Pilates Mat - An Expectations Post

So what can you expect at Hip Circle Studio classes?  I'm going to do my best to give you a peek into the different classes we offer through a series of "Expectations" posts.  Of course, seeing is believing, so I hope this is just enough information to help you give a class a try.  Nothing is a replacement for the live experience.

I found Pilates, in a way that stuck, about 2 years ago.  I had attempted a class SEVERAL years ago that was not a good fit - it moved very fast, wasn't taught with modification options, and left me feeling inadequate and sore.  I am ever so grateful to Fayth for offering a deal for her studio, Sixpax, for showing me what Pilates could be!  I was hooked after just a few sessions with her, was seeing results in my core strength and appearance, and didn't hurt (beyond I-just-worked-out-muscle-soreness)!  I also noticed an unexpected change in my bellydance technique - the focus on core strengthening was one thing, but the extra awareness this brought  made me a better, stronger dancer.  I studied with Fayth and now am thrilled to have Pilates Mat as a class at the studio.

What Happens in a Pilates Mat class?

We are focused on your core muscles in this class, and get them stronger by doing exercises in a variety of positions - on your back, on your side, on all fours, on your stomach, standing - you name it, it might happen in a class.  The movements are slow and controlled, tied to your breath, so you have plenty of time to figure out how to make your body make them happen.  One of the nice things about our Pilates classes is that I'm either showing the move or watching you do the move - we're not moving together.  This means you get a good view of what your goal is in whichever posture before attempting the move, and feedback from me while you're doing the move.  It's almost like you and your 7 class-mates (I limit the number of students to 8 to be sure I'm able to give each of you ample attention) are each in a private session, getting tips and pointers specific to you and your body.


You work on a mat and don't wear shoes.  Socks are great for some of the poses but unless you wear a pair with grippy bottoms you'll take them off for others.  We have mats available for you to borrow or you're welcome to bring your own.  Squishy is better for Pilates, so if you have a super-thin yoga mat you might want one of ours underneath for cushioning.

There is background music playing, the lights are dimmed, and the mood is focused but light.  Each student moves at their own pace and level, working so that their body of today is challenged in a non-competitive environment.  Sometimes it's just you and your mat, but we do use props (foam rollers, bosu balls, resistance bands, Pilates rings) from time to time to get at the muscles in a different way or to support a modification that's needed.  Each class is a little different, changing based on who is in attendance and on my focus for the month.  

Prenatal mamas are welcome throughout their pregnancy - do let me know as soon as you arrive (or better yet, when you sign up) so I can offer modifications throughout the class.  Postpartum mamas are also welcome once cleared for exercise by your doc/midwife, and babies (pre-crawling) are welcome in our Friday morning class.  If you have an injury or area of concern it is important to let me know before we begin so I can help you make safe choices and modifications throughout the class.

What you WON'T find in our Pilates Mat classes:

• Beginner shaming
• Competition
• Pushing you to do a pose/exercise your body isn't ready for
• Unsafe poses/exercises

Pilates can be for everyone.  I hope you give it a try! What questions can I answer for you about our Pilates Mat classes?  

One for the New Year

It's that time of year.  As December comes to a close it seems like we're all supposed to resolve to do or be something different or at least better starting January 1st.  As the owner of a dance and fitness studio I see the benefit of these resolutions - so many people seem to have "lose weight" at the top of their list of resolutions...enough so that the fitness industry banks on the trend.

Don't get me wrong - I WANT women to come in, especially those who are getting started on their path to health and wellness.  Yes, coming to classes can help you lose weight if you pair that change with looking at your food (both in terms of what you eat and your relationship with food/eating in general).  What makes me pause is the motivation and reasons behind the goals.

I also get the draw of the clean slate that the coming of a new year brings.  There is something really appealing about starting things on the FIRST of something.

And I get that taking stock of where you are as a year comes to a close is a way to see things about yourself or your situations that you want to change.

I wish, though, that we could all focus on the positives rather than the negatives.

I know that what I'm *supposed* to do is offer specials to lure in The Resolvers and get them locked in now before they give up on their resolutions.  First month free (on a 12 month contract) - you'll see that out there time and again in my industry.   Or I'm supposed to promise HUGE changes for clients - lose 20 pounds in 4 weeks, drop 3 sizes in no time - while they're in this vulnerable brain space.

That's not how I work.  It's not how I want to work.

Personally, I want people to start (whatever the date) working towards a healthier life.  I believe that moving and breaking a sweat is a really good step towards that goal.

I want people to make a positive commitment to themselves ("I WILL" statements rather than "I WON'T" are a good start) that they can and will keep because doing so makes them feel good.

I want people to start small and gain success so they can maintain the changes for the whole year (and the rest of their lives).

Professionally, I want women to find their way to the studio (whatever the date) as they work towards that healthier life.

I want them to try a variety of classes until they find the ones that make them smile.

I want them to commit, to themselves, to coming to one class a week for at least three months to make it a strong habit and something they look forward to each week.

I want them to feel so good after that one class that they organically find times and ways to move more throughout their week.

When ready, I want women to be in touch with themselves and their body enough to help define a good and healthy relationship with their food.

If that happens for them as of January 1, 2014?  Great.

KangaCardio™ - An Expectations post

So what can you expect at Hip Circle Studio classes?  I'm going to do my best to give you a peek into the different classes we offer through a series of "Expectations" posts.  Of course, seeing is believing, so I hope this is just enough information to help you give a class a try.  Nothing is a replacement for the live experience.

I created KangaCardio™ about 5 years ago, though it had a different name at the time.  My intention was to create a class that allowed moms with wee ones (6-weeks and older) to get out of the house, connect with other moms, AND get a workout all in one trip.  I used the information I had gained through my Zumba training and my Group Exercise certification, as well as my experience working with moms and babies as a postpartum doula, to craft the class.  The result was a fun, moderate-intensity level workout in which moms could wear their baby.  Success!

What happens in a KangaCardio™ class?

Moms arrive and get their baby on in the carrier of their choosing.  We've had moms in ring slings, front carriers, and back carriers - much of the choice depends on the age and weight of the baby.  Favorite carriers have been the Moby (linen, not the stretchy t-shirt material) and the Ergo, but I swear we've pretty much had every carrier represented over the years!

The music starts and we get moving quickly (the babies don't like standing still)!  We use several basic dance-fitness moves and, of course, bellydance moves to get and keep our heart-rate up throughout class.  Everything we do keeps baby moving with mom in a way that is similar to what one might do to soothe baby out of a fussy state.

The music is loud enough to hear but chatter happens over the music - we talk about baby-related things in equal measure with current events and general topics.  No topic is off limits in class and a lot of questions get answered from among the community of moms in the room.


When a baby needs to nurse or eat, mom slows down and moves off to the side.  The same happens if there's a diaper emergency mid-class.  These pauses are totally welcomed and understood since the whole room has either been there or will be there soon enough!

That reminds me...Fussy babies (and their frazzled moms) are welcome!  Every baby benefits from the movement of dance, but the fussiest of the bunch may benefit the most. Check out this list of tips from Dr. Sears - you'll find wearing baby at #1 and dance at #2.  Need I say more?  

We are sure to cool mom down and do a good stretch.  Some babies retire to the floor for stretching time while others stay on mom.

What you WON'T find in KangaCardio™:

• Jumping
• Sharp movements
• Inversions
• Mom-shaming (all parenting choices are respected at the studio)
• Age limits (if you can wear your baby you're welcome in KangaCardio™)

If you have a wearable baby, I hope to see you in a KangaCardio™class soon!

Hula Hooping - Try it!

Read on for our first guest-authored post!  Cynthia Narcisi, our inaugural Hoop instructor at Hip Circle Studio, shares her love of hooping and gives you a peek into what you can expect in your first Hula Hoop class!

You might’ve noticed that hula hooping is a big trend (again) and no longer just for kids. It’s gotten a ton of media attention lately.  You’ve seen Kelly Osborne hooping, Marissa Tomei hooping, and even Ellen DeGeneres hooping (who knew?).    Good Morning America recently did a segment on it, too.  So all this might be what has inspired you to try hooping. And if it has, then great! But maybe there’s more to it than that. Maybe you want to lose weight. Or spend an hour having fun and connecting with other amazing women. Maybe you want to just move your body in a brand new way.  It could be you just want to prove to your inner child you finally, FINALLY, got that hoop to stay up! As kids, some of us were great at it, but most of us really really struggled, myself included.   I’d wind it up, give it a whirl, and then PLOP!   You can expect you absolutely WILL learn how to waist hoop. And you’ll have a LOT of fun while doing it because we don’t just stand there for an hour with the hoop on our waists. We hoop it like we mean it! 

Aside from waist hooping, we also:

• Hoop on the hips, chest, and shoulders.

• Hoop off-body such as on the hands and above the head.

• Hoop while we move (it’s no fun to just stand still, so we walk, turn in circles, do grapevines, all while hooping!)

What else can you expect? You can expect to use a larger sized hoop! They’re adult sized (and hand-made with L-O-V-E), meaning they’re much larger than the toy hoops you’re familiar with. Larger sized hoops are excellent for beginners so please don’t feel offended if I suggest you use really big hoop, probably MUCH bigger than what you’ve ever seen before.  A larger hoop will spin more slowly around the body, making it easier to control.  Remember how fast those lightweight, small toy hoops would spin? That’s why you had trouble with them. 

You can expect NOT to use weighted hoops. With hooping being so popular you may have been tempted to buy hoops that weigh anywhere from 3-15lbs. While that might not sound like much, all that weight (plus the additional force of the spin) pulling against your spine can actually cause injury to the lumbar area and bruising on the hips. Our hoops weight less than 2 lbs. and people love them! So we also ask that you don’t bring your weighted hoops to class as we really don’t want you to injure yourself. We provide hoops and you can also purchase them at the studio.

There are a million reasons why I love hula hooping and why I think you will too. Here are a few:

• According to American Council on Exercise, waist hooping burns 400-600 calories per hour

• Hooping strengthens your core and back

• Hand-hooping will give you amazingly toned arms
• It improves your balance and coordination

• Here’s the best part: It reduces stress!  

• Always wanted to try meditation but couldn’t do it? Hooping is literally a moving meditation!

What else can you expect in Hula Hoop class? You can expect lots of individual attention since we keep this particular class size small (max of 6) due to space requirements. It’s like a semi-private lesson every time! You can expect me to cheer you on like crazy because I really REALLY want everyone to walk out of class feeling accomplished!  Expect a variety of ages, sizes, and backgrounds which means, you guessed, you will fit right in!

When you come to class please wear:

• Cotton everything! The hoop will slide on anything shiny or synthetic.

• Fitted tops (or at least nothing baggy). The hoop will get tangled in loose-fitting shirts. Bottoms can generally be as loose fitting as you feel comfy with.  Yoga pants are great for hooping too.

•  Footwear? You can go barefoot or wear an aerobics shoe or a Zumba shoe if you have them.   Running shoes are nice too because they’re lightweight.  

Here’s the last thing you can expect: You can expect to become addicted to hula hooping! 

I hope to hoop with you soon! 

  

Expectations - Bellydance BaseFusion

We are a cautious people.  We like to read reviews before buying an item or trying out  a recipe.  We like to choose our practitioners based on referrals from friends and family.  We like to see pictures and video of people and places before we meet them or plan a visit.  Having an idea of what is going to happen before it happens seems to make it easier to take that leap into the unknown.

So what can you expect at Hip Circle Studio classes?  I'm going to do my best to give you a peek into the different classes we offer through a series of "Expectations" posts.  Of course, seeing is believing, so I hope this is just enough information to help you give a class a try.  Nothing is a replacement for the live experience.

Bellydance BaseFusion

The Description - Discover the fun inherent in the basics of bellydance in this beginning level class. Each week will include a variety of moves to expose you to the basics of how the body moves in bellydance and the fusion styles used by Malik and Zahara Fusion. Regular practice in using combinations will prepare you for taking on Intermediate Bellydance. You’ll also work your way up to being comfortable with improvisational dancing thanks to the strong foundation presented in this class. Students can be as young as 8 and as old as the sun. Students under 12 must attend with their parent.  

Translation - the focus is on fun, this is a beginning level class (no experience necessary), you'll learn all sorts of moves, you'll practice free dancing, young  girls/teens are welcome, and there's another level class to aim for.

But, what's going  to happen when you walk in for your first class, right?

• You'll encounter women/girls who are different.  Honestly, I don't think we have 2 students that look enough alike to be confused for each other!
• You'll take off your shoes and socks.
• You'll get to choose a coin belt to borrow (unless you bring your own).
• You'll be greeted warmly by me and the other students.
• You'll move!  We do a gentle warm up to prep your heart, muscles, and joints, then get into the content for the week.  Each class ends with a 3-5 minute free dance time before we cool down and stretch.
• You'll chat! We're a friendly bunch and we while away our drills (yay, shimmies!) with light conversation.
• You'll laugh! Nothing is taken too seriously in this level - we're here to have a good time and get to know (maybe even love?) our bodies.  Critiques and such are saved for the intermediate level classes.
• You'll hear a variety of music, from all over the world, while dancing in class.

What don't you have to worry about in our BaseFusion class?

• Baring your belly.  You can be as dressed as you'd like in this class, though it is easiest for me to help you master the moves if you have form-fitting (think yoga style) clothing.  Feel better in a huge t-shirt and baggy sweats?  Go for it.
• Your two left feet.  Heck, bring three if you have them!  Perfection is not the goal in this class and we're not packed in like sardines so there's room for "interpretation" of directions.  Honest - if you've had bad experiences before that have left you with the notion that you "can't dance" this class can help you turn that around.  Everybody can bellydance.
• Competition.  There is no "winning" in our classes (at any level), so there's no need to compete.  I am beyond thrilled with the community of women we've gathered at the studio and how their first instinct is to help and welcome new folks.
• Fat/Skinny/Young/Old bashing.  ALL WOMEN ARE WELCOME!  Let me say that again...ALL WOMEN ARE WELCOME!  However you are, whoever you are, you can walk into the studio and know you'll be accepted.  Every.Body.CAN.Bellydance.

Now it's your turn.  Comment with your experiences from coming to Bellydance BaseFusion.  If you haven't been yet, come give it a try and then add your comments into the mix.