Join Tara Green for a combination class of Pilates and Restorative Yoga.

Pilates is a fantastic way to strengthen your integral core at the deepest layer. It aims to realign the spine while also engaging smaller “twitch” muscles that allow the body as a whole to move optimally and with joy.

We will end our class with a small restorative yoga practice to allow us to connect with our mind and body and leave class feeling content and at ease.

Tara has over 15 years of teaching experience and has a knack for making movement instruction relatable and fun.

6 week series details
Start date : Wednesday January 13th
End date : Wednesday February 17th
Time : 5-6:00pm
Cost : $72 for the full 6 weeks

Email Tara to register
[email protected]

The post *New Class Alert* Pilates-Restore Coming January 2021 appeared first on Define Me Wellness.

After 9 months of being at school, I am ready for summer.  And I am also available to take on more private clients. I have four spots left for those looking to bring fun, strengthening, and restorative movement into their daily life. Notice I did not say “exercise”?

Exercise is so passe.

When you think of the word “exercise”, what comes to mind? Most people conjure up images of athletic apparel, sweat-inducing, heart-racing activities, possibly performed in a gym setting, for a set amount of time. For some that kind of activity is enjoyable; for others, it is demoralizing and defeating. As a culture, we have put exercise into a small box with prescriptive ideas of what constitutes good and appropriate physical activity. But, in my world, the #DefineMeWay…

Movement is where it is at!

When you sign up for the Define Me sessions, we do away with the exercise box, and open up a world of movement possibilities! Together we explore the types of movement where there is joyful potential, with an emphasis on function and self-care. I firmly believe you can have it all – movement that:

1. Supports your body
2. Brings you an overall feeling of empowerment and well-being
3. Uplifts you and puts a smile on your face

Joyful Movement Awaits You…

And the summer season provides the perfect backdrop for fun and play while moving your body. Therefore, I am offering an eight-week package at a reduced price of $399. Contact me today to find out more and reserve your spot.

The post *Limited Time Offer* 8-Week Personalized Training Package At A Reduced Summer Rate appeared first on Define Me Wellness.

… And it’s FREE

That’s right. Totally FREE. No strings attached.

I’m launching an online 12-week walk/run program for a certain population and want to make sure I get it right. So I’m piloting this program first before adding it to the roster of services currently offered at Define Me. But before I go into the details, let’s start by setting the stage:

• Do you have a chronic illness, such as an autoimmune disease?
• Or are you in a life stage, such as postpartum or menopause, that has stifled your deep-seeded desire to move your body freely, with joy, while honouring your unique circumstances?
• Are you at a point where you feel well enough to want to start back to a movement practice?
  • A movement practice that will support, rather than hinder you as you learn to manage body changes?
  • A movement practice that develops your ability to sense your body’s needs from inside you (aka: an embodied approach)?
• Are you ready to run with it? Are you ready to run with us?

Keep reading as I share a little bit about how this idea came to be and what’s in store for us…

When chronic illness crushes your world and your identity

I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism in my early 20s. And I was managing it and functioning in life well up until almost 2 years ago. Then, I found out my 20+ year old diagnosis had escalated to Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, an autoimmune illness where the immune system attacks the thyroid and sees it as a foreign entity in the body. Chronic fatigue and pain, dry skin, mood imbalances (among other things), really sent me on a downward spiral quickly with my well-being and my ability to parent, work and play.

I have always considered myself an athlete, from my time in competitive martial arts to endurance sport, and everything in between. But the Hashimoto’s diagnosis had me really questioning that identity. And it had me wondering if I would ever get back to the types of activity I used to enjoy.

Shortly after learning about my change in health status, I adjusted various lifestyle behaviours to manage the physical effects of my diagnosis. I now have a well-rounded exercise routine, coupled with self-care practices, that compliment my healing and thriving on all levels. Part of that routine includes one of my favourite activities – running. And while it might not be the long distances I used to travel, it’s enough to feel that I’ve reclaimed my inner athlete. I want that feeling for YOU too!

Are you going to be Running With It, with us?

I know what has worked for my body: steady progression, lots of rest, plus gentle, varied, restorative movement; all while listening to my body and being sure not to overdo it. But, I also know that doesn’t mean it will work for all bodies. So, I developed this 12-week online program to test out what I think will work for most of us, with the expectation that we’ll adapt it along the way.

You don’t need to be a runner or a hard-core athlete to join. In fact, I want to welcome varying levels with a diverse range of goals. Together, we’ll figure out the right pace for each of our bodies.  Get to know your body well through embodied movement practices and honouring your unique circumstances. In this 12-week program, you can expect:

• Lifetime membership in our secret Facebook group
• Training and progression worksheets
• Self-care tips and resources
• Facebook live events
• Discussions related to living with chronic illness and/or life changes
• Videos on yoga, self-massage, strength training, functional movement
• Ongoing support from Me, your coach

Running With It means we might have a chronic illness but we are not going to let our illness define us or hold us back! This walk-run program will be a source of healing and empowerment. Let’s take this slow and compassionately. I’m here for you

Ready to register? Want to learn more? Contact us today to get yourself on the road to a lasting, and enjoyable movement program with our Running With It* online walk/run club.

*Start time and other details to be provided upon registering. 

The post Running With It: An embodied walk/run program for those with chronic illness… appeared first on Define Me Wellness.

With the beginning of 2016 approaching and thoughts set on New Year’s resolutions (I know, I know – you either love goal setting for the new year or you don’t), I’m feeling nostalgic of training days of yesteryear.  I’ve lost my triathlon mojo for a while now and I miss it.  That is why I’m starting up a FREE online Ironman challenge and I want you to join me!

So, here’s how it will work…

Commit

• Join the Facebook group and upload the Ironman Challenge tracking worksheet (coming soon)
• Starting Jan 1, begin tracking the distance you cover in swimming, biking and walking or running or a combination walk/run
• Go at a pace that feels appropriate to you.  It does not matter how fast or slow you go.  Every stroke, revolution and step counts

Inspire

• This community of like-minded athletes (YES, everyone is an athlete) is body-positive and weight neutral.  If your focus is on weight loss and diet talk, this may not be the group for you.  This challenge is about moving our bodies and finding positive, non-aesthetic outcomes to our achievements
• Participate online via our Facebook group – ask questions, post inspiring quotes, pictures and share your experiences and/or thoughts on how the challenge is working for you

Play

• Have fun!
• From time-to-time, I’ll post some supplemental videos and/or activities to keep the challenge fresh and interesting
• Stay safe and listen to your body.  Doing too much in one day/week can bring about fatigue and injury.  Steady increases to the distances you cover each week, plus regular self-care, will help keep you in the game.  I’ll post suggested guidelines as we get started
• And, most importantly…HAVE FUN!

Complete

• Remember to track your distances
• The goal of this month long challenge is that by Jan 31st you will have completed a total of 70.3 miles – an Ironman!
• Here is the breakdown:
  • 2.4 miles/3.9km swimming
  • 112 miles/180km biking and
  • 26.2 miles/42.2km running/walking
• And then we start back up again in Feb

Commit – Inspire – Play – Complete – that is all there is to it! So, are you in? It is simple to join, simply by clicking on this link, that will bring you to our Facebook page.  We look forward to welcoming you to our virtual, body-positive Ironman Team!

The post New Year Challenge – Let’s Play! appeared first on Define Me Wellness.

In my last post, I talked about one of the most common New Year’s resolutions…The resolve to lose weight.  After re-reading that post, it got me thinking of an often overlooked part of the goal setting process: defining the goal.  I love the structure and process of using the SMART approach to setting goals.  I frequently turn to it when I am creating intentions for myself or coaching my clients in the goals they are setting for themselves.  I wrote about this concept a couple of years ago, in a bit more detail here.

But before you start creating (or possibly revising) those resolutions I’d like to ask you a couple of questions:

• When it comes to weight loss goals (yours or those that you are helping a family member/client/friend with), have you ever considered you might be focusing on the wrong Result?
• What is it you are looking to gain from losing weight?
• If you achieve that goal, does that mean you are healthier for it?

Through my years working with the Health At Every Size® paradigm, I have come to realize a shortfall within the SMART goal setting process and in the way that success is defined.  Particularly when it comes to weight-loss goals, we are focused so much so on the outcome that the actions we take or the behaviours that we may want to shift become secondary.

Searching for the definition of “outcome” I found the following from 3 online dictionaries:

• the way a thing turns out; a consequence.
• something that follows as a result or consequence
• something that follows from an action, dispute, situation, etc; result; consequence

That is all that weight loss is; a potential result from the steps we have taken, a drawn line in the sand that says our goal is complete and we have made it.  Is that all we are looking for in our measure of success? A criteria of pounds lost or body measurements decreased? I challenge the assumption that weight loss equals success, happiness, improved health or anything else that is promised when someone takes on the soul-sucking task of dieting.  And I caution folks on using pounds lost as a proxy for goal achievement.

What if instead you focused more on the Behaviour, rather than the result? Spending more time and energy on the ways you want to live a healthier lifestyle, while taking things slow and being kind to yourself.  That, to me, is more impactful than any weight loss goal (IMHO).  Ultimately, I think it is the behaviour we are looking to change and it is the outcome that is secondary.

How might you be able to reframe your intentions from an outcome-oriented endpoint to a behaviour-focused journey? Tell us in the comments below.

The post And While We’re On The Topic of Resolutions… appeared first on Define Me Wellness.

Here are 5 quick and easy poses you can do as soon as you have crossed that finish line; designed specifically for immediately following the race, all these poses can be done from a standing position.  So grab a wall or a park bench and get a head start on your recovery.

1. Simple Chest Stretch: from mountain pose, clasp hands behind you with elbows slightly bent.  Expand the collar bone while lifting the arms upwards.

WHY? Towards the last several miles of the race, your body starts to accommodate the fatigue by tensing the shoulders up toward the ears, allowing the torso to lean forward more and the upper back to round.  This stretch reverses that effect by gently opening the chest back up and bringing the shoulder blades together.

2. Half Downward Dog (at wall): from mountain pose and with feet hip distance, facing a wall.  Place palms at wall at hip height.  Walk away from wall until torso is parallel with floor, arms straight and head in line with upper arms.  Draw the sitting bones back feeling the spine becoming long.

WHY? All of that pounding the pavement causes the spine to compress which may account for the low back pain you’re experiencing, among other things.  This pose decompresses the spine without the same strength and weight baring energy that is needed in a full downward dog pose.

3. Straight Leg Lunge (at wall): facing the wall, step the right foot back about a shin length and rotate the back foot out to a 45 degree angle.  Ensure the heel of the back foot is grounded.  Move the left leg forward slightly so it is in front of the hips.  Hinge forward from the hips so torso is parallel to floor and place hands at wall.  Press hands into the wall as you shift the left hip back and the right hip forward.  Alternate sides.

WHY? The repetitiveness of the running stride compounds the problem of tight hamstrings.  You need to counteract that with some mindful and cautious stretching of the hamstrings.  The Straight Leg Lunge stretches the hamstrings and the IT band.  Exercise caution though and be sure not to hyperextend the knee!

4.  Standing Forward Bend: from mountain, bring feet to hip distance, place hands on hip and lengthen the spine.   Bring upper torso as far down as possible without rounding spine.

WHY? This one is perfect as it not only further stretches the hamstrings but can also alleviate tension in the low back.  Another caution though, do not do if experiencing back pain/issues such as herniated discs!

5. Knee to Ankle Balance: from mountain pose, bend right leg and place outer right ankle above left knee and flex right foot.  Relax muscles of right thigh and hip.  Bend left leg, place hands on waist, shin, wall or park bench.  Alternate sides.

WHY? Your hips have been moving in one plane of direction for a couple of hours.  This knee to ankle balance is a standing variation of Pigeon pose (a favorite stretch of the avid runner) and gently opens the hip.

If you are looking to include yoga into your cross-training plans, our Active Living Yoga starts back up again on Monday, May 27th.  Check the Services page for further details and Contact us to register.

The post Finished Your Race? Here’s What to do Next appeared first on Define Me Wellness.

First off, start with some simple breath work.  Deep belly breathing is a great way to settle pre-race jitters, relax and find focus before heading out on the course.

Try this, deep belly breathing

1. Lie on floor, knees bent and together, feet apart.  Place palm of hands on either side of the lower ribs with index fingers pointing towards each other (perhaps even touching).
2. On the inhale the chest and ribs rise, fingertips move away from each other.
3. On the exhale the chest and ribs fall, fingertips come back together.

Next, a couple of modified or full sun salutations can also help to gently warm up the body and reinforce the importance of linking the breath with movement.  Here are a couple of ideas:

Modified Sun Salutation A:

1. Start from mountain pose
2. INHALE, bring arms up overhead
3. EXHALE  to forward fold
4. INHALE to flat back
5. EXHALE to forward fold
6. INHALE to flat back
7. EXHALE  to flat back twist right side
8. INHALE  to flat back
9. EXHALE  to flat back twist left side
10. INHALE to flat back
11. EXHALE to forward fold
12. INHALE, return to mountain

Sun Salutation A variation:

1. Start from mountain pose
2. INHALE, bring arms up overhead
3. EXHALE to forward fold
4. INHALE to flat back
5. EXHALE bend the knees, plant the hands and step back to plank
6. INHALE to side plank right side (right hip directed towards floor)
7. EXHALE back to plank
8. INHALE to side plank left side (left hip directed towards floor)
9. EXHALE back to plank
10. INHALE to downward dog
11. EXHALE to forward fold
12. INHALE, return to mountain

You can come up with your own variation, perhaps adding some leg lifts into your planks or some active lunges.  Whatever you decide, be sure to keep the Sun Salutation sequences moving fairly quickly.  Reserve the static stretching for at the end of your race, when the muscles are warm and in need of tender loving care.  But we’ll talk about a post-race sequence in the next post.

During the race, try to keep the idea of breath with movement just as with those Sun Salutations.  It will help you to keep your focus, especially when fatigue sets in.  Above all else, make sure to just enjoy the moment.  Have fun! After all, that’s why you’re doing this, right?!

NOTE: It’s always important to keep things pretty consistent on race day so don’t be too adventurous the day of.  Stick to what you’ve been doing during training and you’ll be fine.  But keep these warm-up ideas in mind for next time.  

So I’d like to know! What kinds of things do you do to warm up for an event? Share in the comments section below and you could win a drop-in pass to checkout our upcoming Active Living Yoga series.

Active Living Yoga starts back up again on Monday, May 27th.  Make yoga a part of your effective cross-training plans and watch your strength and flexibility improve.  Translate improvements on the mat, to personal achievements off the mat.  Check the Services page for further details and Contact us to register.

The post Race Day Warm Up – Yoga Styles! appeared first on Define Me Wellness.

The next time you come back from a walk, run, hike or bike ride, make sure you get in a pose for the quads, hamstrings and at least one hip-opener.  Here are my top 3.  You have time for 3, right?

Standing Forward Bend: From standing with feet hip-width apart, place hands on hips and lengthen the spine.   Hinging forward from hips, bring upper torso as far down as possible without rounding the spine.  Engage the abs.  Place hands at shins or to the floor.  Keep legs as straight as possible (but if pain in back of knees or in low back, keep a soft bend in knees).  Contract the quads to deepen the stretch in the hamstrings.  Hold for 5 – 10 breath cycles.

Shin Up the Wall: Starting in a kneeling position with back facing the wall, bend right leg and place shin and top of foot at wall.  Let knee drop to the floor (right at the wall or a few inches away) and step left foot forward.  Start with hands in front and on the floor.  Slowly try to bring the hips upright to align with upper body and press hands gently onto the left thigh.  Hold for 5 – 10 breaths, then alternate sides.  If there is knee discomfort, use a folded blanket or towel to support the knee that is against the wall.

IMPORTANT: To come out of this pose, take hands to floor, release the front leg knee to the floor and slide the other knee away from the wall.

Bound Angle at the Wall: From seated position with sitting bones approx. 6 inches away from wall and the upper back and back of head at the wall.   Bring bottoms of feet together and allow knees to fall towards the floor.  While pressing upper body into wall, press hips away from wall (focus on moving sacrum forward).

OR make it a restorative pose and hang out in solitude for 5 – 10 minutes in this variation…

Supportive Supine Bound Angle: Place bolster (or sofa cushion) a few inches behind your back, with a folded blanket at the back of the bolster to support the head and rolled blankets on either side of hips.  Place soles of feet together, heels toward pelvis and allow inner groin to soften as much as possible while dropping outer thighs towards the floor.

This pose does double duty in opening up the chest too as you allow the arms to hang out on either side of the body with the palms facing up.

If you’re looking to make yoga a regular part of your weekly routine, check out the classes I’m teaching within the Durham region.

The post Just Do It…Yoga! appeared first on Define Me Wellness.

A days worth of travel can leave the body feeling a little tight and tired.  Sooo, what did this gal do? Yep, I chose to do some yoga while we waited in LeGuardia for our connecting flight.  Each pose was held for 5 – 10 full breath cycles.  So if you’re spending a whole day traveling by foot, air or wheels, use some (or all) of these poses to ease your travel woes…

Chest Stretch @ Wall: from a standing position, with feet hip distance and stand alongside the wall (with some space between the wall and side body).  Extend your arm at the wall straight back behind the body at shoulder height.  Gradually rotate the ribcage forward while keeping your shoulder blade down.  Alternate sides.

Ear to Shoulder: from standing, bring your arms out to either side and actively draw the right fingertips down and away from the body as you bring the left ear towards the left shoulder.  You should feel a nice stretch in through the right side of the neck.  Alternate sides.

Seated Forward Bend: sitting on the floor with your legs extended out in front of you, contract the quadriceps to press the hamstrings down towards floor.  Hinge forward from the hips and maintain a neutral spine (don’t allow it to round).  You may feel this in through the hamstrings and/or low back.  If you are feeling pain in the lower back, bend the knees.

Double Pigeon (a fave of mine): starting in the same position as above, bend the right leg and place the right outer ankle above the left knee.  Actively flex the right foot and draw the thigh bone towards the floor.  Lean back, bend left leg and flex the left foot and align right and left shins as best as you can.  If bringing the torso to rest on thighs, hinge forward from the hips and maintain a neutral spine.  Alternate sides.

Bound Angle: from a seated position, bring bottoms of your feet together and  allow the knees to fall towards the floor.  Sit up tall and hinge slightly forward from hip.

As with any yoga program, these poses should not be painful.  Bring attention inwards by focusing on your breath and be mindful of when it is time to either ease up or back out of the pose all together.

And just for fun…even Minnie joined in on the action! Here she is seen doing a wide legged seated forward bend At 85 and still active in show biz, Minnie could use a regular yoga practice to keep her nimble and her zest for life anew.

Besides the yoga, we also enjoyed some movie watching and surfing the web on the iPad (even in flight!!), to get us through the day.  Don’t you just love modern day technology?!?! What other things do you do to get you through a long day of travel? Let me know by posting a comment below.

Happy Trails!!

The post What to do During a Long Day of Travel? appeared first on Define Me Wellness.

Sometimes we forget (me included) about our youthful side and analyze our lifestyles with a critical eye.  Especially during transitional times, such as going from Summer to Fall, statements such as these appear in our conversations:

• “I’ve got to get my butt back in the gym”
• “All those beers and barbecues went straight to my gut”
• “I’m so fat and disgusting”

Not the kindest words to be saying to ourselves or about ourselves, yet we all have our moments of negative self-talk.  What if we reframed our view of exercise? What if we looked at it as a gift rather than a way to burn off those extra calories from dessert? It may sound odd coming from a personal trainer but you don’t need to go to the gym to get the benefits of movement.  Contrary to popular belief, little bouts of activity throughout the day can produce positive results for your health.

All you need to do is move.  It doesn’t have to be elaborate or even sweat-inducing.  If you’ve found yourself struggling with returning to or starting exercise, here are some tips for incorporating activity with a sense of wonder and positivity:

Stop calling it exercise! For some, exercise does not seem like a pleasant thing to do.  It conjures up images of tight clothing, someone yelling instructions with complicated choreography, sweaty, uncomfortable and not fun.  Does that sound about right? Don’t let those ideas stop you from moving.  Take the pressure off by not allowing society’s standards or fancy gym ads influence you one bit.  Start slowly by first figuring out what makes you intuitively want to move.

Reflect on your childhood.  What types of activities did you enjoy back then? What’s stopping you from doing those now? Is there an opportunity to play more and get back to those adventures? Being an observer of natural play being experienced by your children or grandchildren may help you get back to that place.  You might find that you are so inspired that you’ll even join them.

Find joy in movement! What activities put a smile on your face? What doesn’t feel like exercise? Maybe it’s a walk with nature, turning on some tunes and dancing around without a planned routine.  Be creative or try something new, whatever is going to pass the time and leave you feeling better than when you first started.

Run or walk because you love to; lift weights or do yoga because you enjoy the feeling of improved strength, garden because you enjoy watching something you cared for grow.  Whatever your mode of joyful movement is set aside the judgment.  Move because you WANT to not because you HAVE to.  Joyful movement doesn’t need a goal, timeline or measurement.  In fact, if movement is to be a permanent lifestyle change, it just needs to be FUN.

The post Finding Joy in Movement appeared first on Define Me Wellness.