Need some motivation to keep going this week? Well, not only does exercising regularly make you look good and feel good, it also makes you SMART!

Here are 2 fun facts to get you through your next workout and on your way to becoming a GENIUS:

1. New brain cells development
Exercise stimulates the formation of new brain cells (neurons). Also, exercise strengthens connections between those cells. The areas of the brain that are stimulated through exercise are associated with memory and learning.

2. Cognitive and mental function enhancement
Physical activity improves cognitive performance, information processing and may delay cognitive impairment and dementia. For instance, older adults who engage in regular physical activity have better performances in tests implying decision-making process, memory and problems solving.

In my many years of searching for relief (including a nerve-block injection, many many months of physical therapy, yoga, pilates, and much more) I’ve found that exercises based on The Lotte Berk Method like CoreFusion (what I taught for several years), Physique 57, The Bar Method, The Dailey Method (which I also taught), and the others  have really helped my lower back.  So much, that I became a teacher of the method! And now that I have been teaching this method for over 8 years, I have not only experienced the benefits myself, I have been able to help other people achieve relief from steady sciatic pain.

What worked for me has been a combination of core strength with hamstring, gluteal (piriformis muscle specifically), and hip stretching.  The best combination for the body is to have a structurally strong body with strong muscles that have great range of motion.  And THAT is exactly what makes the methods I mentioned above so wonderful for the body.  Each of these exercise methods combines strength and flexibility to keep the body feeling and looking its absolute best.  They all have different styles, but each place focuses on the strength and length of the muscles.

What makes DEFINE unique, is our goal of achieving complete balance through both our DEFINEbody and DEFINEmind classes.  While living in NY I also came across a method called Yamuna Body Rolling.  This very detailed and thorough method combines elements of massage, chiropractic work, and anatomy precise movements.  This takes muscle work and length to a new level.  This method allows you to safely get even “deeper” into the muscle to allow for complete release (better than physical therapy or a lot of massages).  And the best part, is that you can control it yourself.

We all have lower back pains at times, but keeping it in check and balanced is what I’ve found to be a daily challenge.  So, we want to help all of our clients and beyond feel that sense of balance.

Check out the following stretches to help relieve sciatic pain:

DEFINEbody

Standing Pigeon:  This can be done on a bed, countertop, or ballet barre.  If you are extremely tight in your hips, then try sitting into a figure four position or do this lying flat on your back.

Spinal Twist:  A great stretch for creating length throughout the entire body (both upper and lower) this stretch will directly release the piriformis muscle to give the sciatic nerve room to “breathe”…..and not scream!

Hamstring Flexibility and Cross Over:  If you have a strap, great.  If not, use a towel or possibly the string from your bath robe . Try doing these stretches every night before you go t bed, and you will start waking up feeling rejuvenated and refreshed.  Waking up from sciatic pain is NEVER a fun night.

Keep your core and inner thighs strong and keep the hamstrings, hips, and glutes flexible, and you will start immediately feeling better!

Did you know that brain tissue is made of 85% water? No wonder we start feeling tired, slow thinking, or possibly non-thinking in the summer! The summer heat and humidity really cause us to sweat, therefore, making it very difficult to stay hydrated!

This summer commit to drinking water throughout the day! Start by simply sipping every few minutes! Sip water vs. chugging it all at once! Each person is going to be different in the amount of water they need to consume, however, if you are feeling thirsty, then you are dehydrated!

Buy a reusable water bottle, keep refilling it, and simply sip to enjoy a clear thinking summer!

A major pioneer of self-healing and positive thinking is author and speaker, Louise Hay.  Personally, I find her style to be comforting and straight to the point.  She is the author of You Can Heal Your Life and her most recent book Experience Your Good Now.  I would highly recommend reading either or both of these books if you find yourself seeking that next step for yourself.  Whether it is for your health, your career, your relationships, etc. I am a very strong believer that our own negative thinking is what often holds us back!

And just in case you aren’t “buying this”…watch the fun video below.  Sometimes the pure innocence of a child will remind us that at one point, we were all very pure.  If anything, maybe we can start paying attention to what we are telling ourself.  And just maybe, we will stop listening to the “b.s.” that each one of us tells ourselves so we can start living happier and healthier lives!

Primary food is our relationships, our career, our physical activity, our spiritual life.  The idea is simple.  When we feel satisfied in these areas of our life (relationships, career, physical activity, and spiritual life) then we are feeling more satisfied with life, and therefore life is feeding us and not forcing us to look to food for satisfaction!

I encourage you to start getting in touch with your body&mind.  Start thinking about what you are craving and why you might be having that craving.  If you are craving pizza, maybe you are craving fat.  If you are craving sweets, maybe you need to introduce more fruits and sweet vegetables (sweet potatoes!).

At DEFINE, our goal is to help you DEFINE your balance in whatever way we can!  Check out the video, and let us know what you think!

Why Savasana?

At the end of each and every DEFINE class, be it body, mind, or express, you will find yourself worked head to toe, ultimately instructed to completely relax and take a moment for yourself in a posture we call, Savasana.

The practice of “Savasana” – also known as “corpse pose” is commonly used to begin or end many yoga practices. By definition, it is a “relaxing posture intended to rejuvenate body, mind and spirit.”

Your ideal alignment while in savasana includes lying flat on your back, arms and legs spread to 45 degree angles, feet having fallen open and palms turned up to the sky. The eyes are closed, the breath deep, and all the focus shifts inward as you visualize your chest and abdomen rising and falling with each breath. The body is mentally scanned form head to toe for muscular tension of any kind, which is consciously released as it is found. As you relax, you continue to release control of the mind and body, allowing it to return to balance and peace in a natural manner.

The typical duration of savasana varies based on your class, practice type, etc. Typically, after a few minutes, the body is carefully awoken through conscious breathing, flexing or gentle moving of the fingers or toes, circling the wrists and ankles, etc.

From a scientific approach, lying in savasana helps to bring the body back to an anabolic state of metabolism during which organ and muscle repair and development is occurring. This posture is taken to help relax the body from it’s previous highly active catabolic state and help transition one back to their daily balance and routine.

So, Savasa-nize and DEFINE your balance!

Have another wonderful week.  We look forward to seeing you soon.

From my many years as a springboard and platform diver, I had several lower back injuries that still cause me pain if I stop stretching and exercising.  My personal situation with my lower back requires me to find my own “balance” of core strengthening and stretching on a daily basis.  So, opening DEFINE was definitely self-serving (even if no one came to the studio, at least I would be getting my back healthy again), but I also knew that DEFINEbody and DEFINEmind would be very powerful classes that people would fall in love with, just as I did.

So what makes the classes so special?

1) Effective: The results within the first class or few classes will speak for themself.  You will stand taller, feel a refreshed energy, see your arms, legs, glutes, and abdominals looking firmer and leaner.

2) Efficient:  We organize each class to maximize your time.  We know your time is precious, so instead of just working harder and faster, we have time managed the classes to help you work smarter.  In our DEFINEbody class, we target all the major muscle groups and work them to a point of fatigue and then immediately stretch them out to produce amazing results.  Our DEFINEmind class uses chiropracty, anatomical alignment, and massage techniques with a ball so you can proactively lengthen and “iron out” any stress or tightness in your muscles.  You will experience a deep tissue massage at a group class rate (and you don’t even have to tip us !!!)

3) Fun:  With the great music, the personal focus each instructor gives, and the attention to form and positioning, you will have a great time in class.

4) Balance:  Each class is designed to help keep your body and mind in balance.  And even better, coming to DEFINE allows you to design your own recipe for “balance”.  Whether you want an incredibly challenging and strengthening class like DEFINEbody, or maybe you are wanting to spend more time lengthening and working from the inside out with DEFINEmind.  You can design what is right for you!

Take a mixture of classes that is right for you so you can, “DEFINE your balance”