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Update on Andrea's Pilates Instructor Course

    It's Sunday evening and I had an exciting weekend of Pilates instructor training. Thankfully, I am not as sore as I expected to be after many hours of discovering new ways of moving and using the muscles in my body. I admit it, I am a terrible Yoga snob and didn't care to learn much about other forms of physical refinement, but the fabulous Susan Church, our teacher, showed me the other side of the coin, as she put it, if Yoga is all about flexibility, Pilates is all about stability.

     That was an eye opener! So I stabilized my core like I never stabilized before, and it is very hard work indeed, maybe more so, since my body is formed and kind of trained towards yoga moves, yoga posture. I feel like I am gaining a brand new angle on how to move and use the body!

Karina and Eilish, fellow students

Brian's Photo Of The Week

Olga





Andrea is starting Pilates instructor training today

"I've been pondering back and forth now for years, if I should add Pilates to my repertoire, sneezing a bit about the purely physical approach of the Pilates method, as opposed my beloved yoga, that hopefully one fine day will bring us spiritual enlightenment. So I googled a bit, and this is what I found, a quote from Mister Pilates himself:"

Contrology is complete coordination of body, mind, and spirit. Through Contrology you first purposefully acquire complete control of your own body and then through proper repetition of its exercises you gradually and progressively acquire that natural rhythm and coordination associated with all your subconscious activities.

 

"So it's not just about a flat tummy after all" (Though a flat tummy is of course a nice thing to have). 

Here is another one of his quotes:

"The acquirement and enjoyment of physical well-being mental calm, and spiritual peace are priceless to their possessors....[and] it is only through Contrology that this unique trinity of a balanced body, mind, and spirit can ever be attained."

- Joseph Pilates, Return to Life Through Contrology

Now, that sounds like yoga to me. I am getting more and more curious and will report more when I have recovered from my first training weekend.



Brian's Photograph Of The Day



The Mediterranean



Brian's Photograph Of The Day

Brian's Photograph Of The Day



The Desert Of Tabinas



Brian's Photograph Of The Day



Grand Canal Wharf



Andrea's Review of "Fierce Medicine" by Ana T. Forrest

 

    Ana Forrest's new book "Fierce Medicine" came out last month. I had eagerly awaited its arrival ever since attending a workshop she held in Dublin earlier this year.

   To me, this book had a few very important bits of information that helped me on my personal path. Sometimes it just happens when I read, just a few words in a certain way, at exactly the right time, and something clicks, shifts, something old breaks up to make space for a new development. I stopped drinking coffee right after reading her book, just like that, a task that I had been putting off since many years really, so profound were her words on me that I was able to turn knowledge into action.

    Ana's book has a minimal amount of information specific to the practice of asanas, pranayama or Kriya cleansing techniques, instead she writes about painful truths, struggles and fears, and how to utilize yoga as a tool to develop personal freedom and spirituality.

This book actually did change my life a little bit, highly recommended!

Andrea Boudin

Brian's Photograph Of The Day



Stonewall, The Burren, Co Clare, Ireland.



Brian's Photograph Of The Day

Body-Mind Centering Workshop

Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen and Tanya Fitzpatrick



This Bank Holiday Monday Andrea attended to the Body-Mind Centering workshop with Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen in Dún Laoghaire .

  

 "We got to play with our toes for most part of the morning (hey, my favorite!). The very knowledgeable, graceful Bonnie led us into Janu Sirs Asana (seated head to knee posture). As it usually is, my left side was harder and less flexible that my right side when bending forwards. Then Bonnie got us to slowly and thoroughly massage our feet, toe by toe, relax the ankles and repeat Janu Sirs Asana, while teaching us about the anatomy of the feet. What an amazing difference that was! There was less strain to get deep into the pose, hips! and legs! seemed softer and the difference between left and right far less pronounced. I did the foot massage yesterday and this morning before Asana practice, glad to have been shown another little bit of the workings and not-so-well-workings of the mosaic that is my body."

 

Namaste!

Andrea in Tabanas

Andrea, a wonderful evening in the Tabanas Desert

Welcome to our Creative Retreats Blog

We hope you enjoy your stay, Andrea Boudin (Yoga) Brian D. Brady (Photography)