New Adventures!!

This month was a very big month for me in terms of change; January 29 was my last day working at the University of Saskatchewan.  It is bittersweet because I love and respect everyone I worked with.  It was my first job out of business college, and I will forever be grateful for my first 'big girl job'.

But life is about change, about exploring new opportunities, doing things that scare you, and stepping outside of your comfort zone.  I have given up the desk job to work at ClubMynx to teach pole, hoop, and taken in any other opportunity that comes my way!


For as long as I can remember, I have had a passion for the performing arts.  I can't believe that I get to live this passion now! It reminds me of one of my favorite quotes from Mary Anne Evans:

'It is never too late to be what you might have been.'


This picture was taken when Keeley, Nicola, Megan and I were at Pole Convention last year in L.A. We stopped at the beach to take pictures and this really captures how I feel right now.  Excited for all the unknown possibilities to come!!

Inspiration

Always invite inspiration to reside in your heart!

 

 

Squat Challenge

Almost two weeks ago Keeley and I started on a 100 squats a day challenge.  I don't know about her - but I didn't set an end date for my challenge.. which now that I think about it is a little silly.  Am I going to do 100 squats everyday for the rest of my life?  Well, I guess I could.. and probably should but that challenge seems a bit much.  So to set a more realistic challenge for myself I am going to set a technical end date of April 7, 2013.  I am leaving on the 8th to Cabo so that seems like a pretty good end date if you ask me!

So far, I have been doing great!  When I first agreed to it I figured I would like it for about 2 days and then have a lazy day and never start up again but that hasn't been the case.  I have been sticking to the routine of 100 squats a day and I could not be more proud of myself.  I know, I know it's not a big goal by any means but hey, so what!  It's MY goal. 

Some days are easier than others.. for example, coming home late at night snuggled up on the couch watching TV when BAM it hits me that I have not yet completed my challenge.. so I sit for about 15 minutes fighting with myself ...

1.  I could get up, push through the 100 squats and then snuggle back up on the couch.
or
2.  I could argue with myself all night and choose to not do them.  This would leave me feeling guilty all night and all of the next day too.

In the end I overcame the battle with myself and I got those 100 squats done and I must say it felt good to shut myself up!

The one piece of advice I'd like to share is:  Quit making things so hard for yourself!

I think I Can...I think I Can

As I go through my journey of learning Aerial Fly Fitness, I’m beginning to discover that my biggest obstacle is my mind. When I am challenged by new poses and am having difficulty with them, the little voice in my head will chirp up and say, “Come-on Dawn, you’re not an acrobat or aerial artist so why bother”. I begin to doubt myself and wonder if I’ll actually be able to do this. BUT WAIT! NO! This is something I really want…this is really important to me and I can’t and won’t give up. So I slap that little voice in the face and shout back, “I can do this! It may not be easy, but every day I get better so kiss my upside-down butt”. Haha.

Lately I have drawn a lot of motivation and support from instructors on the ClubMynx team. To me so many of them have advanced to stages where they hang upside on the pole with ease, and to me they seem almost as if they have acrobatic super powers. BUT when talking to them, I realize that they don’t. They are regular women just like me. They started from having never touched a pole, and have worked and worked and worked to get to where they are now. They too faced challenging thoughts that crept in along the way but found ways to push beyond those limiting fears. This inspires me more than they know. So with their inspiration in mind, as I continue my journey I will repeat to myself every day…I think I can, I think I can…in fact I KNOW I CAN.

PS. I’ve past the 25% mark on my push up goals (550 full body push ups in the past 10 days). If you’re joining me, keeeeeeep going!

Taboo Show!

This week we are gearing up for the Taboo Show - The Naughty, but nice, Sex Show - this Friday Feb 1st, Saturday 2nd and Sunday 3rd. Its a trade show with everything considered Taboo or naughty.

Its funny cause sex is a healthy and natural part of being human, so really, the show isnt naughty or taboo. Its a trade show full of vendors, seminars, entertainment and information about the subject.

I will admit, it is one of the FUNNEST trade shows I have ever been to.  Its dimly light, people are really accepting and open, the environment has no judgment, its just a fun trade show to experience.
The vendors range anywhere from adult toys and lingerie, to hot tubs, bed sheets and tampons. So its not just sex.

This year, Nicola, Megan, Brigitte and myself, will each be performing pole routines on the main stage on Friday and Saturday at 8pm. 
The crowd at Taboo is great and they are always excited for some hot pole dancing!
My personal pole style is quite sexy (I try to channel Alethea Austin lol) and this is a great venue for sexier outfits and more body waves! Of course us Mynx girls still keep it classy - we always do, but its different from any other venue Ive performed at.

We are also doing informational seminars
Friday 8:30pm - Learn to Lap Dance
10:30pm - The Art of Sensual Movement

Saturday - 7:30pm - The Art of Sensual Movement
9:30pm - Learn to Lap Dance

I will give you a heads up! If you do plan on coming to the show, the lap dance seminar is going to be lead by me, and my "man" that will be sitting in my chair is Brigitte!
So please dont be alarmed, its strictly professional! I figured to put an actual guy in the chair would be unfair to him, (and potentially humiliating!) to get a lap dance in public!

Also, Friday is 2 for 1 ladies night! Buy your tickets at the door.

Hope to see you there!
xoxo

Jammin' at the PoleJam!!

On Friday, January 25 we had another LadyMynx Pole Club PoleJam! The evening started with a one hour free workshop from Nicola talking about Pole Conditioning.  Following that we practiced spins, tricks, handstands, inverts, and freestyling.  It was such a positive evening with lots accomplished!

Below are a few pictures from the evening.

 

 

Soaring To New Heights!

As Keeley mentioned, this was the exciting week that we started our new Aerial Hoop classes!

Teaching hoop this week really reiterated a big life lesson for me:  You have to put yourself out there and try new things!  At the start of both classes, you could feel a few nerves from participants because let's face it, whether you are six years old and it's your first dodge ball game, or if you are 27 years old and trying a new skill like aerial hoop, putting yourself out there and trying new things can be a little scary.

By the end of both classes, the nerves were gone, and I had a bunch of hoop ninjas on my hands!! If these girls were too scared to put themselves out there, they would have missed out on the experience to be amazing!  I'm so proud of everyone and can't wait until our next class on Monday!

Is there something in life that you'd like to do but are nervous to try?  Put yourself out there!!  Life is too short to sit in the shadows!

Why being upside down is GOOD for you!

I’m not much of an acrobat, gymnast or monkey girl. Before I started practicing on the aerial hammock, I hadn’t spent much time being upside down. But recently I’ve spent a lot of time working on inverted hammock moves and I’ve learnt a few things from research that are pretty interesting. Apparently it’s really good for you to be upside down! If you’re looking for a full list of medical benefits, there are thousands of articles on Inversion Therapy, but below are two of my personal favorite benefits of being upside down:

Goodbye achy back & hello better posture:
I’m going to be honest, most of the time when I’m working I don’t pay attention to how I’m sitting or how my body is positioned. I know it’s important to practice good posture, but it often doesn’t cross my mind until I start feeling the effects of sitting poorly. I usually feel it in my upper back and in my neck, but sometimes if I’ve been sitting to the side or on one foot, I can feel it in my lower back too. There are many causes of back pain, including poor posture, weak back and stomach muscles and misalignments. Gravity works against us here. What is awesome is that inverting puts gravity to work in a good way to elongate the spine by increasing the space between the vertebrae, relieving the pressure on the discs, ligaments and nerve roots. It also aids in reducing muscle tension. All of this is awesome for me, and I can honestly say that even after only 30 seconds of being upside, I feel relief in my back and neck which is great. 

Managing stressful days:
I think that if people really knew how packed my schedule is and how much I have on my plate, they would think I’m crazy to take on as much as I do. BUT I love my life and I love feeling energized and passionate about being involved in so many things. That doesn’t mean I don’t feel stress though. Some days stress can take over and it’s important for my mental sanity to slow-down a bit haha. What I have found is that being upside down in my hammock is a great way to take a break and relax. I usually turn on some “spa” type music, do some upper back and neck stretching and then go into a basic inverted pose in my hammock and just let all the tension seep away. It’s amazing! Through research I’ve also discovered that inverting also makes it easier for our heart to get fresh oxygenated blood to the brain, it improves circulation and all of this can relate to an improved mood. Yay for managing stress in a healthy way!

Medical Source: Energy Center; http://www.energycenter.com/grav_f/benefits.html

Hello! And the First Aerial Hoop Class!

Hello everybody! 

 

Like Ashlyn said, I should introduce myself first.   My name is Keeley - you may have seen me around Mynx for the past few years. Ive been taking classes here since the day it opened in Sept 2008 and started working here not long after. I am the Studio Manager, so you may have spoken to me on the phone, seen me working up front during the day, teaching drop in fitness classes or pole classes! Chances are I have met you before.

 

Im fairly new to the world of blogging. I tried it once (briefly) as I thought blogging about my weight loss journey would hold me more accountable, but alas, it did not! hahahaha

 

Actually I am on a healthy mission this year to reduce my body fat % and lose a few pounds and so far so good! Its been surprisingly easy and I think this time, the key to the success Ive had, is an aMAzing support system! I have quite a few friends kind of on a similar path - different goals yes - but doing it all together really helps. I will post my progress as it happens! 

A funny story about  Operation: Body Fat Loss, is I have been eating large amounts of protein. My diet used to consist of random food, low protein, not many veggies, fruit and lots of carbs. Oh I love carbs!  I didn't plan ahead for my lunches or cook enough at supper for left overs or prepare snacks, so I would usually eat convenience food which is loaded with carbs.

 

With this new change, you are supposed to eat approximately 1 gram of protein per kilogram of body weight. So I should be eating around 60gms of protein a day - not an easy feat for me! Plus loads of veggies, and I do allow my self carbs, but I try to have them once per day and I still try to fill my plate first with veggies and proteins before the carbs. 

 

Anyway, a VERY easy source of protein is eggs. And on one of the first days of my lifestyle change, I called Brigitte. And I said, you will not believe what I ate today. I ate 2 chicken breasts, 1 cup of cottage cheese and 1 DOZEN eggs, plus a boat load of veggies! ( I seriously did consume all of that and I was still hungry, plus I drink 4 litres of water a day lol)  She laughed and said "OMG Im going to call you Michael Phelps! He said in an interview, while he was training for the Olympics, he would eat a dozen eggs a day!" 

 

But surprisingly, I eat massive amounts of food in a day and Im eating every 2 hours. I started Jan 7th I believe and since then I have lost 5 lbs and 3.5% of body fat already. How do I know how much body fat Ive lost? Well I purchased a digital scale and it measures weight in pounds, body fat %, water %, muscle mass % and bone mass in lbs.  I highly recommend getting one of these great scales! They are fabulous for tracking and monitoring your progress. It really puts things into perspective of what your body is made of and that the number on the scale isnt as scary as it looks. 

Now, for what I was initially going to post about! The 1st Aerial Hoop Class! 

On Sunday Jan 20th I taught 'the very first Aerial Hoop class at ClubMynx! For the time being they are being held in a temporary space as our ceilings at the Mynx studio dont allow for this type of rigging.  

 

The first class was so much fun! What a great group of girls! Its really neat to think about it because this is the first class of its kind (that we are aware of) in Saskatchewan, so to be a part of something in its infancy stage is amazing. And for the girls in the class to also be the first to take the program is also a neat feeling! Im so excited for the possibilities and the future of Aerial Hoop. I wonder how high we can fly?! 

 

If you are wondering if hoop or pole is for you, or if you can do it - no one can tell you yes or no, so why not give it a try? In each class there are so many different abilities. And that is actually my favourite part of pole and hoop. Is that everyone IS different, and that's ok.  Everyone moves differently, uses their muscles differently, and catches on at their own speed. There is no right or wrong way to learn or catch on, there is no rule book as to how long it should take or will take. Even your ability to learn differently from instructors plays a huge part as a person might connect differently with different instructors. So I say....

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” - Mark Twain

Here is a pic from Sunday's class!

Oh hello there

 

Well I guess I should start off by introducing myself... my name is Ashlyn and if you haven't yet met me I'm sure you soon will.  I work at the studio, take all sorts of classes and have also recently added performer to the list.  I knew the minute that I walked into the studio that it was where I belonged and that hasn't changed one bit!

 

One thing you should know about me is that I am inspired by absolutely everyone and everything I encounter.  I am very passionate about everything that I do and have learnt to live by this quote:  "Be reckless enough to gamble all or nothing to follow your dreams" - John Galliano.

 

I'm excited to share my journey with you and hope that you don't mind my quirky personality and odd sense of humour!

 

 

Adventures in Aerial Fly Fitness

I’ll let you in on an awesome secret…ClubMynx is going to be offering Aerial Fly Fitness beginning in June and we are so excited! If you have no idea what I am talking about, picture a super fun fitness class that combines a fusion of aerial arts, dance, total body strengthening and deep stretching…all done using a hammock suspended in the air! It’s so cool trust me, and it’s suited for all levels and abilities. Over the next few months as I go through the training and development phase of this awesome new program I am going to be sharing my experiences with you, and am so excited to have you along for the journey!

My adventure begins with me getting my butt in gear and ready for an intense 20-hr Instructor Training in Denver on Feb 22-24. To prepare I have been on the hammock (which I have hung in my basement) daily for the past two weeks and am also doing lots of push-ups and eating very clean. My personal challenge which started yesterday is to complete 2,000 full body push ups before I leave on Feb 21^st. If you’re up for joining me, that’s roughly 65 a day. Here’s a pic of me as I start my journey with ClubMynx Aerial Fly Fitness! 

          

Pole Conditioning - A new experience!

Today was my first class teaching Pole Conditioning! I have such a great group of hardworking girls, so I'm very excited to be teaching it.  A big thank you to Nicola for teaching me all her pole conditioning teaching secrets (how to kick as much booty in the shortest period of time!), and for letting me shadow in her classes.

After class I felt really strong.  It reminded me that when I started pole dancing 2.5 years ago, I couldn't do a push up from my knees.  Today I felt like I was in Beast-Mode!!  We did 60 push ups among many other things. Way to go girls!!  That's one of the many reasons why I love pole dancing, you go far beyond what you ever think is physically possible!!

As a random side note, that is my dog, Wimbley, sitting on the couch watching me flex.  My other dog, Missy, decided to take a nap instead.

Have a fabulous week!

Aerial Hoop Workshop!

On Saturday, January 14, some Mynx Pole and Fitness instructors had an aerial hoop workshop.  Below are some pictures from the day.  I'm so excited that ClubMynx has offered a new alternative fitness program!
 

If you always wanted to join the circus when you were a kid, now you can!  Well you may not want to literally join the circus, but you can feel like an aerial superstar!!  Can't wait to teach these classes!
 

 

 

    

Progress!

Exactly a year ago I made the decision to start to stretch.  I have never been flexible so this was quite the challenge.  After 3 injuries, countless hours of hard work, and going to physio, it was a long journey but I'm so glad I stuck with it!

 

If you want to do something, tell yourself you can do it, and go for it!!  It's a lot of hard work but it's worth it!

Pole Dancing is more fun with a friend!

Looking back at practice pictures from Celebrating Sexy 2012.

Here are Jamie and Ashlyn practicing their doubles routine.  It was fantastic!

 

A quote from Keeley

"Sparkle is a color." - Keeley Andrews