Kripalu: Transform & Empower from the Inside Out: Oct.1-3

This blog dedicated to the exceptional women who joined me on a wonderful weekend journey in the Berkshires October 1-3 and gifted me with their abundant positive energy, enthusiasm and open hearts.

Every time I teach, I receive the incredible gift of knowing that we are all on this path of life together, that we are all teaching and guiding one another, whether we are officially in the “teaching” or “learning” position … and I experience an expanded sense of consciousness and satisfaction each time I see the light of recognition go off in someone’s eyes, because of something I have shared or a sign of true body-mind integration after giving a specific cue. And each time this happens, I receive a gift.

And therein lies the secret joy of teaching for me … that the true gift of teaching, of giving is in witnessing others’ transformation, because as we see those around us harness the information and tools that we give, we grow and transform at the very same time. That’s how the phrase “Heal Yourself, Heal the World,” came to me when I was creating *Waking Energy– we are all one, and when we give to others, when we share the fruit of our life experience with others, it’s literally the same thing as giving to ourselves- when we give, we receive, and we receive ten-fold in return.

And it is these shared experiences, especially those that happen in the intimate and beautiful environment that a place like Kripalu offers that serve as catalysts for significant change and growth in our lives. It is these moments that inspire us to find ourselves again, to acknowledge and care for ourselves and reclaim our power, our lives, our selves.

So it is with great gratitude that I write this blog to all of you who filled my heart with fulfillment and joy and helped me to transform and empower from the inside-out the weekend of October 1-3, and I can’t wait to do it again and see you all next time!

And just to whet your appetite for next summer, I wanted to share a descriptive excerpt from the “New Body Pilates: Transform & Empower” Workshop I have written about here today … the preview for Summer, 2011’s Waking Energy Workshop will be featured in my next Blog.

Enjoy!

Experience a kind of Increase awareness of your body’s capabilities and untapped resources in this exciting, transformative workshop that will provide you with the tools to empower yourself from the inside out! Honor yourself just as you are and go beyond. Step onto the path of transformation.  Sculpt the body of your dreams, as you cultivate deep, inner core strength and a confident radiance that emanates from within, creating an outer reflection of your inner victories.

Build strength and endurance, increase suppleness and flexibility; enhance your range of motion, stamina and determination; feel fitter, stronger, sexier. Create the body you’ve always wanted,  as you become more confident and empowered! Reveal the shape you were always intended to have: long, lean, toned muscles, extraordinary abdominal strength and definition, enhanced overall muscular capacity, improved breathing, proper posture, reduced stress and peace of mind!

Transformation and empowerment from the inside out: Pilates, like yoga is about the process itself, a mind-body practice that promotes conscious awareness. By learning to focus on the present moment and the movement itself rather than the outcome,  you learn how to foster and facilitate evolution. The subtle magic of Pilates is that the work grows as you do.  As your strength and experience deepens, and you gain insight and focus,  you are able to refine and redefine the work,  rising to higher and higher levels all the time.

Access new power and create a deeper, more complete feeling of fitness, energy and vitality that remains with you days after your workout. This workshop will introduce you to Pilates’ six principles—concentration, control, centering, breath, flow and precision, enable you to move with maximum efficiency while minimizing stress on the body, using economy of movement (the fewest repetitions to achieve the desired result), while you focus on building unparalleled core strength and life force.  Energy gets directed to targeted areas while relaxing the rest of the body and activates the body’s endorphins, calming the central nervous system and creating a sense of tranquility and total well-being.  Pilates will change your body, and you will see immediate results. See how and why Pilates makes you fitter, stronger, sexier and how it slims your muscles and makes them long and lean,  how it turns the abdomen and lower back into a firm, central support for a newly supple and graceful body.  Come discover why Pilates is the most popular cross-training component for serious yogis and fitness enthusiasts, worldwide.

Pilates sees our physical activity as a fully integrated way to restore total oneness with ourselves and create harmony with our body, mind and spirit; exercise becomes the means to experiencing a personal potential greater than the physical skills themselves. Every movement emanates from the core, our “emotional center,” helping to balance and ground you. When you learn the advantage of paying attention to the energy, flow and rhythms in your exercises and see how pushing or forcing is counterproductive, you begin to apply this notion to the rest of your life. When you center your attention in the moment and act in harmony with time, you experience inner peace and fulfillment. By staying in the present, you can do less, yet gain more; paradoxically, you create more personal power and energy enabling you to have a greater influence over the outcome both in your sessions and long after you leave the studio.