As joyful as this time of year can be for many it is also a very difficult time for some. I myself reflect on when I lost my Mom at age 23 five days before Thanksgiving. I was also diagnosed with cancer 3 years ago 4 days before Christmas. The holidays can be stressful remembering those that are no longer with us. Many people have financial burdens that are compounded this time of year and for those struggling with health and weight loss there are temptations around every corner. How do we manage? I am not a doctor or psychiatrist but I want to share with you how I stay positive, satisfied and at peace no matter where my life takes me or what time of year it is.
1) Be thankful. Easier said than done but when you find gratitude in even the smallest of things your life takes on new meaning. Once I stopped "asking" for more and started counting what I already had I felt "full" instead of "hungry" all of the time.
2) Forgive. Whatever wrongs others have done to you holding onto it only hurts you. When you feel the freedom that comes with forgiveness you will breathe easier.
3) Find satisfaction in yourself. This one is very difficult for me but when I remind myself that I was born exactly as I was suppose to be I can relax a little and learn to love those extra moles or lapses in memory. When we turn our "flaws" around and call them unique qualities we have a new perspective.
4) Practice giving. Whether it is the parking space everyone is after or the last cart at the grocery store the joy that comes from giving (especially random acts of kindness) is profound and pure.
5) Breathe. Grown ups need time outs too. Sometimes all it takes is a full 60 seconds to calm your breath down and slow your heartbeat. When we can get our physical bodies under control our minds don't go so crazy with the "what ifs" or the "I can'ts" or the "I don'ts". Are all of those things you are really stressed about life and death?
6) Find faith. Your faith may be different than mine but having faith in something larger than yourself ( Humanity, God etc) gives you something to hold onto. I have had multiple times in my life where I felt like I was free falling with nothing but a crash in sight. If I did not have faith to hold onto I surely would have splattered on the ground.
7) Exercise (of course). One of the BEST stress relievers. Instead of forgoing your workout to get the shopping done try to squeeze at least a few minutes in. It is ironic that the one thing that can really help relieve stress is also the one thing that we don't make time to do when we are stressed out.
Suzanne and I wish all of you a very enjoyable and peaceful Thanksgiving. We hope you find small things to be thankful for in your lives as well as large things. We are very thankful for each and every one of you and will count you in our blessings on Thanksgiving day.
Eleven years ago I moved to this area. I had a 3 year old boy and a baby girl on my hip at the time and was hoping this would be the place I would land for awhile. After the long search for the perfect house we finally moved in and I immediately got to know my next door neighbor - you might know her - her name is Suzanne;) We both had 3 year old sons and a bit in common and we hit it off right away.
One day she was telling me about her part time job as a fitness instructor and told me I should come check out her BodyPump class. I had never set foot in a gym. I was always so intimidated by them - "what if I can't do it?", "what if I am not wearing the right thing?", "what if I make a fool out of myself?". I mustered up the courage to go mostly to impress my new friend - I didn't want her to think I was a wimp.
My heart racing I did my very best to follow the choreography and have good form using these things called weights :) After one class I was hooked. Her teaching ability truly inspired me to push myself and I could not believe how FUN it was!
When I had a few classes under my belt I decided to venture even further into the unknown and try a class that Suzanne didn't teach. There was this dance class on Wednesday nights that sounded intriguing - I always enjoyed dancing at parties but I had never (ever) taken a single dance class in my entire life. "Oh well, lets try it. If I make a fool out of myself I don't have to go back". Two of my now mentors were the instructors of that class. I must admit the first class was challenging and I left feeling a little frustrated but found myself trying to remember the moves once I got home. I also found myself thinking about it all week so that when Wednesday rolled around again I was ready to give it another try. Somehow those instructors motivated me to try harder and kept me coming back for more. Eventually, I was going every week and loved that I could learn a whole dance routine.
Fast forward to today. After many certifications in different formats of fitness classes my love is truly dance. I have a deep appreciation for anyone who can dance and especially those who have helped me learn how to dance along the way. There is something so freeing and passionate about moving your body to inspirational music. I have now tried to follow in my mentors footsteps by creating a constantly moving, multiple style, fitness dance class - the Mash Up. Please come give it a try on Wednesday nights at 6:30. I want to share my passion with you and help you fall in love with dance as much as I have.
I have been a major recipient of incredible generosity throughout my life. I have also been incredibly blessed with amazing family and friends. When Suzanne and I opened The EDGE we wanted to use the business to give back to our community - not only by providing a fun and affordable way for people to gather and be healthy but also by contributing to local charities. Last year we had a lot of fun coming up with ideas for how to raise money for causes we cared about and things that have touched our lives. We raised money for the Pismo Beach Fire Department, American Cancer Society, Lucile Packard Children's Heart Center at Stanford, The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and the Society of African American Engineers at Cal Poly.
Our Edge community is incredibly generous. You have helped us to make a difference and we have come together on a united front for many things but on top of the financial giving we have seen so much more. You offer each other encouragement. You take a few extra minutes to check in with someone who might be new or feeling a bit intimidated. You let us know how your classes are going and encourage us on your way out. You trust us with stories from your lives and let us in. I can't tell you how many times I have found "anonymous" angels who have put new paper towels in the bathroom or turned off the fans etc. We are a family and it really shows.
On October 27th we will be walking with our Edge team - team knowlEDGE - at the second annual 5k Making Strides for Breast Cancer walk in downtown SLO. The EDGE will be leading everyone in a warm up before the walk starts and then we get to enjoy a beautiful stroll through downtown neighborhoods. All of the money raised will go to help local people with breast cancer. We would love to raise more money and have more people on our team than last year. If you feel called to do so think about signing up for the walk. There is no fee for entering and no minimum fundraising requirement. We will be closed the day of the walk so this is a fabulous way to get your workout in - not to mention you know we are going to have a blast! If you have never done a walk I challenge you to try this one - you wont regret it! Thank you for being all that you are - YOU are our greatest gift at the EDGE!
As we approach the first full year of being in business I have been reflecting on all of the challenges, milestones and people we have experienced along the way. The things we have learned and the growth we have experienced as women business owners has been surprising, exhausting (at times) but most of all rewarding. Many things we thought would happen didn't and many other things that we were not expecting did happen. We knew that we would meet amazing, determined, dedicated, accepting and positive people. "If you build it they will come" right? This was the atmosphere we were going for and boy did you deliver! Our EDGE family could not be built any better - there is not a bad apple in the bunch! You have all so inspired us and we learn so much from you on a daily basis. Some of you we see regularly and others come in spurts but every time you walk through the door you bring the sunshine with you. Most of the time just walking through the door is the hardest part. We love watching how you connect with others in the studio and have made friends. We love to watch you challenge yourselves but most of all we love watching you grow stronger.
I have always been the kind of person who likes to do things on my own. I want to know I can do things without any ones help. That is pride I guess, and too much of it. I have always wanted to own my own business. My father had his own business and from a young age I wanted to do the same thing. After being a fitness instructor for several years the idea of opening my own studio would roll around in my head often but I never really had the courage to jump. Suzanne had been having the same thoughts too. We were not sure what owning this business together would do to our friendship - it was a big risk. What if we didn't operate the same way? Was it worth risking our friendship and the friendships of our families over? The answer came back yes. I am so happy that I did NOT do this on my own. If I had I would have nobody to share the joy with. Suzanne has always been an incredible friend - with me through thick and thin when the floor was about to drop out. She reads me, knows me and understands me. I would not have wanted to be on this adventure with anyone else. I love her more and more as we move through this chapter of our lives together.
What I am trying to say is that life is worth sharing. Milestones and goals and successes are worth sharing. Challenges and failures are worth sharing too. As you move toward your fitness goals find someone you can share the ride with - it makes it so much more enjoyable. Besides, you will always have someone there in case you fall:)
I love you EDGE family! Thank you for a great first year and I hope it is one of many!
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!
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!
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!
