Finally Seattle has had a glimpse of summer. It has been a long road of wait and August seems quite late to consider winter has finally ended. At any rate, I am joyful to be alive and enjoying this fun season with family and friends.
I feel a strong need to send a very heartfelt message to my friends fighting for their lives as I write this. I have decided not to use names so that your privacy is preserved but I know you know who you are. Cancer, in a variety of forms, has changed the lives of many of you in ways I can only begin to grasp. I get strength spending time with you, seeing you in class, or in the gym. I silently witness your amazing perseverance. When I have the chance to speak with you during a workout the message I receive is often consistent. Your workout is a lifeline to normalcy and one of the few moments in your week/month when the body becomes a friend again, something that gives you some momentary control and strength, something that reminds you of the great pleasure and gift that health is. Your battle is quiet, intense, often in pain and for many of you it has been waged for several years…an up and down roller coaster that won’t seem to let you get off and be YOU again.
Your forward push is continuous. Your honesty hits me deeply and my hope for your complete healing is overwhelming. It is an ache that I feel all the time. I have no idea what words to say to comfort you. I hope that any words I write or say are not presumptuous. I can’t possibly know what you are feeling. I know that I speak for many members, staff and friends who struggle with the emptiness of words to convey what we feel, what we hope, what we pray for. The helplessness we feel. Many of us would consider ourselves “fixers” in our lives. We tackle and fix the little things that in the moment seem like big things. It is you, my friends in this fight, whom continue to bring me back to earth to see in every day what is of true importance. For now, every time I feel the endorphins that build during a class…I do my best to channel them to you. Every time I am confronted with a difficult problem or task, have struggles teaching/working, am dealing with an injury, or begin preparing mentally for a tennis match I channel your strength. Whatever the end result, I know it is a minor hurdle, a small challenge. Most importantly, whatever the outcome, I have given it my best.
There is nothing I take for granted anymore. Life changes on a dime, we are all vulnerable and time is precious. We must all embrace life, embrace each other, because our journeys our intertwined. Everything we do and everything we are affects the person next to us. Time together is a gift and I cherish it, as I cherish you.
I pray in your journey you feel the masses of people behind you, cheering for you, praying for you and most of all being so joyful in your good news when it comes. God speed and my deepest love to you. May our glorious sun, even when hiding, always shine warmly on your face.
~Kari
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Friday, July 1, 2011
Stand Proud
One essential piece in the puzzle of fitness is good posture. It is something I talk about often in class because it truly does become the foundation from which every move will start. Good posture provides a state of balance between the skeletal and muscular systems. It will ultimately help you guard against injury and protect you from negative structural changes an imbalance can produce. It is never too late to start addressing the areas you know or suspect are out of alignment.
It is important to understand that if we can’t maintain a balanced and functional position while standing still how can we hope to be our optimal best in any sport or workout? Once you are able to evaluate and correct how you stand, sit and move so many other aspects of your life will improve. An understanding and awareness of where the different parts of your body are relative to each other is a gateway to better fitness and better performance. It is a precious linked chain that you want to protect.
Optimal standing posture (viewed from the side with head facing forward) will allow a vertical line to hang from the top of the head through the earlobe, through the cervical vertebrae, the shoulder joint, the lumbar spine and mid-line of the knee. The spine has three natural curves: cervical, thoracic and lumbar curving slightly anterior, posterior and anterior (respectively) on either side of this line. When you view yourself from the front you want to see equal and balanced halves on either side of this vertical line. Look at the balance of your ears, shoulders, hips, knees and ankles. The more you stand up straight, pull the shoulder blades back, down and together, align the pelvis…the more you will notice how you inevitably engage your core to create a brace of support. Seeing a specialist to evaluate your posture may be especially valuable in the long run.
Take a look at how you work at your desk or on your computer. If you have a tendency to slouch by rounding the shoulders forward and collapsing the abdominal area you put unusual stress on the ligaments of the back. This may create a laxity that translates into instability and weakness. This position tends to also result in one of the most common postural problems for all age groups, forward-head posture or FHP. Check yourself often. Be aware, adjust, align, contract, pull in...whatever it takes. These constant internal reminders help better positioning become habitual, your new normal.
It is also valuable to add some workouts/classes to your schedule that focus on posture, alignment, stability and balance. Consider working with a trainer or physical therapist, or design your own workout that that allows you to focus on the basics of good positioning. You must balance your sports, cycling, running, weightlifting, aerobics/step with classes or exercises that slow you down to help keep you on top of “how” you are moving.
You will need to strengthen weakened areas that may now be elongated and stretch shortened areas that are pulling you out of alignment. Feeling that your body is “stacked” in ideal neutral position will give you the confidence to stay active longer, work smarter, and progress more aggressively. You don’t want to lose your range of motion, coordination, balance and agility simply because the body has deteriorated from the stresses of misalignment.
I can’t emphasize enough that this is a lifetime commitment and endeavor. The passing years and new phases in life introduce different challenges. I continue to discover developing issues with my own posture, alignment and abilities every year. Aging is a challenge that we all deal with, and we are fortunate for that opportunity. Good posture is going to improve all aspects of daily living. It is time to rise to the challenge, take an active approach and help your body be the best it can be… for a long, long time!
~ Kari
It is important to understand that if we can’t maintain a balanced and functional position while standing still how can we hope to be our optimal best in any sport or workout? Once you are able to evaluate and correct how you stand, sit and move so many other aspects of your life will improve. An understanding and awareness of where the different parts of your body are relative to each other is a gateway to better fitness and better performance. It is a precious linked chain that you want to protect.
Optimal standing posture (viewed from the side with head facing forward) will allow a vertical line to hang from the top of the head through the earlobe, through the cervical vertebrae, the shoulder joint, the lumbar spine and mid-line of the knee. The spine has three natural curves: cervical, thoracic and lumbar curving slightly anterior, posterior and anterior (respectively) on either side of this line. When you view yourself from the front you want to see equal and balanced halves on either side of this vertical line. Look at the balance of your ears, shoulders, hips, knees and ankles. The more you stand up straight, pull the shoulder blades back, down and together, align the pelvis…the more you will notice how you inevitably engage your core to create a brace of support. Seeing a specialist to evaluate your posture may be especially valuable in the long run.
Take a look at how you work at your desk or on your computer. If you have a tendency to slouch by rounding the shoulders forward and collapsing the abdominal area you put unusual stress on the ligaments of the back. This may create a laxity that translates into instability and weakness. This position tends to also result in one of the most common postural problems for all age groups, forward-head posture or FHP. Check yourself often. Be aware, adjust, align, contract, pull in...whatever it takes. These constant internal reminders help better positioning become habitual, your new normal.
It is also valuable to add some workouts/classes to your schedule that focus on posture, alignment, stability and balance. Consider working with a trainer or physical therapist, or design your own workout that that allows you to focus on the basics of good positioning. You must balance your sports, cycling, running, weightlifting, aerobics/step with classes or exercises that slow you down to help keep you on top of “how” you are moving.
You will need to strengthen weakened areas that may now be elongated and stretch shortened areas that are pulling you out of alignment. Feeling that your body is “stacked” in ideal neutral position will give you the confidence to stay active longer, work smarter, and progress more aggressively. You don’t want to lose your range of motion, coordination, balance and agility simply because the body has deteriorated from the stresses of misalignment.
I can’t emphasize enough that this is a lifetime commitment and endeavor. The passing years and new phases in life introduce different challenges. I continue to discover developing issues with my own posture, alignment and abilities every year. Aging is a challenge that we all deal with, and we are fortunate for that opportunity. Good posture is going to improve all aspects of daily living. It is time to rise to the challenge, take an active approach and help your body be the best it can be… for a long, long time!
~ Kari
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Website
Hi everyone, In case you are noticing, KariAndersonfitness.com is not up and running just quite yet. The website will be launched next week.
~ Kari
~ Kari
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Follow Through…
Hello again! My last entry was sharing a bit about our recent shoot experience in LA. It’s been a crazy couple of months since then and I am happy to say the new DVDs are in duplication and will soon be available. We have been working hard creating a new website KariAndersonFitness.com that should be up and running by the end of this week if all goes as planned. It will be an easy way to access these new projects, view promotional clips, purchase “older” videos now on DVD, and much more. We are excited to finally have this in place!
I hope that you enjoy these new workouts. My ultimate goal is to broaden my home workout audience, to reach more people in their efforts to get fit and improve the quality of their life through fitness. I know how vital exercise has been to me for my mental and physical health and I am always distressed to see the small percentage of the population who workout on a regular, long-term basis. Making time for this in our week seems as important as eating and sleeping. I encourage all of you to spread the message of what it does for you. If we could all just reach one person to get on this road what an amazing effect we could have. These new DVDs are aimed for all fitness levels and since my personal club classes (cardio specifically) are more advanced, faster and more complicated this will be a great gift to give family/friends who are reluctant to try ProRobics, or any, group classes. The whole point is to move, to have fun and see how great it feels to workout.
Following up from my last blog I wanted to share a bit of what happens post-shoot because I think you will probably be able to relate in some way. As I mentioned preparing for and filming a workout is definitely a challenge. It is mentally, physically and emotionally draining. As the instructor you know you have that one chance to get all you want on tape and there are so many aspects and small details to a production. Often things are out of your direct control so there is a confidence and trust issue. The editing process is in many ways the hardest from an artistic standpoint. While filming you know that this is something that will be watched over and over, it is daunting. During editing you examine it so repetitively, always focusing on the negative, and then worry about how the exerciser at home will react, especially over time. Looking at yourself this closely, seeing your quirks, your physical “imperfections”, listening to your voice, hearing the unfortunate things that come out of your mouth, noticing all the important things you didn’t say…judging…it takes it’s toll on your confidence. Now that I am finished I have to step away and realize I can never make it as perfect as I want. Hindsight is a beautiful advantage that we can’t use in the moment. I can only look to the future and hope I do this again, make the changes I wish I had foreseen. In the long run I love reaching people outside of the gym environment. I only wish I had the opportunity to say to you all the things I would say in person; to encourage you, in your uniqueness, to have the confidence and strength to keep getting better. That is life at it’s best and I am right there with you!
Go for it! No looking back!
~ Kari
I hope that you enjoy these new workouts. My ultimate goal is to broaden my home workout audience, to reach more people in their efforts to get fit and improve the quality of their life through fitness. I know how vital exercise has been to me for my mental and physical health and I am always distressed to see the small percentage of the population who workout on a regular, long-term basis. Making time for this in our week seems as important as eating and sleeping. I encourage all of you to spread the message of what it does for you. If we could all just reach one person to get on this road what an amazing effect we could have. These new DVDs are aimed for all fitness levels and since my personal club classes (cardio specifically) are more advanced, faster and more complicated this will be a great gift to give family/friends who are reluctant to try ProRobics, or any, group classes. The whole point is to move, to have fun and see how great it feels to workout.
Following up from my last blog I wanted to share a bit of what happens post-shoot because I think you will probably be able to relate in some way. As I mentioned preparing for and filming a workout is definitely a challenge. It is mentally, physically and emotionally draining. As the instructor you know you have that one chance to get all you want on tape and there are so many aspects and small details to a production. Often things are out of your direct control so there is a confidence and trust issue. The editing process is in many ways the hardest from an artistic standpoint. While filming you know that this is something that will be watched over and over, it is daunting. During editing you examine it so repetitively, always focusing on the negative, and then worry about how the exerciser at home will react, especially over time. Looking at yourself this closely, seeing your quirks, your physical “imperfections”, listening to your voice, hearing the unfortunate things that come out of your mouth, noticing all the important things you didn’t say…judging…it takes it’s toll on your confidence. Now that I am finished I have to step away and realize I can never make it as perfect as I want. Hindsight is a beautiful advantage that we can’t use in the moment. I can only look to the future and hope I do this again, make the changes I wish I had foreseen. In the long run I love reaching people outside of the gym environment. I only wish I had the opportunity to say to you all the things I would say in person; to encourage you, in your uniqueness, to have the confidence and strength to keep getting better. That is life at it’s best and I am right there with you!
Go for it! No looking back!
~ Kari
Thursday, February 17, 2011
A Leap of Faith….
Hi Everyone,
Happy 2011 and so sorry for the lapse in my blog!!
It’s been a crazy 3 months but I’m happy to say we completed the filming of 2 new workout DVDs! For me this past holiday season was a maze of pre-production details, concept and choreography development, non-stop rehearsing either alone or with cast day and night, and then finally filming in LA. It made sense to me to do two very different projects in order to make this trip worthwhile and be able to share what I am feeling in fitness right now. We are now in post-production which includes box design, editing, marketing plans and hope to have these released by the end of March or early April. One of the projects is a follow-up to Reach (ballet-based fitness infused workout) but quite different. The other is a cardio/dance workout that I’m hoping will appeal to a wide range of home exercisers. The music in both is fantastic. I will share more details as I get closer to the finish line.
Our “shoot” trip to LA was a highly charged event shared with a few special people (Danielle, Stacy and Vicki) who were with me through the journey of the last months. We were surprised to find out the neighborhood of our shoot was well known for a different kind of filming. That explained the interesting looks we got from a few curious people. We had many laughs, especially after the fact, reliving the tense moments of mental/physical overload, tripping over equipment during filming, missed cues, forgotten moves, sequence problems, music madness, wardrobe malfunctions…possible food poisoning. Believe me the stress in a 12hr shoot day, which included filming the two workouts, multiple takes, and a photo shoot for cover/box leads to potential for many problems. That mental toughness I talked about in my last entry was definitely put to the test. At times I failed miserably, but I have learned the value of quick recovery and moving on. I know my faults all too well and with every new pursuit I discover more new “issues” to work on.
All in all I am happy I took this leap after a 5-year hiatus from production. At that time I thought those might be my last. One of the reasons is that when I commit to big projects it tends to literally consume me. I wasn’t sure I still had the stamina, the memory, or the patience to take it on, especially while still teaching daily classes. The intense focus nearly pushes me to the edge because I know what my vision is. Completing that vision up to my highest standards is the hard part. As instructors we all know that feeling of “nailing it” where all your moves, your cues, the music, the energy, the class response all clicks. It is hard to recreate that when you only see cameras, the production crew, and people sitting, watching, texting in front of you (cast is behind me so I can’t see them to use their energy!) Every time I do this I realize how much I need my class!! I need to see your faces, hear your voice, see your struggles and see your joy when you “get it” or “feel it”. Teaching live is the ultimate in feedback, good or bad…. but we need it to do our best.
Here are a few behind the scene photos of our adventure. To D, S and V…I am so sorry for every ugly moment of frustration. I hope there weren’t too many. You are gold to me!!
Big, Big Thanks to Stockyard Films/Mike Leber and crew, David Heisler Photography, Ronni Winston Makeup/Hair, Brandon Neff Set Design, AFAA studio and Yes! Music for the inspiration!! You were all amazing to work with!
~ Kari
Happy 2011 and so sorry for the lapse in my blog!!
It’s been a crazy 3 months but I’m happy to say we completed the filming of 2 new workout DVDs! For me this past holiday season was a maze of pre-production details, concept and choreography development, non-stop rehearsing either alone or with cast day and night, and then finally filming in LA. It made sense to me to do two very different projects in order to make this trip worthwhile and be able to share what I am feeling in fitness right now. We are now in post-production which includes box design, editing, marketing plans and hope to have these released by the end of March or early April. One of the projects is a follow-up to Reach (ballet-based fitness infused workout) but quite different. The other is a cardio/dance workout that I’m hoping will appeal to a wide range of home exercisers. The music in both is fantastic. I will share more details as I get closer to the finish line.
Our “shoot” trip to LA was a highly charged event shared with a few special people (Danielle, Stacy and Vicki) who were with me through the journey of the last months. We were surprised to find out the neighborhood of our shoot was well known for a different kind of filming. That explained the interesting looks we got from a few curious people. We had many laughs, especially after the fact, reliving the tense moments of mental/physical overload, tripping over equipment during filming, missed cues, forgotten moves, sequence problems, music madness, wardrobe malfunctions…possible food poisoning. Believe me the stress in a 12hr shoot day, which included filming the two workouts, multiple takes, and a photo shoot for cover/box leads to potential for many problems. That mental toughness I talked about in my last entry was definitely put to the test. At times I failed miserably, but I have learned the value of quick recovery and moving on. I know my faults all too well and with every new pursuit I discover more new “issues” to work on.
All in all I am happy I took this leap after a 5-year hiatus from production. At that time I thought those might be my last. One of the reasons is that when I commit to big projects it tends to literally consume me. I wasn’t sure I still had the stamina, the memory, or the patience to take it on, especially while still teaching daily classes. The intense focus nearly pushes me to the edge because I know what my vision is. Completing that vision up to my highest standards is the hard part. As instructors we all know that feeling of “nailing it” where all your moves, your cues, the music, the energy, the class response all clicks. It is hard to recreate that when you only see cameras, the production crew, and people sitting, watching, texting in front of you (cast is behind me so I can’t see them to use their energy!) Every time I do this I realize how much I need my class!! I need to see your faces, hear your voice, see your struggles and see your joy when you “get it” or “feel it”. Teaching live is the ultimate in feedback, good or bad…. but we need it to do our best.
Here are a few behind the scene photos of our adventure. To D, S and V…I am so sorry for every ugly moment of frustration. I hope there weren’t too many. You are gold to me!!
Big, Big Thanks to Stockyard Films/Mike Leber and crew, David Heisler Photography, Ronni Winston Makeup/Hair, Brandon Neff Set Design, AFAA studio and Yes! Music for the inspiration!! You were all amazing to work with!
~ Kari
Monday, November 22, 2010
Mental Toughness
I think this is a great season to evaluate where we are in our lives, what we have accomplished, what we hope to accomplish, and what it takes to get it done. I am a firm believer in specific goal setting, personal accountability and follow-through. I am also mindfully aware of the inner dialogue that goes on in our heads that is often the catalyst for doing nothing. How many times have you talked yourself out of an idea because you fear failure? or negative response? or simply making yourself vulnerable? With all the changes/questions going on in the world, the economy, the job market, the future, it is no wonder many of us our questioning what lies ahead and whether we have what it takes to survive, progress and succeed. When you decide not to take a particular path or start a project you have to ask yourself what drives that decision? Is this because I fear “I can’t” or is it worry of how failure would be perceived by others? It is so easy to stay with the status quo because it is safe, it is what you know, you have done it before, it is you. But my challenge to you is to stimulate change within yourself. If you have an idea that drives something in you, excites you, quiet the negative voice within that beats you down and tells you “you can’t” and “it won’t work”. Listen instead to that excited, hopeful voice that says “but what if?” Most important during this process is to do your homework: Evaluate, Research, Prepare, Practice and Plunge. There is great personal reward in accomplishing a task that you feared. Your negative voice will lose its power and the paralyzing effect it has on your spirit, drive and creativity. Your positive voice will in turn gain in confidence, volume and wisdom.
On that note I nearly talked myself out of both tennis and Zumba®. My negative voice was loud and clear that it is much safer to stay with what I know and not look like a fool. Well happy to say I have been both the “fool” and the “winner” in both and I am having a ball. I want to thank all members who joined me for Zumba® Happy Hours. If you came to the first few and not again…(agghh!)…. I hope you will return. After 7 classes under by belt I have found myself, my groove and have evolved the workout in multiple ways. I am happy I listened to my positive voice on this one!
For the future: I am still debating if the Friday night time will work since many of you tell me you want to come but Friday nights are hard. Unfortunately, I am having trouble finding a better day/time since I already teach daily, unless I change one of my current classes into this format. Additionally I am not sure how to choose which gym…or if this alternating thing works. I would love your feedback on this!
I will bring Zumba® with Kari back in January and also plan on doing a Christmas Eve Zumba® workout…time and location to be determined!
Note to all members: Join ProRobics Conditioning Clubs Group on Facebook for gym updates, class changes, sub notices and announcements.
Have an amazing Thanksgiving and holiday season!!! ~Kari
On that note I nearly talked myself out of both tennis and Zumba®. My negative voice was loud and clear that it is much safer to stay with what I know and not look like a fool. Well happy to say I have been both the “fool” and the “winner” in both and I am having a ball. I want to thank all members who joined me for Zumba® Happy Hours. If you came to the first few and not again…(agghh!)…. I hope you will return. After 7 classes under by belt I have found myself, my groove and have evolved the workout in multiple ways. I am happy I listened to my positive voice on this one!
For the future: I am still debating if the Friday night time will work since many of you tell me you want to come but Friday nights are hard. Unfortunately, I am having trouble finding a better day/time since I already teach daily, unless I change one of my current classes into this format. Additionally I am not sure how to choose which gym…or if this alternating thing works. I would love your feedback on this!
I will bring Zumba® with Kari back in January and also plan on doing a Christmas Eve Zumba® workout…time and location to be determined!
Note to all members: Join ProRobics Conditioning Clubs Group on Facebook for gym updates, class changes, sub notices and announcements.
Have an amazing Thanksgiving and holiday season!!! ~Kari
Sunday, October 3, 2010
My Zumba® Journey
Hi everyone! I had to take a bit of a break from writing, as my whole summer seemed to be spent on my feet enjoying all things physical. I hope your summer was amazing, refreshing and full of memorable events.
I want to write a bit about Zumba® and me. I recently went to the full day training to see if I had it in me to add this to my already packed teaching schedule. I have been interested in the concept, the worldwide rage for a long time, just never sure how I could fit it in to my life…but had a feeling I wanted to.
Those of you who know me know that dance is in my bones, my soul, and my spirit. I love to teach movement, love to see people begin tentatively, finally grasp a step and then embrace and perform it. Unfortunately, well actually fortunately, I have been teaching sooo long I have a developed a wide following of skilled exercisers and dancers. My classes have advanced in response to requests for more, which I love, but it also creates a wall between me and beginners, or those just wanting less intricate movement. It may often turn away those who are too nervous, too frustrated, and then too defeated to join in, or continue beyond one try. I do my best to break everything down, to be as inclusive as possible but the bottom line is it is “tough stuff”. Movements are introduced and embellished, combinations developed and linked together. It becomes a huge movement and memory challenge…. and better than any crossword puzzle at keeping the body and brain active in tandem. But I know it is not for everyone.
So this month I will be presenting some special Zumba® classes, alternating between the gyms. This has been a physical journey for me. I wish you could all be a fly on the wall watching me practice, following a DVD, and wondering why my hips aren’t going the right way on the right beat. Once again, I have made so many discoveries about muscle memory and learning patterns and am humbly reminded that what is easy to some is a mountain to others. I will be bringing to the table my own Scandinavian version of Latin moves with an uptight “ballet-trained” bent but I will say I am loving every minute of it. I am having to relearn body weight placement over the foot…it is totally different from my normal “aerobics” method of weight transfer. The good news is I have had to break this down to a science for me to relearn. When learning new skills my m.o. has always been to examine where individual body parts are relative to each other on any given beat. That’s all good until I try to look like I was born doing this. I am driving myself nuts. Well more nuts than usual.
So my challenge to you is to join in my madness. This workout is for all members, all levels. It is not complicated at all! We will have fantastic music, easy to learn moves, typically just 3 moves to each song, and each song stands alone…so that you can focus on your STYLE and dance away your stresses. It has only been a challenge for me because I want to be a great dancer and the fact that I have to lead all of you. The pressure only comes from myself. You won’t believe the mix of workout and fun!! You don’t need to be a dancer or “coordinated” to take this class. Your “inner dance” will develop over time and I promise a good laugh or two. Hope to see you there!! Kari
Zumba® with Kari
October 8th 5:30pm Queen Anne
October 15th 5:00pm Laurelhurst
October 22nd 5:30pm Queen Anne
October 29th 5:00pm Laurelhurst
(Further schedule will be determined based on response from members and my confidence in myself ☺)
Note:
Also be sure to check out Nathalye’s stellar Zumba® classes which have been packing in members for the past year.
She is from Columbia and has everything I don’t…she is an inspiration to me!
Queen Anne Saturdays at 11:30am and Tuesdays at 5:30pm
Laurelhurst Mondays at 5pm and Wednesdays at 6:15pm
I want to write a bit about Zumba® and me. I recently went to the full day training to see if I had it in me to add this to my already packed teaching schedule. I have been interested in the concept, the worldwide rage for a long time, just never sure how I could fit it in to my life…but had a feeling I wanted to.
Those of you who know me know that dance is in my bones, my soul, and my spirit. I love to teach movement, love to see people begin tentatively, finally grasp a step and then embrace and perform it. Unfortunately, well actually fortunately, I have been teaching sooo long I have a developed a wide following of skilled exercisers and dancers. My classes have advanced in response to requests for more, which I love, but it also creates a wall between me and beginners, or those just wanting less intricate movement. It may often turn away those who are too nervous, too frustrated, and then too defeated to join in, or continue beyond one try. I do my best to break everything down, to be as inclusive as possible but the bottom line is it is “tough stuff”. Movements are introduced and embellished, combinations developed and linked together. It becomes a huge movement and memory challenge…. and better than any crossword puzzle at keeping the body and brain active in tandem. But I know it is not for everyone.
So this month I will be presenting some special Zumba® classes, alternating between the gyms. This has been a physical journey for me. I wish you could all be a fly on the wall watching me practice, following a DVD, and wondering why my hips aren’t going the right way on the right beat. Once again, I have made so many discoveries about muscle memory and learning patterns and am humbly reminded that what is easy to some is a mountain to others. I will be bringing to the table my own Scandinavian version of Latin moves with an uptight “ballet-trained” bent but I will say I am loving every minute of it. I am having to relearn body weight placement over the foot…it is totally different from my normal “aerobics” method of weight transfer. The good news is I have had to break this down to a science for me to relearn. When learning new skills my m.o. has always been to examine where individual body parts are relative to each other on any given beat. That’s all good until I try to look like I was born doing this. I am driving myself nuts. Well more nuts than usual.
So my challenge to you is to join in my madness. This workout is for all members, all levels. It is not complicated at all! We will have fantastic music, easy to learn moves, typically just 3 moves to each song, and each song stands alone…so that you can focus on your STYLE and dance away your stresses. It has only been a challenge for me because I want to be a great dancer and the fact that I have to lead all of you. The pressure only comes from myself. You won’t believe the mix of workout and fun!! You don’t need to be a dancer or “coordinated” to take this class. Your “inner dance” will develop over time and I promise a good laugh or two. Hope to see you there!! Kari
Zumba® with Kari
October 8th 5:30pm Queen Anne
October 15th 5:00pm Laurelhurst
October 22nd 5:30pm Queen Anne
October 29th 5:00pm Laurelhurst
(Further schedule will be determined based on response from members and my confidence in myself ☺)
Note:
Also be sure to check out Nathalye’s stellar Zumba® classes which have been packing in members for the past year.
She is from Columbia and has everything I don’t…she is an inspiration to me!
Queen Anne Saturdays at 11:30am and Tuesdays at 5:30pm
Laurelhurst Mondays at 5pm and Wednesdays at 6:15pm
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