MAY I HAVE YOUR ATTENTION PLEASE...

Ok, now that I have that, may I have your UNDIVIDED attention please?
I don't know about you, but the latter is a difficult thing for me... For most of my life I have been a chronic multitasker. It's not uncommon for me to be on my laptop, with the TV on, taking on the phone and playing fetch with my cat, Charlie (yes, I have a cat who plays fetch, he rocks). Often times, I feel a little something like this...


Now, I know it is much more effective to do one thing at a time and do it 100%, believe me I do. After all, if I am doing 3 things at once and giving each thing about 30% of my attention, I can't expect to get much more than 30% out of them. I think this mug (which I need to have) says it perfectly:
So what is a girl, who has to do 10 things at a time, to do???
PILATES! That's what.
I know you're probably thinking, "Wait, what? How did we get here?" but just hear me out...
The whole philosophy behind Pilates, is bringing the Mind and Body together, thus the only thing the mind can be focused on during a successful Pilates session is the body.
One thing at 100%- Are you with me now? Good.

There are Six Principles of the Pilates Method:

1) Breath- Properly connecting breath to the movement, which enhances circulation and helps remove toxins from the body
2) Centering- Initiating movements from the core or "powerhouse," and using these muscles to control the rest of the body
3) Control- controling of every aspect of every movement, so you are "in control of the body, rather than at the mercy of it." (I absolutely LOVE this quote by JP)
4) Fluidity- Flowing seamlessly from one exercise to the next, creating a dynamic series of movements and building strength and stamina
5) Concentration- Connecting the mind to the body, and knowing exactly where it is in space and what it is doing.
6) Precision- Proper form is essential to ensure you gain the most benefit.

As you can see, there's really no room to think about anything else, for it to be effective... And I don't know about you, but when I step into a session (or workout of any kind) I want nothing less than 100% of the benefits. Now, I am using what I know about Pilates and working to bring that kind of attention and focus into my everyday life tasks... I can honestly say I have gotten better! So, if you are like me, do yourself a favor, and try engaging in something that it is impossible to turn into a multitask. You will start to find it easier to give your UNDIVIDED attention, and also very rewarding.

image 1: mindcafe.org
image 2: buzzaboutscience.com

BOOTCAMP IS IN & PILATES IS OUT...

HOT

NOT?

This issue has been floating around the internet a lot this week, do to a study put out by the American College of Sports Medicine, on projected fitness trends for 2011.

I say, "Why not both?" This in or out/hot or not thing is silly. It's likening these exercise systems to over-the-knee boots, or jeggings. I love how people like to call Pilates "trendy" or a "fad". Guess what... it's been around since the early 20th Century, and in my humble opinion it's not going anywhere. If you love Pilates, you love Pilates... period. I realize I may be sounding a little snarky, but clearly I am sensitive to this issue, because Pilates is not only something I believe in, it's also how I earn a living. The biggest argument posed by the article was that Pilates is too expensive. I think people are forgetting that Pilates was originally developed on a mat. A mat is what, $40 at most? And, furthermore, most reformer exercises can be mimicked with smaller hand-held equipment (stretch bands, magic circles, mini-balls, foam rollers).


I love the mat workout and find it very effective. Give me an hour and I'll give you a total body workout. Now, I'm not saying that the reformer, chair, or cadillac aren't effective, rather that the "too expensive" argument doesn't really hold any water.
The truth is, there really is room for it all. I know that Pilates is not for everyone, and neither is Boot Camp. The same could be said about Yoga, or Spinning or long distance running, or kickboxing...the list goes on and on. I think we have to realize that it's amazing that there are a plethora of exercise options open to us, and then try to see the ways in which these systems can work together, as opposed to against one another (I, myself, have been known to take a Pilates class on Tuesday, a Boot Camp class on Wednesday and Yoga on Thursday). In fact, this article in the NY Times from just a few months ago talks about how the Army has revamped its own training and fitness regime to combat (pun intended) less physically fit troops, who were getting injured more often. You should definitely read the whole article, but here is a little snippet I found quite interesting:

The new fitness regime tries to deal with all these problems by incorporating more stretching, more exercises for the abdomen and lower back, instead of the traditional situps, and more agility and balance training. It increases in difficulty more gradually. And it sets up a multiweek course of linked exercises, rather than offering discrete drills...

Some of the new routines would look familiar to a devotee of pilates, yoga or even the latest home workout regimens on DVD...“It’s more whole body,” said First Lt. Tameeka Hayes, a platoon leader for a class of new privates at Fort Jackson. “No one who has done this routine says we’ve made it easier.”

So, you see, even the ARMY (who invented Boot Camp) thinks there is room for both. What more proof do you need? I mean, I certainly would want this guy in my Army...

I don't know what is going to happen in 2011, but I do know this: I teach a Pilates mat class at the same time there is a Boot Camp class in the studio next door, and BOTH classes are always full. I'm just sayin'...

photo 1: mscareergirl
photo 2: Jay Sullivan
photo 3: Yogamad
Joseph Pilates Photo: I.C. Rapoport

CAN YOU BAKE A PIE??

YES I CAN!
One of the things I have been wanting to cross off my Life List, is going apple picking in New York, and then making an apple pie... after 6 years of living here, I have finally done it! Jay just got a motorcycle(!), so I hopped on the back with a backpack to bring home the goods, and off we went.
It was, literally, the perfect weekend for a ride. The sun was shining, and the leaves were at their peak- the colors were amazing! I maintain that the best way to see the fall foliage is on the back of a motorcycle. It was so nice to get out of the city for a day and get some fresh air. Check me out playing Biker Chick:


We ended up about 75 miles north of the city at Fishkill Farms.


The PERFECT apple:




They give you a big bag and you can fill it for $20! We (ok I) may have gotten a little carried away...


Note to self- 20lbs of apples is kinda heavy- especially on the back of a motorcycle.
But we made it home and I got to work!
Prior to this I had made 2 pies in my life, both pumpkin for Thanksgiving, and I was super happy with the Martha Stewart crust or- if you are fancy- Pate Brisee recipe I used, so that's the first place I went. Martha has never let me down when it comes to baked goods...
For the filling, I found her Classic Apple Pie Recipe, which I modified a little: I did a traditional top instead of the leaf cutouts, and I eliminated the egg wash (egg yolk and heavy cream), and used a little water on top instead.
I also used a technique I found on this video (still Martha) for the bottom crust. Instead of rolling out the bottom crust you press it in the pie pan a little at a time. It cuts the dough rolling in 1/2, plus it makes an awesomely rustic and thick bottom. I will do pies like this from now on. **I didn't use the recipe from the video, so feel free to just skip ahead to the crust pressing part.


The first one was so good (And we had enough apples for 4 pies), I decided to make another one!
This time I got a little fancy and went for some leaves.

I found a star cookie cutter from Christmas and turned it into leaves by making the veins. Worked like a charm! I could feel myself channeling Martha!


Of course we didn't get any after it was baked because we were just too excited to eat it. I am sure there will be many more pies in our future, though... and many more Pilates workouts to counteract that butter crust!

THE GSMtm...

worked for me! My lovely -and very smart as you will see- friend/walking buddy Jen is the mastermind behind the GOAL SETTING MATRIX(tm) and she was kind enough to share it with me on one of our walks back in September and I am now passing it on to you!
First, I want to give you a little background and tell you about my own personal GSM. As I have been hinting at, I am making some big changes in my life that have been a long time coming and are now actually happening!
Some of you know that I got my college degree in Musical Theater. After school it was Broadway or bust- in other words, find a restaurant job. And that is exactly what I did. I started bar tending right when I moved here (completely by accident by the way, I didn't know a margarita from a martini). It seemed like I perfect gig... and it was. My days were free to audition and I only worked 3-4 nights a week.
Fast forward 4 years... I had done some regional shows and also a tour, and every time I came back I start another bar job, and at this point, despise them all. I was also in an awesome relationship, and could see myself marrying this man and quite honestly don't have much interest in leaving for another tour or anything. I needed something more stable. There had to be another way... which brings me to PILATES and the joy of finding something that I love AND can make money doing! Heaven.
Fast forward 2 more years (this past September to be exact)... I am MARRIED- just had our 1 year anniversary! A certified and working Pilates instructor! And still bar tending... : \ I realized this was necessary in order to get my Pilates business off the ground, but right now, if I am not teaching I am bar tending and I would like to have a life and maybe even see husband every once in a while. So the time had come. I was ready to take the plunge into being a full time Pilates instructor!
Enter, Jen with her GSM. It was unbelievably helpful to me and I hope it will be for you too:


JEN's GSM(tm)

"So the Goal Setting Matrix or GSMtm...after reading a lot of self-help/goal-setting/be an effective person type books, I figured out a way to boil down goal-setting into a one-page reference.

Take a piece of paper, turn it horizontally and draw a rectangle covering the whole page. Draw a cross so that the rectangle now has four boxes in it. Each of these boxes is a quadrant in your GSM:

Quadrant #1 (top left): Write what you want your goal to be. Use the statement "I will" so that the universe knows you mean business. For example, "I will become a pilates instructor."

Quadrant #2 (top right): Write down the date you want to complete your goal. You have to have a "finish line" in order to know if you've crossed it!

Quadrant #3 (bottom left): Write down the people you will tell about your intended goal, along with your date. The reason for this is threefold: some or all of these people can support you and encourage you to complete your goal; some of these people can actually help you achieve your goal; by telling other people you make your intention real -- no backing out now.

Quadrant #4 (bottom right): Break down your goal into manageable steps for achieving your goal (you can also make individual GSMs for any of these steps if it helps you), preferably with target dates to keep you moving along."

And now, I give you my GSM:



You'll notice the date is November 1st, which is NEXT WEEK! It feels so good to be so close to the finish line! Here goes nothing...

**** VERY IMPORTANT: I, in no way, want anyone to think I am knocking or judging bar tending as a profession. It is a great and valid job and requires a lot of skill. It has given me so much in my 6 years of doing it- including my husband. It just isn't for me anymore and in order to move forward with my Pilates career it was time to let it go.

PROMISES, PROMISES...

Yes, a musical currently running on Broadway, but also... something you shouldn't make unless you intend to keep.


With that being said, I apologize for (unintentionally) not keeping mine. As you have probably noticed there haven't been any new videos this month, which I promised there would be. I should have known better. The truth is, that whole "overwhelmed state of being" hasn't really let up, and something had to give. Thus, the videos have just been put on hold for a little while. I am also taking the Weekly out of the titles. I hope to have Lean Body Workouts back online soon. In the meantime, please continue to watch the videos that are up, and if you are in the NYC area, come take a real-live Lean Body mat class (see schedule to your right), or private session from me.
I am working on some really cool upcoming posts-including my first ever apple pie and an awesome goal setting and achieving method- so I hope you will stay tuned even though my appearances have been rather sporadic lately. I don't promise to do better, but I do intend to. I pinky swear...


Just kidding.

GIVE ME THE MUSIC...

I have been playing around with incorporating music into my Mat Classes, lately, and I must say, it is quite enjoyable! It's been pretty gloomy here in NYC and my students and I needed a little pick-me-up. Music always puts some pep in my step, so I thought I'd give it a shot.
Until now, I never used music, mostly because that is how I was trained, and quite frankly it's a lot of pressure to choose the right soundtrack... I have taken classes with and without music, some successful, some not. The best playlist is one that you notice but aren't tuned into, so that the mind can still focus on the body. The music should enhance the movements, not distract from them.
So without further adu, I give you a Lean Body Pilates Mix for your listening and Pilates-ing (not a word) pleasure. Enjoy!


1. Dog Days Are Over- Florence and the Machine
2. Black and Gold- Sam Sparro
3. Sweet Disposition- The Temper Trap
4. Giving Up the Ghost- Dj Shadow
5. Drum Song- The Temper Trap
6. Tight Rope- Janelle Monae
7. Terrapin (Mr. Scruff Mix)- Bonobo
8. Forever- Chris Brown
9. Chaimbermaid Swing- Parov Stelar
10. The Last Dance- Parov Stelar
11. Wanna get- Parov Stelar
12. Spy Game- Parov Stelar
13. Let the Drummer Kick- Citizen Cope
14. Shine- Black Gold
15. Shot in the Back of the Head- Moby

IT'S OFFICIAL...

I am overwhelmed! My current state of being can best be described by this cartoon:


There's a lot happening with me and with Lean Body Pilates, and it's all starting to catch up with me. I tell you this, because ordinarily I would be releasing a new Lean Body Weekly Workout today, but I really needed a week off and regroup. I hope you all understand...
I promise to be back next week with something great! In the meantime, you can view and do past Lean Body workout on my You Tube Channel or the Lean Body website.