Featured this month are the Pilates Restore, Simply Restorative and Lunch Yoga-Pilates Flow series. So read on to find out more. And more to come as the summer unfolds. So stay tuned!

Pilates Restore Series

If you’re looking for the best of both worlds in a movement class – building functional core strength AND making time for mind-body relaxation – this is THE class to take! Join Tara for this combo class of Pilates and Restorative Yoga.

Pilates strengthens your integral core at the deepest layers. It aims to realign the spine while also engaging smaller “twitch” muscles. In turn, this allows your body to move as a whole – optimally and with joy. Each class will conclude with a small restorative yoga practice to allow you to connect with your mind and body and leave class feeling content and at ease.

Dates: Wednesday June 9th to July 14th

Time : 5-6:00pm

Cost: $72 for the full 6 weeks

Email Tara to register

Simply Restorative Series

Restorative Yoga is a favourite of ours, to teach and to practice as it facilitates activation of the Parasympathetic Nervous System. Above all, engaging this system is often considered the antidote to dealing with stress. Further, by focusing on slow, gentle, and subtle practices, Restorative Yoga signals to the body-mind it is time for rest and recovery. Check out what happened for this team of social workers when they began incorporating Restorative Yoga into their self-care plans.

More specifically, you will learn some relaxing breathing techniques and move through a series of fully supportive postures. Certainly, removing muscular tension within the body and peeling away any layers of stress and tension is the main goal!

Date: Monday, June 14th to July 19th

Time: 9:30-10:30am

Cost: $72 for the full 6 weeks

Email Tara to register

Lunch Yoga-Pilates Flow

This class provides a blend of functional Pilates and Vinyasa (flow) yoga to break up your Monday. With efficiency and creativity in mind, Tara designs her classes to help you get the most out of this 45-minute class. In this way, Tara aims to make yoga and Pilates not just accessible to all bodies, but enjoyable too!

Date: Monday, June 14th to July 19th

Time: 12:00-12:45pm

Cost: $72 for the full 6 weeks

Email Tara to register

The post Another Set of Yoga & Pilates Classes Begin @ The Define Me Virtual Studio appeared first on Define Me Wellness.

Restorative Yoga is a fantastic tool to move you into the Parasympathetic Nervous System response. Above all, engaging this system is often considered the antidote to dealing with stress. And, by focusing on slow, gentle, and subtle practices, Restorative Yoga signals to the body-mind it is time for rest. Subsequently, it provides the opportunity for a complete reset.

More specifically, you will learn some relaxing breathing techniques and move through a series of fully supportive postures. Certainly, removing muscular tension within the body and peeling away any layers of stress and tension is the main goal!

Simple Restorative 6-week Series Details:

Start date: Monday, January 18th, 2021
End date: Monday, February 22nd, 2021

Time: 9:30-10:30am
Cost: $72 for the full 6 weeks

Hosted through Zoom, participants will have access to the recording for 48 hours after each class. 

In order to get the most out of your practice, we suggest that you have the following supportive props to help:

1. 1 -2 pillows or bolsters if you have them
2. 2 blocks or a few stacks of books
3. 1 strap or a belt
4. 2 blankets
5. 1 chair
6. Optional eye pillow

To register, email Tara at: [email protected]

The post Simply Restorative Series Returns January 2021 appeared first on Define Me Wellness.

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.

This Fall, I’ve gone back to school. In short, the Define Me and Under the Lilac Tree programs will remain open, in service, as always. But we will be operating on a limited schedule to accommodate for this change. For example, the number of classes and workshops I facilitate will be few. And my roster of private clients will be small (at least during the school months).

Ultimately, I’m doing this for me, my family, this community and You. Get a little more of the why and what’s next of it all, by reading on!

Moving Beyond Movement

I love teaching movement and supporting others in turning their goals into reality. Movement to me is more than just physical activity. Moving our bodies can be a source of healing and nourishment on so many levels.  And I want to continue to work from this premise. But I’ve also been wanting to learn theories and develop skills within the therapeutic setting. To blend counselling/talk therapy and joyful-restorative movement into the work that I do, is where I have felt compelled to take this work. And that is why I have started a 2-year program in Social Services.

Social Service, Social Justice & Community Healing

To some, it may seem that going from instructing movement to working in community services is a major shift in a career path. However, I believe there is an exciting opportunity to bring these two fields together to enhance healing and growth for others. I want to move beyond movement while still leveraging skills and concepts I have learned regarding mindfulness, self-compassion and “life-enhancing movement” (Association of Size Diversity and Health).

Furthermore, I believe in a holistic approach to well-being. Holistic health means mind, body and soul are equally considered. It should also include the collective mind, body and soul. Community, I am realizing, is another important element within the healing journey. As a social services worker, at the community level, I see myself making a difference in the eating disorders field. I want to be an agent of social change with how we all view and interact with everybody.

I hope you will follow along with my journey. I’m so excited to be on it and look forward to bringing new discoveries to you all.

Yours In Service,

Michelle

The post When One Door Opens… appeared first on Define Me Wellness.

There was a lot I had to change and experiment with in order to get to this space. First I had to…

• Allow myself the time
• Set boundaries
• Say no
• Let go of needing to please everyone
• Let go of needing do things perfectly
• Try new things

…in order to feel better in my mindbody. It’s funny how quickly and sneakily old behaviours return when you’re struggling.

I also needed to share extra cuddles, downtime and tears with my family and say sorry (A LOT) for when my pain, fatigue and frustration came in the way of my kids’ and hubby’s happiness and well-being.

I realize that I carry a lot of privilege to be able to have done all of the above, to have been able to put my well-being ahead of everything else.

If you’re struggling I hope this post inspires you in some small way to do what you can for your own self-care in a way that feels appropriate for your mindbody, your circumstances and your experience. Health, well-being and healing is so subjective. Honour what you need/don’t need, do/don’t do what resonates for you.

While I’m not entirely feeling well, I am feeling better enough. It’s time to get back to writing and launching! It’s time to get back to business!

The post When Healing Turns a Corner appeared first on Define Me Wellness.

Moving yourself up the list

One of the first things I tell my clients to do, is to take a step back and assess what is not working.  And the very first exercise is understanding where you rank YOURSELF in terms of your life’s priorities.  So, here is a really quick activity for you:

Self care should be a daily ritual.  The simplest way to do this is to take time out (at least once daily, or as needed) to breathe. It doesn’t have to be any longer than 2 – 3 minutes for you to feel more centred and positive thoughts.

Be specific in the self care plan you prescribe for yourself by determining what, how often and when you will  do something that is entirely devoted to you. What things do you currently do to practice self care? Or what would you enjoy? How frequently do you take time out for yourself? Review and revise your schedule to find the time for you.  That might mean saying no or not now to other people’s requests or your daily tasks that have been standing in the way.  If you are not doing anything (or not enough) for yourself,  you need to schedule it in like you would any other important appointment and stick with it – no matter what!

Make certain to re-assess this plan you create for yourself every 3 – 6 months (or even monthly if you find you are at the bottom end of that prioritization list mentioned earlier).  It will help keep the self care plan top of mind and move you to making it a regular habit.

What self-care gifts are you currently giving or planning to give to yourself? And not just for the season but always?

The post The Define Me Gift Guide appeared first on Define Me Wellness.

In years past, when the holiday season approached in my household, this Type A person (aka: me) felt the stress and anxiety big time.  My husband, Alan, is a restaurant manager and his hours get longer (especially in December).  We see each other less, have to juggle our schedules, meal plans get derailed and we need to figure out childcare arrangements other than using copious amounts of Dora the Explorer videos and Disney Junior to keep them occupied, in order to get stuff done.

It doesn’t sound like a lot of fun but for some strange reason I really do enjoy the last few months of the year.  Sure, it’s busy but there is joy found in seeing family and friends more often, giving thanks and finding ways to show more kindness in this world, the leisurely sips of hot chocolate with whipped cream, helping the kids bring their Halloween costumes to fruition or writing their letters to Santa and the endless stream of Christmas carols everywhere you go.

This year, I want to make a concerted effort to focus more on these pleasures and less on the stress of it all.  I want to limit the stress and relish in this wonderful time of the year even more.  This year I’ve got an action plan and I hope you’ll join me…

Prioritize! What REALLY needs to get done ? Make a list of all the upcoming events you anticipate from now until the end of the year.  What ones do you feel obligated to go to and what ones do you really want to attend? Can you cross off at least one of the obligations from your to-do’s?

Add to that list your day-to-day/week-to-week tasks as well as those holiday tasks for home and work.  Again, what has to get done versus what you would like to/or feel should be done? Is there room in the budget to have a cleaner come in to take that burden off your plate? Even if it is just once a month or on the occasion when you’re hosting? Do you really have to bake 10 dozen chocolate chip cookies? Or is there someone else in your circle that enjoys baking more and would do that for you? One year, my friends and I did a cookie exchange which saved us lots of hours in the kitchen and provided a variety of sweets for us to take home and put out on our own tables when guests came over.  Can you make extras at mealtimes now so you can freeze and reheat them when it gets super busy? Or, would it serve you better to have your grocery budget go towards buying already prepared meals?

What I’m getting at here is – how do you envision your time spent during the holidays? Using imagery to identify your ultimate holiday season might be the best thing you can do to ward off the stress and figure out what really matters to you.

Be MINDFUL. Check in with yourself throughout the day and feel what is going on in that moment.  Do not place judgment on what that is, just notice.  Reflect on your prioritized list and what really matters.  Is what you are doing aligned with what you want out of the holidays?

Think about practicing the art of mindfulness through Intuitive Eating at parties where the food and spirits are flowing.  Consider some of the tips from previous posts and the concept of a food choice being supportive versus non-supportive, instead of looking at your choices as being good or bad.  Remember to be kind! Avoid harsh criticism of the choices you make with food, just know what it is that you want and be sure to enjoy every bite.  When at the table, pause and think: What am I really hungry for? What does my body crave? As you eat, check in with yourself to know when that craving has been satisfied.  Being present in that eating experience will give you a sense of control and keep you positive.

Give yourself the gift of SELF CARE.  Remember to take care of priority one – YOU! Make sure you take time, if even just for 15 minutes, to do something entirely for you.  A candlelit bath, a leisurely walk, meditate, coffee with a friend, watching a movie.  Whatever is going to take you away from the craziness and help you feel more calm, joy and peace.

With the lineup of holidays underway, now seems like a good time to get that action plan together.  This is just the beginning! As the rest of the holidays fall upon us, stay tuned for ideas to help you to de-stress a little and enjoy the best of what this time of year offers.

Happy Thanksgiving… and Happy Planning

The post The Holidays are Coming, the Holidays are Coming!! appeared first on Define Me Wellness.

The Female Athlete Triad, originally a term that was coined in the early 90’s, defines a phenomenon that occurs in some female athletes, particularly those in appearance, lean or weight-based sports, where the following are considered:

1. Energy availability – is she eating enough/getting enough nutrients into her system?
2. Menstrual function – what is her menstrual history and current cycle?
3. Bone mineral density – is she getting injured a lot (i.e.: stress fractures)?

One, two or all of these factors can be linked to a higher risk in eating disorders, amenorrhea (absence/3 month or more disruption in menstrual flow) and osteoporosis.

What struck me the most as I was listening to this webinar, is that I’m not sure if our sporting communities have a solid understanding, awareness to this issue or access to the tools needed so that we can prevent these issues in our young girls.

Consider the statistics:

• Disordered eating is seen in 16 – 52% of athletes.  Intentional or unintentional behaviours of disordered eating include: severely limiting food intake, constant counting or calories and fat grams, constantly weighing and measuring food, etc.
• Appearance of amenorrhea in athletes can be as high as 66%.

Towards the end of my competitive years in Judo, I WAS those statistics.  The Triad was not even a term that existed back then.  I wonder if things would have been different if I had known the risks…

What do you think? Should there be regular screening and assessments to identify those at risk? Particularly those in the risk groups of ages 9 – 16 and in lean or appearance based sports? Should we be looking at a girl’s eating patterns, injury history and menstrual cycle?

Maybe preventative measures already exists? If so, what has been your experience? I’d love to hear about what is currently being done and if there are ideas out there.

The post The Risk in Being a Competitive Female Athlete appeared first on Define Me Wellness.

We worry we’re not giving enough of our time (to our family, our friends, our work).  We size ourselves up against other women and society’s expectations; thinking we need to dress better, look better, be thinner! The list of faults goes on…  So, as we approach Mother’s Day, I thought it appropriate to share the following fact that I found when I read The Body Myth by Dr. Margo Maine:

A female adult’s body is meant to have 22% fat supply, which is enough for an ovulating female to survive famine for 9 months – the length of a full-term pregnancy!  

Isn’t that amazing?!?! It turns out, female fat is not a curse but rather a gift and a sign of our womanhooh. This little fact also shows that we can endure so much.  So much so that our bodies are designed to survive famine.  We are a strong and beautiful species!

So catch yourself next time you go to criticize your body.  Whether you are a partner, Mom, Mom-to-be, Grandma, Aunt, Sister, Daughter  – be kinder to yourself and to all the women in your life.  Celebrate our magnificence.

Happy Mothers Day!!

The post The Female Species is an Amazing thing! appeared first on Define Me Wellness.