Addiction

 I think exercise is very much an addiction - a good addiction  - but still an addiction.  Once you start enjoying exercise your body starts to crave it - just like any other drug.  Things start to happen when you don't get it - you become grouchy, short tempered, aggravated - just like any other drug.  The difference with exercise is that it is hard to become addicted to it.  It takes awhile.  Sometimes months.  It can be a long uphill battle to obtain the desire to exercise.  It usually starts out as something you have to do or need to do but eventually the crave starts to kick in.  Eventually you start to see how much better you feel - you notice that you have more energy and need less sleep.  Your brain works better  - you are sharper and have a better memory.  You are kinder and have more patience.  A nice little side benefit of exercising is that you tend to eat healthier once you start to notice the physical effects of exercise.  


As with anything in life it is important to find that perfect balance - your happy place.  The point where you are exercising enough and still getting the rest your body needs.  For most of us it is more than what we think.  Suzanne and I exercise several hours every day 6 days a week.  We rest on Sunday.  By Monday we are ready to go again.  If we end up taking more than a couple of days off we really start to feel it.  Of course it has taken years for our bodies to really be comfortable with the amount of exercise.  Listen to your body and don't be afraid to push yourself to the next level every once in awhile.  When you reach that point where you think your are fully addicted you can join our EAAPOI group.... EXERCISE ADDICT AND PROUD OF IT!

Fear Factor!

Nothing like the present to face your fears!  We have an opportunity for you to do just that on Saturday, March 24th.  Suzanne and I will be teaching Zumba on stage at the Madonna Expo center for the Health and Fitness Expo from 12:15 - 12:45pm.  We would love to have you on stage with us!  We want people of all ages, body types and fitness levels to show everyone how easy Zumba is and how fun fitness can be!  We will be doing routines that we have been doing for awhile now so if you have been coming to class you will be familiar with them.  Please let us know if you are interested in being on our stage team!  If that isn't your cup of tea come and join us on the ground to help others feel more comfortable as they follow us.   We will have a VERY good expo special going on that weekend so be sure to stop by our booth if you can't make the Zumba class.  Grab your inner performer and feel the thrill of butterflies in your stomach - you wont regret it!

Ahhhhhhhhhhhh............

You may have noticed that we now have a massage therapist renting out our back space in the building.  Her name is Sarah.  Sarah started coming to The Edge several months ago after her recent move from the bay area.  She had built quite a clientele up there and was driving up every other week for 3 very long days of back to back massages.  She sat in our parking lot after a class one day and had this feeling come over her that perhaps The Edge was a perfect place to set up shop on the central coast.  Little did she know that that very week Suzanne and I were seriously talking about renting out the back room to help us make our increased rent that month.  Suzanne and I are extremely careful about the people we have in our space.  We have worked really hard to create a space of comfort and peace.  The energy at The Edge is special - hopefully you can feel it when you walk in the door.  We needed the perfect person to share our space with us.  In walks Sarah asking if we have any space to rent and everything clicked right into place.  She went to work creating a beautiful and serene oasis - the perfect place to completely relax. 


Right away she offered us a massage so we would be familiar with her services.  As many of you know we have been teaching every single class since our opening last July.  We also have very busy family lives so it has been hard to "squeeze in" a massage.  Yesterday, finally, we both made the time.  I myself have only had a couple of massages my entire life.  Suzanne has had quite a few.  After yesterday I know that is going to change for me.  Sarah made me feel so comfortable.  I walked into her room as a customer and was transported immediately to a new place.  The dim lighting, the soft music, the atmosphere was so inviting.  The minute I laid down on that warm table I was in heaven. She went to work knowing exactly what I needed - the perfect pressure - focusing on all of my points of tension without me having to tell her.  She was so quiet and effective.  When it was over (so sad) I was a renewed person. I have never felt that good after a massage and Suzanne concurred.   Lesson learned.  We both needed to take the time, for ourselves and our families, to balance our bodies, refresh our minds, and renew our spirits.  It is called massage "therapy" and now I know why.  That was the best hour spent in a long time.  I strongly recommend that you take some time and balance your workouts with a wonderful massage.  I know I will be doing that on a regular basis from now on.  


Sarah is offering our Edge clients an incredible introductory special - $50 for an hour and $75 for 90 minutes.  This special will not last long so instead of putting off some me time because you can't "squeeze" it in give her a call and make some time for yourself.  It will be completely worth it!

Perfection

Something many of us strive for but few will achieve.  What is perfection?  Too many people spend their lives looking to find satisfaction in achieving "perfection".  With the media and photoshop it is sometimes hard to not feel inferior when we look in the mirror.  The "if only"s start to creep in.  I have spent many hours and countless amounts of energy working toward that idea of perfection in my life.  I even had a short stint with an eating disorder as a young adult that made me feel terrible but gave me the physical results I wanted.  And why?  For what?  I am now 42 years old and know that I will never have a perfect body and honestly I wouldn't want one.  I have a bit of a belly that is evidence of the birth of my two beautiful children.  I have moles all over - a gift from my grandmother that will stick with me longer than any china would.  I have many scars from my battle with breast cancer that I wear with pride knowing I fought hard and came out stronger on the other side.  My wrinkles are a sign of a life well lived.  What I see in the mirror might not look perfect to you but it is most certainly perfect to me. I have the freedom to work on other things in my life that are really important like health, community, relationships and spiritual growth.  I hope when you look in the mirror you see the perfection that is you and the beauty of your uniqueness.  I hope you strive for better health, strength and stamina not a size 0.  Change your view and change your life:)

Fuel

I love a good cheeseburger.  Hand me some cookies and I will most likely not turn them down.  My biggest food weakness by far is french fries.  Must be my German heritage but fried potatoes are the most amazing thing on the planet.  If I could eat this way all of the time I would given the choice.  But.....we get out of our bodies what we put into them.  Case in point.  Last week I was REALLY craving a burger so for lunch I had one.  I then proceeded to teach two cardio classes that night and completely tanked.  I was sucking air and watching the clock wondering if I could get through it.   The next day I had a really healthy veggie salad for lunch.  I proceeded to teach two classes that night and felt great.  I am taking us back to a previous post because it really is how you look at it.  I can look at that salad and say to myself "gee, I wish I was eating a burger right now" or I could say "I love how crunchy and fresh this tastes and I know I am going to feel great after I eat it".  How about this week we really think about what fuel we put into our bodies before we actually eat it and pay attention to how our bodies react.  Good luck!

Failing

I really hate to admit that I watch reality TV but I do.... it is somewhat of an addiction.  People fascinate me.  One show I watch is Survivor.  I was watching an episode last night (while doing sit-ups, lunges, and squats... just kidding.... I was sitting on my booty eating popcorn) and there was this young girl on the show.  She was talking about how she has never failed at anything because she never puts herself in a situation where she could fail.  I used to be a PRO at that.  When I was her age (early 20s)  the worst thing in the world would have been to fail at something.  I was easily embarrassed and humiliated and if I did fail at something it would wreak havoc on me for months.  I am not sure where the turning point came.  I think it was probably after my mom passed away when I was 23.  I realized that life is short and you better just do as much as you can with the time we have here.  Don't get me wrong, I really don't enjoy failing.  I don't think any of us do, but success is so much greater when we have failed a few times in the process.  It is so easy to stay in the comfort zone and not reach out and push ourselves beyond where we think we can go.  You never know until you try and in trying you might fail.... but you also might succeed.  We have to learn to laugh at ourselves, be a little crazy and allow ourselves the grace to grow.  I have literally fallen on my face in front of a ton of people but I picked myself up and brushed myself off and moved on.  What new thing will you try today that gets your heart racing at just the thought of it?  That is where life lives:)  

Choices

I don't care where you come from.  I don't care how much money you have.  I don't care how many friends you have or what you look like.  This life is about choices.  Every single one of us goes through tough times.  You might not know mine and I might not know yours but it is a certainty that life gets rough.  It is how we handle the rough times that defines who we are.  How we choose to look at a situation has a great impact on how it will affect you and those around you.
I used to hide behind my long blond hair.  I used to think it was part of me.  It wasn't until I lost it all during chemotherapy that I realized it wasn't a part of me at all.  I chose to look at the bright side and guess what?  It ended up being the bright side.  I love not having to worry about my hair any longer.  There were days when I would have a hard time getting off of the couch - I just didn't have the energy - but it was a perfect opportunity to snuggle with my kids and get to know them better.  On an average day I would have been doing laundry or cleaning or cooking.... something other than spending that quality time with them.  As crumby as I was feeling physically is was the perfect moment to really get to know my kids and what was going on in their heads.
There is ALWAYS a way to look at a situation and see the positive side of it.  We don't get to control very much in this life but one thing we can control is how we decided to look at things.  So, next time you look in the mirror - see the beauty.  Next time you are frustrated, angry, unsatisfied or depressed - take a deep breath and see if you can turn it around.  Choose to find patience, serenity, satisfaction and joy.  You won't believe the difference it will make.