I started working out when I was 17, and I had one goal in mind- I wanted to be skinny like the girls in the magazines. However, as I worked towards that goal, I started to feel different. I felt stronger, more capable and empowered over my body . . . I felt in shape. Exercise changed my focus from how I wanted to look to how I wanted to feel. I realized that being in shape was so much better than just being skinny. So at 18 years old, I wanted to help people feel good about themselves instead of trying to feel good by looking like someone else. I became an instructor and a personal trainer when personal trainers were scarcely found. I heard so many stories of how people wanted to lose weight, to be skinny, to disappear in to the shadows of the figures they saw in the fashion magazines. What I started to realize then and what I am sure to be true now is that people are beautiful in all shapes and sizes and what makes them stand out is their confidence, their self esteem, their inner strength and the way they move.
I encourage my students and clients to celebrate their bodies by moving with strength, power and grace. I tell them not to hate their butt and hips which they always thought were too big, but to use them to dance, to jump, to run to kick to move in as many ways as possible. If they say their arms are fat or they stomach is too soft, I say, “ Move your arms, pull your abs in,” If they feel low or depressed I tell them to “straighten their backs, walk with your head up, and breathe”. I have one rule that must not be compromised, “Do not think negatively about your body, for your body is a mirror of how you perceive it”. My approach to fitness is very specific. If you change your mind, you will change your body and you will improve your life.
My workouts are hard, and they are meant to be, because even though you think you are working your muscles and organs you are actually training your mind. My classes will give you the tools to succeed in any situation. Yes, you will get tired but I will help you persevere, you may struggle but you will not quit, your limits will be tested, but as you complete the class you will know success. And the beauty of this approach is when you focus doing your best you will look your best.
I created center 8 studios to teach people how strengthen their minds by working their bodies, and how to celebrate life through movement. I hand selected a group of instructors that are dedicated to fitness and are passionate about helping their students. My philosophy is great teachers = great classes= great students. Our goal at Center 8 Studio is to introduce every student to their inner athlete. . . the voice inside of all of us that wants us to be our best. Some of you may have forgotten that voice and some of you may have never heard it but it is there, waiting to help you live up to your potential. At center 8 studio we will teach that voice to sing!
