Strive for Progress

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I think this is a saying that we could all live by.  It's good to have goals and to work towards something specific however sometimes we get lost along the way.  We push so hard to reach that one goal and forget to be proud of all of the work and progress we have made.  Over the last week and a half where I have started my more intense marathon training schedule I have learnt to focus more on that specific session than my overall goal.  Don't psych yourself out.  I haven't lost sight of my big goal but I have also learnt to take pride in every little step and to celebrate each day as progress. Don't be discouraged if you set a goal for yourself and you aren't seeing instant results.  Some days are going to be better than others - keep working towards that big goal but don't forget to take the time during your path to celebrate your progress along the way.   

 

And for a little motivation to keep going...

 

Image Source:  Unknown

Ah.. yes.. don't mind if I do!  Thanks Ryan... :)

I am curious what type of music keeps you guys motivated during your workouts?  Here are some tunes I am currently rocking on my playlist:

No Diggity - Fare Soldi Rmx
This Is How We Do It (Viceroy "Jet Life" Remix) - Montell Jordan
Treat Me Like Fire (Star Slinger Bootleg Mix) - Lion Babe
What Would You Do (City High Cover) - Bastille
and for some local flavor... Scarecrows - One Bad Son

Wishing you a weekend of goal butt-kicking (no matter what your goals are!)

 

The Positivity of Pride

(Photography by Holly Marquette)

The Positivity of Pride

'I have never met someone who is living a bold and successful life - and by successful I mean prosperous, kind and in touch with meaningfulness of what they're doing - who has apologized for being perfectionistic, mercurial, unrelenting, or whatever their slightly controversial hallmark characteristics are.

You will always be too much of something for someone:  too loud, too big, too soft, too edgy.  If you round your edges, you lose your edge.

Apologize for mistakes.  Apologize for unintentionally hurting someone - profusely.

But don't apologize for being who you are.'

- Danielle Laporte

Setting Fire to My Goals

Image Source:  http://www.zimbio.com/

 



I strongly believe that the best thing to do to get your body in shape for advance pole levels, or any aerial fitness class really is to keep up your cross training.  Whether that means you are at home doing push ups, curl ups with soup cans, hitting the gym, bootcamps, swimming, running, anything really to keep you working all of your muscles is going to help you push yourself to that next level.  What's the point in staying the same when you can always be better?

Well for me, my cross training passion is long distance running.  Ever since I was in Elementary school running has been my passion. I think it stemmed from the fact that it was the first ever activity I did and really excelled at. I ran long distance at track meets with school, city wide, and province wide. It quickly became something that I did when I wanted to celebrate or even to cope with something. Running has always been my escape.

This year I have decided to push myself to the next level.  I want to really challenge myself and for me there is no greater feeling then the rush of crossing a finish line.  That last little spurt to the end where you are running so fast you think your legs aren't even attached to you anymore is what I am going to push myself to do.  I have my eyes set on running the full Sask marathon at the end of May.  I have never trained for a full marathon and so as I get closer, I may find that my body wont allow me to run such a distance but I am not giving up without a fight. 

Whatever you choose to do as your cross training I hope you do something that challenges you and that you are passionate about.  Never stop trying new things that push you to be the best that you can. 

 

My First Aerial Hand Stand

I’m proud to say I was able to do my first ever hand stand yesterday at the Aerial Hammock Instructor training course! This isn’t a move we will likely include in our beginner level Aerial Fly Fitness classes at ClubMynx but it is something participants can work towards later in their training, and it’s so much fun! Believe me I do not have super human strength, so if I can do this, so can you! That’s one of the things I enjoy most about AFF…it makes it possible for even beginners to do some fun tricks in the air.

Today we learn all about using the hammock for pre and post baby clients. I’m excited about this because after just having Ella 10 months ago, this is totally the type of class my body craved post baby. I’ll keep you posted as the training progresses. Hope you’re all having a fabulous weekend back home!  

Amy Guion's Bendability Fitness!

When Amy Guion was at ClubMynx this past weekend, she ran a free Bendability Fitness workshop for the LadyMynx Pole Club.  At the workshop we worked on all three of our splits, and it was awesome!!

If you have seen Amy's pole videos or pictures, she is incredibly flexible.  Her lines are so beautiful to watch.  However, in the workshops she talked about how many years she had to work to becoming flexible, and that being flexible wasn't something that came naturally to her.  I think that's one of the best things about meeting Amy, she was so honest about the work that she put into her goals, and she gave us many tips and tricks to help with our own flexibility goals.

As a naturally inflexible person, you can't believe how excited I was to hear this!! It made me feel like there is hope for anyone and that with a lot of hard work, it's possible for anyone to get their splits and have a more flexible body. 

Flexibility is such an important part of pole dancing.  If this is an area that you want to work on, check out Amy's Bendability Fitness products to help you out: 

bendabilityfitness.com
Bendability Fitness on Facebook!
Bendability's Online Store!

Adventures in Aerial Fly Fitness Update

I continue my adventures in Aerial Fly Fitness today, as I travelled to Boulder CO, in prep for the Instructor Teacher Training course I am about participate in over the next 3 days. I’m staying at this amazingly quirky home at the base of the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, where the air smells like campfire wood and freshness, the house is filled with Indy jazz music and I feel like Julia Roberts in the movie Eat. Pray. Love. The vibe here is so fantastic. Within walking distance is this awesome fresh marketplace where I picked up a bunch of market veggies, freshly ground coffee and other healthy snacks for the weekend, and I walked back carrying the groceries in the paper bag they gave me. Love it! This city of under 100,000 people is known for the hippies it attracts and the people here are very connected and artistic. I was told there are over 300 yoga studios in this city, and I can see why so many are drawn here. 

Tonight as a fun way to get prepared for the weekend training, I attended a drop in hammock class as a participant in the Aircat Aerial program and it was so much fun! There was a mix of absolutely brand new, and some experienced participants. My favorite parts were the deep stretch I was able to get (ahhh my back and neck thank me), and the fun standing on the hammock poses I learned tonight. I am amazed at how great I feel after taking a class. I can’t wait to offer our own version of this program at Mynx! I’ll keep you posted as I continue my journey. 

PS. For those of you checking in, I am proud to announce that I completed my challenge of 2,000 full body push-ups and am very proud of myself. I feel a lot stronger and can even notice a difference in my waste because you use so much core in push-ups as well. It’s a great thing! 

Amy Guion at ClubMynx!!

This past weekend Amy Guion made a stop at ClubMynx on her Canadian tour to teach 4 workshops:  Beginner/Intermediate Master Class, Fake It Til You Make It, Advanced Master Class, and Bendability.  This was such an amazing opportunity as Amy was our first pole star at ClubMynx!

With Amy's pole experience, we learned new flow combos, new tricks, and learned how to stretch for our splits!  Not only that, we got to ask countless questions about proper ways to train for specific pole moves, pole conditioning, competing, what life is like in L.A. and the Pole Sport Organization Competitions which she founded with her business partner Bayleigh Pettigrew.

Throughout the next few days, I'll post more pictures and experiences with Amy here.  In the meantime, make sure you like her personal Facebook page as well as the Pole Sport Organization Facebook page!

Get on Top of Things

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As a woman who suffers from an intolerance to gluten and dairy products it is always a constant struggle to find snacks and quick meal fixes that I can eat on the go.  I am a lady who is always on the go and I tend to find it incredibly difficult and frustrating to not be able to just stop anywhere and pick up something quick and be good to go.

For me, picking a restaurant is a chore.  Many times I end up settling for something that my body can't properly digest simply because it is a quick and easy option.  This usually seems worth it in the first five minutes because I have filled my belly but shortly after my body takes a turn for the worst. 

Over the past year and a half I have come up with a few snacks that I can eat without setting my body into a whirlwind of unhappiness that I'd like to share with you:

- Fresh fruits chopped up (I am a sucker for sliced apples with peanut butter)
- Hard boiled eggs (Not for everyone I know, but for me they are quick to make and I can toss them in a zip lock bag and eat them on the go)
- Fresh sliced veggies (I am not a fan of plain veggies with no dip so I tend to make up a little dressing with olive oil and vinegar with salt and pepper and just lightly drizzle it on my veggies)
- Rice crackers (Plain or with a little hummus is delicious too!)
- And of course...water!!  (Drink it!!  Its good for you, makes you and your body feel better!)

The hardest part for me is to plan ahead and this is usually where I get into trouble.  If I have healthy food on me - I eat it.  But the second I get too busy and need a quick food fix I get stuck.  Because of my diet restrictions - I have to be careful where I go to pick up a meal because most restaurants do not carry foods that I can eat.  It's a pain in the butt but once you get into a habit of planning your meals for the week it definitely takes that stress off of your plate.

For me, I try to spend a few hours on Saturday morning or Sunday afternoon where I can cook up a few things and even bag some fresh veggies and fruits so during the work week mornings I can just grab a pre-packed bag of healthy treats!  How do you guys plan for healthy snacks during the week? 

 

Bruising is Beautiful

I’ve been on a mission this week. Working hard on the Aerial Fly Fitness hammock, took a private Aerial Hoop lesson with Brigitte, and just finished a Pole Fitness workshop with Amy Guion. All of this has resulted in…sore muscles (yay) and lots of strange bruises haha. I love it. I’m wearing them like badges of honor…they are my body’s way of instantly telling me “you’re working hard to learn new skills”. Do you have any strange bruises or funny stories about explaining to people why you are so banged-up? Share please!  

Feelin' the Love

Happy Valentine's Day!!

Today is the day to celebrate love! Whether you are celebrating with that someone special in your life, your dog, or the random stranger you run into at the grocery store, I hope your day is filled with happy feelings that warm your heart.

Most importantly, don't forget to love yourself today!  Here is a great quote for that thought:

'You can search throughout the entire universe for someone who is more deserving of your love and affection than you are yourself, and that person is not be found anywhere.  You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe deserve your love and affection.' - Buddha

So how are you going to treat yourself today?  Maybe you will decide to start taking care of your body with more exercise or better food choices?  Or perhaps you want to spend the day resting and relaxing?

The greatest gift I give myself is pole dancing; I love that it makes me feel strong, creative and free!  Before pole dancing I had a very low self-esteem and a poor body image. Pole dancing has completely changed the way I feel about myself... I now love myself! Now what's a better gift than that?!

How does pole dancing make you feel?

Photography by Holly Marquette

Carnival of Sex!

As Dawn posted yesterday, the University of Saskatchewan's Student's Union (USSU) hosted the Carnival of Sex on Saturday, February 9.  Dawn and her friend Jaylene gave out information to everyone interested in pole dancing, while Megan and I performed our pole routines.  We had such a great time!!  A very big thank you and congratulations to the USSU for putting on such a great event that promotes positive sexual health!

A few highlights of the evening:
- There were fantastic carnival games that we could play such as 'Pop My Cherry', 'Hit the Clit', and 'Cock Ring Toss'.
- Megan and I tried our hula hooping skills, which turned out to be quite hilarious (hip circles with a hula hoop is much different than pole dancing hip circles).  If I could capture our pictures below it would be something along the lines of 'THIS IS SO MUCH FUN!!'
- There was a game called 'Hit the Clit'.  I decided it was a great opportunity to reenact my birth.  I just knew I was born with false eyelashes and sparkles on my face!!

As a random side note, this blog is turning into a fantastic opportunity to post hilarious and embarrassing pictures of myself and my friends, which leads me to my next point... don't take yourself too seriously in life!  There is nothing better than being able to laugh at yourself!

 

Performance Videos from Carnival of Sex

The University of Saskatchewan Student’s Union (USSU) hosted a Carnival of Sex event on Sat Feb 9^th and it was so much fun. They had some awesome games to play, crazy prizes and lots of fabulous entertainment. ClubMynx was in house, spreading our love of pole fitness, and Brigitte & Megan performed two amazing carnival themed numbers. Check them out below! AMAZING!

Love is in the air

The week of Valentines tends to bring out a variety of emotions in people.  I like to think about Valentines the same way that I think about my life goals.  No matter where you are in your life - single, dating, married, divorced, whatever the case may be - celebrate it.  Be proud of yourself and your relationships.  You may have spent months growing as a person, mending a broken heart, having fun with your single gal pals, spending endless moments of falling in love, maybe even rekindling a love you thought was lost.  Whatever the reason - celebrate it and be proud of what got you to this point. 

 Photo Credit:  Le Love Blog 

I think about my goals in the same way.  Whether you make big strides in the day to reach your goals or maybe just baby steps - it doesn't matter as long as you are moving forwards.  It's important to find a way to be proud of ourselves, what we have accomplished and what we are working to accomplish.  Every step of the way has been a big one.  We are our biggest cheerleaders so don't be shy - give yourself a self high five and take this moment as a time to celebrate yourself and all that you have accomplished and all that you are going to accomplish.

Happy week of looooovvveeeee!

 

r + r ?

Photo Credit:  A Piece of Toast Blog

Funny how at the start of the week I said I needed to schedule in a little r + r into this weeks schedule... only to catch a cold that knocked me on my butt.  You can fight it all you want but when the body says 'rest up' you better listen.

Instead of a productive weekend of hitting the market and getting in some pole practice I will be nursing a runny nose, cuddled up with blankets, and eating a bunch of popsicles until I turn into one (whether its true or not, when I am sick I turn into the 5 year old Ashlyn who believes eating a popsicle will make my sore throat go away!)

But don't you fret - I will still truck through my 100 squats a day!  Cabo - here comes the bootylicious popsicle girl from Saskatoon!

Happy Weekend readers!  I hope you stay healthy & well rested!