, babes. till i see you again, do good and righteous things and TAKE CARE!
keep pulsing,
Annie
hey hey, babes!
it's fall, y'all, and a lovely one. while i'm not a pumpkin spice person, personally (it's basically code for "a bunch of allspice-y sugar") i am a proponent of seasonal eating and shifting habits with the shifts in weather. to wit, it's sweet potato time! and butternut squash time. and apple time. warm foods time, even warm water with honey, lemon and cinnamon in the morning time. lately i've been super into japanese sweet potatoes with red skins and white flesh, especially for breakfast, and sweet potato salad, which is great for this slightly cool/slightly warm time of year.
Ayurveda wannabe tips
the truth is, for all i write about balance in food and movement for overall health and good abs, i'm kind of a fuck-up when it comes to actually living in accordance with ayurvedic principles. i love frozen margaritas and hot spicy food, i drink coffee, i have virtually zero in the way of daily routine (except for the coffee) and i regularly eat bananas, or at least something made out of them, all of which are big no-nos in this discipline. plus, as genius as ayurveda's creators were, they didn't live in 21st century new york city with all its hustle. but i do try to take my cues from this ancient wisdom, and humbly offer these ayurveda-inspired notions with a modern-life edit:
adjust to the changing seasons by eating seasonal foods at seasonally appropriate temperatures. here in nyc, autumn is windy and cool, which are vata qualities (vata being all things dry, light and moving). vata is also respiratory infections, dry skin, anxiety and gassy digestion. luckily apples and winter squashes are in season as they are moistening, have lots of immune boosting vitamins, and are easy to digest. drink warm chai instead of cold brew. try some light reds instead of frozé. you get the picture.
health food takes different forms in different seasons. instead of the crispy salads of romaine, cucumber, corn and tomatoes we cool off with in summer, fall is time for cooked things that ground us. i try to act when the urge strikes to make an apple crisp or roast up up a bunch of butternut squash for sides, salads, or eventually soup. current favorites include a few greens with leftover roast butternut squash chunks and shaved parmesan, or mushroom risotto with homemade stock. greasy food is basically never helpful, but don't skimp on good fats at this time, as they help keep the gears running smoothly.
how you get the food can be as important as the food itself, meaning that cooking and baking at home are grounding, nourishing practices in and of themselves. even if it's rich or sweet or indulgent in some way, making it yourself or with friends has benefits that exceed the caloric or nutritional content and make the food far more beneficial than takeout (not saying i don't eat takeout, i totally do, but i try to limit it to once-ish a week). eating at home has some more meta benefits too, reducing the amount of waste and resources that surround food production, which feels at least slightly righteous in these crazy times.
finally, fall is a time of settling into routines at work or school (or the weird hybrid wfh lives we're leading right now) and meeting the airy qualities of fall with a little routine or homebody-ness can really help stave off common sicknesses or stress. i find myself eating breakfast (sitting down, no less) which is typically rare for me, and drinking warm-not-hot tea (yes, instead of wine most evenings) and baking muffins (they're all i can bake, let's be honest), all very autumn-y things to do that "pacify" vata, as they say in ayurveda, with warmth, sweetness, moistness, and grounding routine.
forgive my narcissism
at the risk of being a bit vain & self-indulgent, i'm kinda proud of these "before & after" pics taken at the beginning and then end of september.
i'm particularly pleased about them because they were achieved by a pretty simple approach consisting of barre class, lots of baby walks, and a bit of mindfulness about food aka the september reset. i'm clearly a work in progress at 4ish months postpartum, but i'm encouraged. sharing with you because it goes against the all-or-nothing, no pain no gain, focus on the most intense intensity of the american diet, fitness & wellness industry. score one for balance!
music for mellowing
now here's a little something to warm and soothe your mood via an entirely different sense, your ears! enjoy a little playlist, meant to be heard on shuffle.
as always babes, take care, do good and righteous things, and come pulse with me soon,
with love & (modified) planks,
Annie
Hey Hey Babes,
I hope this finds everyone WELL, WOKE and SAFE in these crazy/important times. I'm writing to you in between nursing Ramona and playing dinosaurs with Diego to share little Ramona's birth story for those who dig that sort of thing. (Warning: it's long and honest).
You knew this already, but a recent study showed that people who stayed active during the early phase of lockdown experienced less mental health issues than those who didn't. So KEEP PULSING!
Ramona Victoria’s Birth Story
Everyone says you forget the pain of labor because immediately afterward, you fall so deeply in love. And I know many women who feel powerful from the massive accomplishment of bringing a new person into the world, and I celebrate them for that. For me though, powerful just isn’t the word I would use. It feels more like a waterfall of immense gratitude + intense relief.
While I’m all for taking control of our bodies and pregnancies, for each woman to be completely in charge of what happens to her body and baby, for education and empowerment in pregnancy and birth, for me the hardest but most rewarding thing has been to let go. To trust the professionals, to let others, even strangers, take care of me and to try to fully grasp what a gift that is. I am skilled in mindful movement that takes good care of pregnant bodies, and I believe each individual mama knows her body best, but that’s really the extent of what I know. In both of my births, I did need to advocate for myself and trust my gut, but my doctors & nurses were the really ones who knew what to do when things went awry and deliver my babies safely. For them, my mother, and my husband, I am eternally grateful, and constantly wondering how I would manage without them, as so many women must.
Anyway, back to Ramona’s big debut. My patience with pregnancy had run its course and I was focused and ready to get my daughter out, but I was nervous, too. In my experience, childbirth is traumatic, and traumatized was the first word that came to mind when we arrived at the hospital on a rainy South Carolina evening. I’d had so much fiery determined energy heading into Mt. Sinai West for Diego’s birth, ready to face the unknown challenges in front of me like a pregnant warrior princess, but with Ramona, I was already tired, resigned to but mildly dreading the trial ahead.
I have a genetic condition that predisposes my blood to clot during pregnancy and have to inject blood thinners into my belly every day, so I was to be induced, mostly so we could time my last shot appropriately to prevent too much bleeding during labor. Just as I had with Diego, we started with a cervical ripener (which, oddly enough, can either be dissolved under the tongue or be inserted in the cervix itself – so many connections between mouth and pelvic floor!) and was assured repeatedly that “probably nothing will happen overnight and we’ll start you on contraction medicine in the morning.” I had a hunch, though, that this second labor would be much like my first in which all it took for crazy intense contractions to start was one little dose and a few hours time. Nevertheless, Damian went home to put Diego to bed, the nurses dimmed the lights, and I settled in to chill out and watch TV and the trees swaying outside the window.
I was chatting with my cousin on the phone and sipping a Sprite as the lowest part of my belly start to heat with something between dull aches and super intense period cramps. Since I’d been having those fake-out contractions for a day or so already, I wasn’t too phased at first as they intensified and became more regular. I hung up the phone about 10:45, intending to close my eyes, but by about 11:05, the contractions began to leave me breathless. The nurse came to check my cervix (which is so not cool) and reported little progress. She seemed a little perplexed that I was reporting such intense pain, and I almost felt silly claiming it, but I remembered how I’d gone from 0-60 with Diego and shuddered.
“I’m telling you,” I said. “My contractions started super fast and intense with my first. This baby is coming tonight.”
At 11:45, I was fully gripping the bed rails, panting with eyes glued to the clock trying to time the contractions. By the stroke of midnight, I was doubled over and screaming. I could barely type a text to Damian that I needed him, and didn’t have time to check for a reply. The nurses came running, everyone remarking with wide eyes how I’d turned a corner so fast. The pain was low and brutal and I didn’t know where to be. The tiniest nurse kept telling me I was in control, which was a nice thought, if completely inaccurate.
More masked nurses and the anesthesiologist with his long needles arrived to administer my epidural, which is both scary and totally worth it. After the initial sting of strange in my spine, it felt like the heavens opened and the angels started to sing. I relaxed, caught y breath, thanked the goddess for modern medicine. A few minutes later, the tiny blond nurse returned to check my cervix. I was happy I couldn’t feel it.
“You’re complete,” the nurse said as she peeled off her blue gloves.
“What’s complete mean?”
“You’re 10 centimeters dilated. It’s time to get the doctor and get ready to push.”
Y’all. I’d gone from No to Go within the span of 30 minutes. I must’ve looked like the wide-eyed surprised emoji. Ramona was not messing around.
“When should I come to the hospital?” read Damian’s text.
“RIGHT NOW.”
20 minutes later he rushed in, barely making it in time to hold my hand and clearly caught off guard by the table of instruments already set for the big moment. He kissed my hair about 30 times before I told him he needed to chill.
The nurses lifted my legs into supports and the doctor came in. He was tall and handsome like a TV doctor (above the mask, at least) and was quiet, confident, and encouraging. When I was told I was contracting, I’d grab my numb thighs and curl up, holding my breath and hugging my center in and down as hard as I could, trying to help little Ramona find her way out. My water still hadn’t broken yet, and it pleased me to know that she had that amniotic cushion around her for comfort and safety.
After about 20 minutes of the rhythmic inhale/curl up/hold breath/push/relax/repeat, little Ramona escaped my body, hot pink in color with her cord wrapped twice around her neck. She didn’t say much but looked right in our eyes as she was placed on my chest and wiped clean. She somehow already had an air of sweetness and self-possession, regarding us with shining dark eyes that particular shade of newborn blue that never lasts. She’s a little fairy baby at 5 lbs. 13 oz, with a full head of wispy light hair, elegant long fingers and ears that point at the top like an elf. We’ve all been entranced with her ever since.
I know this isn’t the most popular opinion these days, but I just want to put out there that I LOVE epidurals. I love all the hospital stuff, really – the peace of mind that comes from listening to the constant heart rate monitor on the baby, the rhythmic massage of the leg squeezers placed on my still calves so my blood wouldn’t clot, the kind nurses doing everything for me from putting my hair up when I couldn’t bend my wrist from a painful IV, to holding me by the shoulders to help me stay still during contractions when they put in the epidural, to taking me to the bathroom for the first pee after birth (which is its own kind of terror), to changing diapers and swaddling the baby.
Homebirth was never a safe option for me because of the blood clot/blood thinner situation, and for that same reason I don’t know what it’s like to go into labor naturally. I do know that medically induced labor is incredibly over-the-top painful, so much so that in those moments I really felt the untold numbers of mothers and babies that have died in childbirth since the beginning of time. I realize this sounds dramatic, but so it felt. So whenever the question of hospital vs. homebirth, doctor vs. midwife, natural vs. medicated comes up in my Prenatal Movement classes, I always say to go with what will make you, personally, feel most comfortable, because it’s pretty much a proven fact that the cervix will not dilate if mama does not feel comfortable in her environment. And that’s different for everybody. For me, I feel incredibly lucky to have had two wonderful hospital births, to feel safe during the pandemic, and to be able to take the time to grow my babies up strong.
Anyway, we're grateful to be home and together now, and I'm thinking of everyone often. I hope you're safe and well, and I can't wait to see you all again.
Big milky hugs,
Annie
Greetings, Babes,
Easy does it
Holy goodness, the holiday crazies are in full swing in NYC! It's easy to get overwhelmed at this time of year. The energy is so intense, especially in NYC, where we're insanely busy and cold and rushing around while surrounded in 8 million other people who are busy and cold and rushing around. And with all the extra things going on - parties, gift prep, end of year work stuff - sometimes it feels disorienting, disquieting, de-centering, and it's easy to lose sight of how we'd like to live and plunge head first into the egg nog and comfort food.
But even in the midst of a big wave of crazy, small efforts towards balance and restraint matter. They might not be much on their own, but little adjustments and simple practices add up to impactful changes and have a balancing effect, even if we have to take the long view to see the effects. I'm talking little things like taking the stairs, eating a salad after dinner, going to class instead of happy hour (or at least before you go to happy hour), eating sugar only once a day... you get the idea.
For many of us, November-January can be one long binge on party food and cocktails, leaving us frustrated, insulin-resistant, and uncomfortable in our clothes come January 2nd. And while I think it's entirely human and good to celebrate and feast and indulge, a few personal checks & balances can go a long towards mitigating the negative feasting effects while maximizing the pleasurable ones:
- exercising often, even if it's just a few squats and planks here and there throughout the day, or a brisk walk after a big meal.
- choosing the indulgences you really truly love and abstaining from ones that don't matter as much. Say you love Christmas cookies. Skipping toast at breakfast and drinking an unsweetened cappucino instead of a peppermint mocha is worth at least five frosted cookies, wouldn't you say? The trick is to find little exchanges that work for to strike a pleasurable balance that feels effortless. For instance, not-pregnant me will intermittently fast 4 or so days a week and freely enjoy all the Tex-Mex temptations in Austin, TX where we spend each Christmas. Pregnant me? I'll eat alllll the food, but will be mostly sugar- (and definitely margarita) free. I might not "work out" much while we're gone, but I will take Diego for walks and playtime every day and will probably do a few bridges, TVA breathing and stretches, just to feel normal.
- eat salad/vegetables. Then eat protein. Then eat other stuff. Filling up on vegetables and protein means you'll have less room for foods that are all too easy to eat way too much of.
- have some vinegar, pre-meal, especially the carb-tastic ones. Helps with blood sugar response and can be anything from a capful of apple cider vinegar to the vinegar in your salad dressing.
- enjoy yourself. Truly acknowledging what you love and sharing it with others is a gift that will help you feel both full and fulfilled :)
Baby steps to a less pollutive world
Small adjustments can have a big impact on our outer world, too. The problems we collectively face - namely, global climate crisis and its resulting armageddon - feel bigger, more imminent, and more impossible to solve than ever before, especially considering our current administration and its deep commitment to being total environmental assholes. It's hard not to be overwhelmed by the widespread death of corals, the melting of permafrost and forests that are 90% gone. But just like the little steps we take towards balance within ourselves, any step that contributes positively to the world we live in is worth taking, such as:
- saving gift bags and tissue paper for wrapping gifts next year.
- making coffee at home, at least once a week. Think about it - if even half of coffee-drinking New Yorkers did this, that's easily 3 million less cups each day! (I'm totally making up these numbers, but you get my drift.) This logic applies to reusable grocery bags, wearing a sweater and turning the thermostat down a degree, using straws and baby wipes as adults...
- buy less plastic. Even if it's technically recyclable, plastic is made from fossil fuels and sucks.
- buy second-hand or sustainably made clothes, like Girlfriend Collection or Athleta.
- buy local whenever possible. The less distance something has to travel to get to you, the smaller your "carbon footprint" is.
- support companies doing good work and publicly renounce those that aren't. Companies just want to make money and will give consumers what they want. Insisting on packaging standards, quality ingredients, etc. whenever possible will, eventually get the point across.
I don't mean to lecture, only to point out that our culture is so "all or nothing" that it's easy to fall into the trap of "well, I ate pie for breakfast so today is shot, might as well just go ham and then diet like crazy in January," and that this self-defeating mindset translates into lots of different behaviors. It's better to do a little, whether it's for yourself or the planet, than nothing at all. And the little things really do add up!
Anyway loves, I truly hope your holidays are great and that you feel as wonderful as you are. You all mean the world to me and I can't wait to see your awesomeness in class soon. All the best to you in 2020 and beyond!
Warmly,
Annie
Greetings, babes!
I hope this finds everyone well and maintaining a little bright spring energy in the face of the recent uncooperative weather in New York. Today I have for you some special upcoming classes, a fresh playlist, and some words about CBD.
Pilates & Barre Have a Lovechild
And its name is SpringBarre. I’ve been quietly developing a new method of intense, zero-impact, body-transforming fun and I’m am so excited to bring it back to East River Pilates N11th studio. Join me this Friday, May 17th at 10am for a 55-minute, mood-and-body-changing workout in which the pulsing power of barre meets the precision of Pilates and the strength, stretch, support from the springboard tower. Sign up here.
BodyRhythm Dance
Y’all know dance is my first love, and I believe moving to propulsive rhythms in a room full of rad babes is good for the soul as well as for the heart (and booty). Join me at East River Pilates S1st for this particularly magical 75 minutes of heart-pumping, hip-circling joyfulness and de-stress, refresh, and enjoy your body. No dance experience necessary, so come enjoy the vibes! Reserve your spot here!
CBD What Now?!
Walking down Bedford Avenue, it seems that every second storefront is hawking CBD this and CBD that. The checkout counter at the bodega invites us to purchase CBD everything from brownies to energy shots, not to mention Sephora, which is basically half pot-based skincare all of a sudden. The New York Times has covered the recent craze in several great articles, and I encourage the curious among us to read them as it’s pretty much the Wild West out there for this nascent industry.
As you probably know, I make CBD Muscle Melt to accompany the stretches and self-myofascial release practices of CBD Stretch, my very chill stretch workshop (next one coming up Sunday 6/2 at East River). While there are a lot of people out there who know a lot more than I do about this apparently magical substance, given its recent prevalence and meteoric popularity, I thought it might be useful to at least talk a little about what it is and why I use it.
What is CBD?
CBD stands for cannabidiol, a compound found in cannabis plants that is responsible for the relaxing, chill-out benefits of weed without the psychotropic effects (aka getting stoned) from THC, another type of cannabinoid in marijuana. Interestingly, these compounds work on humans because we have something called an endocannabinoid system that, in addition to ruling all kinds of functions in the body, has certain receptors to which CBD (and THC) bind. In a way, CBD meets you where you are to help your nervous system relax, which helps you calm down, focus, find peace, and otherwise chill.
The most popular form of CBD is CBD isolate (extracted from hemp with no THC present) and full-spectrum CBD oil, which includes all 113 cannibinoids and a super teensy amount of THC, less than .3%. My favorite way to use it is topically, in conjunction with relaxing stretches and simple release techniques. I started using a CBD rub a few months after Diego was born to help with new mama shoulder tension and back pain from breastfeeding, and I would put it on before yoga and stretch sessions. It helped me literally relax, taking the grip right out of my tired traps, focus on myself (which can be challenging at first when tasked with keeping a squirmy, screaming human alive 24/7), and seemed to help me listen to my body. I also noticed it deepened the effects of my stretches and helped them last.
Salve-ation
I began to piece together the series of foam roller releases, simple stretches, and massage ball work that comprise CBD Stretch from all my therapeutic movement studies and went looking for a CBD rub to feature in class. I wasn’t all that stoked on most of the ones I could buy because they either didn’t work dependably or contained what I felt were semi-whack ingredients like lanolin and gelatin. So, having dabbled in making my own lotions and potions, I decided to try my hand at making it myself.
Using homemade CBD-infused coconut butter, skin-healing African shea butter, almond oil (which soothed my skin through pregnancy and kept it supple and stretch mark-free) and essential oils I knew to be effective in pain relief, I managed to make the little magical pots of pot I now use for sore muscles, achy joints, headaches, and even period cramps. The CBD works best with the essential oils and even better when combined with stretching, self-myofascial release, or meditation. I believe CBD increases interoception, which is our ability to feel and understand what is going on inside our bodies, thereby connecting us more deeply with our physical selves and helping us to listen. Listening to your body is in itself a powerful healing tool, and even better, CBD Muscle Melt's combination of pain-relieving and anti-inflammatory plant oils will immediately take away a layer of pain, which helps to literally feel better now.
I have to say also that nothing makes me feel better than helping others feel better, so CBD Muscle Melt is extra special to me for that reason, as so many friends, aunties, aunties of friends, barrebabes, Pilates bodies, warrior patients, executives, and badasses have told me it has helped them feel better :)
Tunes
For your listening pleasure, here's a new playlist for May.
With love & planks,
Annie
Hey hey, Barrebabes!
I hope this finds everyone well & thriving on this gray winter Wednesday. Today I have for you a fresh playlist, and some musings on resetting/balance/real resolutions.
Dig my tunes? You can always follow me on Spotify @annieforeal or check out my latest mélange here
resolve refresh reset
I'm digging this new year/fresh/creative energy, helped along considerably by the Resolution Reset. For those who don't know, I'm leading a group of rad babes through a month of clean eating, food journaling, and healthy habit-making, and I have to say it is SO much easier to tackle change with a good crew to cheer you on!
Chilling on the booze definitely helps, too. It's energizing for the body when the liver has less toxins to process on the daily, which in turn helps motivation stay high. While the real magic of the Reset is in the encouraging, supportive online community we create, there's a few techniques that we use that are effective, just challenging enough, and worth thinking about in the annual season of goal-setting & deprivation (usually over well before Valentine's Day):
mindfulness, not obsessive micro-managing
- Mindful eating need not absorb much of your actual thoughts.
- While it's important to be aware of what you're eating and how it works with your body, in this age of convenience and choices the question of what to eat can become complicated and at times, all-consuming. I personally don't need any more sources of anxiety and don't want to spend all my free thoughts trying to figure out what to eat and if it's "OK."
- During the Reset, we stick to some broad healthful guidelines and make note of everything we eat and drink so we don't have to keep it in our thoughts. Keeping track helps you automatically adjust your eating habits towards what you want them to be, and you don't have to obsess because it's all already written down.
What's measured is managed
-Quantify your changes and successes by counting up food groups each week. I think this is what makes the Reset unique and uniquely effective, plus, you get to decide what and how to count, so you don't spend time fretting over stuff that isn't a priority for you at this time.
- It's encouraging to see how your little changes really do add up to the lifestyle you want. For instance, in the past 23 days, I'm eating almost twice the vegetables I was before, haven't eaten any wheat (and haven't missed it) and have had about 8 drinks all month ( I usually have double that in a week). And aside from a few moments here and there, it's really not that hard. I feel good, and what's better, it feels sustainable.
willpower/won'tpower
- It's normal to love and crave sugary, greasy, or carb-y things. Your brain is wired for it because all these foods contain high amounts of readily available energy, which your body tends to want whether it needs it or not.
- It's not wrong to like eating cupcakes, or pasta, or fried rice. And sometimes these foods are the best and totally worth eating, like your birthday cake, the spaghetti limone at my favorite Italian spot, or even that drunken slice of pizza. It doesn't make you a weak-willed person to indulge in these things at times - just vivacious, fun and more importantly HUMAN.
- I view January as a time to be a little bit strict after indulgent holidays with an eye towards setting habits that work for you in the long run, which is different than declaring you'll never eat sugar again and will lose 30 pounds eating only chicken and broccoli.
- Part of the Reset is to break the habit of dieting itself and learn to make small daily changes that allow for the occasional fiesta, no guilt allowed.Just write it down and go about your day.
everything in moderation, including moderation
- I like to party as much as the next girl, but I'm really not an excessive drinker. In fact, I haven't had a hangover in about 4 years, maybe longer. I am, however, persistent, and tend to have a couple few glasses of wine more often than not.
- I enjoy wine-drinking and find it relaxing and even healthful, but when I noticed that I could take down a bottle of white and not feel particularly crazy, I felt it was time to reassess.
- Not that there's necessarily anything wrong with daily drinking - or that I'm even the person to tell you so, it's more that moderation can catch up with us easily and become a thoughtless habit.
- What I've found is that I enjoy a glass more when I know there's not 7 more coming after it, and also that my body appreciates the break from constantly processing one more mild poison.
- To me, the trick is to 1) skip having 17 margaritas on February 1st and 2) stick to the new normal and be satisfied with less.
- Defining what your sweet spot of moderation is is unique to you and can change over time. Being mindful and keeping track of where you've been helps you know where you're going (and that may or may not be a quote from "Moana.")
Anyway babes, I love hearing from you, so feel free to hit me back with any questions, comments, desires, etc., and come see me soon for all your Pilates, Barre & Dance needs!
With love & planks,
Annie
Hey barrebabes,
Today, a few of my top summertime cooling tricks:
stay cool
in my 36 summers on earth, i’ve collected a few tips to help stay balanced during the doldrums (which i still prefer to winter 😎). here’s a few for you:
- eat cooling things, not just cold ones. your body is always trying to regulate itself, so when you want to chill, eat foods that are high in water and energetically cooling, like cucumber and watermelon, coconut water, or add peppermint to smoothies. on the flip side, eat spicy stuff for a balancing effect (like pretty much every tropical or hot weather culture on earth).
- bring a dress (and maybe a hat) to class. workout clothes are great and all, but they’re simply not made for swampy humidity like we have in august in NYC. i pack a simple sundress or shorts and change in and out for my longer walks between classes. and a hat is basically shade to go - it turns out our mothers were right!
- rosewater rules. i spritz it on my face, hair and anyway that needs a little freshening. rose petals are super high in vitamin c and thus are great for skin, plus it’s an instant refresh/reset on a hot day.
- stretch. your muscles love heat, so take advantage and get limber while inviting your body to mellow and chill.
follow me on instagram @barrebabemama for non-annoying and intermittent posts and on spotify @annieforeal for all my fave tunes.
i want to hear from you! ask a question, make a request, tell me a joke, anything! email/DM/messenger pigeon me 😊
love & pulses,
annie