Rochelle Rice

A bit last minute, but if you get the chance and you’re in New York, you must go see our own Andi Bray, certified group fitness instructor, in tonight’s production of Lbs, The Musical with Weight Behind It.

Choreographed by John Paolillo, Lbs. is a song and dance celebration of full-sized women who find empowerment through perserverence, despite the obstacles they have encountered from being overweight. For me, it touches on the funny, yet painfully true moments of the scale, size, and even the “The Britneys” who believe Ex-Lax is a tasty treat and a helpful friend.

Bravo to Mr. Paolillo for bringing this to the stage. His creative team has high hopes for taking this 90 minute cult like show off Broadway. I will continue to cheer for this fantastic musical! Congratulations Andi!

Wow…have you seen them?  I’ve been busy runing around the city checking out some of the food chains that have posted calorie counts on menus.  Incredible.  At first, I thought the idea was kind of crazy - don’t people have a sense of what is best for their bodies?  But after doing a brief scan of the Starbucks menu, I was stunned.  One fancy coffee and a breakfast pastry to go with it, and you’ve consumed nearly half the day’s worth of suggested energy intake (calories).  Maybe this will help raise the awareness of caloric consumption.  I truly have no idea how people will feel and or react to this new information that is readily available now to the public.  Guess we have to wait and see.

What gets you out of bed in the morning?  What gets you excited?  If the list is short, get motivated! 

One of my favorite things is cheering on clients and colleagues.  But there are certainly days when I would love to have someone cheering me on as well.  If that’s not the case, what do I do?

Shake it up big time or get back to the basics!

Shake it up big time for me means it may be time to hit the Trapeze School again to welcome spring.  Back to the basics means planting the window boxes on my fire escape and getting my hands in the dirt.  Even writing those two sentences motivates me and puts me at ease.  Now to put the plan in motion…

We sometimes look for the ultimate solution - almost fantasy like in appearance.  I do believe I can continue to have a full life, but the trapeze and the flowers in my window boxes may just be the cheerleaders I need to keep me moving in that direction.

Wishing you a beautiful spring filled with the newness of motivation and inspiration! Now go shake it up big time!

I haven’t written for nearly a month.  It has been challenging these past few weeks as I continue to strive for more understanding of my biography, my self, my physical body and my energy body.  Two key points…

Standing in the chaos - I love to go fast and usually go faster in the midst of chaos - work out harder, sleep less, drink more coffee, eat lunch running down the street.  It has been so challenging to stand and not run.  Be in it and feel what my body is doing.  Incredible.  Big surprise.  Things actually calmed down!

Sitting in the quiet - I love to busy myself which is often overcoupled with what I call “productive.”  Right.  How about not wanting to feel uncomfortable in the middle of a growth spurt!?! (Again!!!)  So amazing, scarey, deep and still new to sit in the quiet.  Many sensations and frequencies in my body offer information if only I listen.

Whew!  There…that’s a start back on my writing path. 

I trust you may have a sense of what I’m talking about…

Yeah!  I looked out the window this morning and the buds are out on the trees that line my street!  Although spring does not technically begin until the 20th, I can feel that winter is on it’s way out.

So much going on these days, it’s been challenging to keep up with the day to day things.  Sound familiar? 

I’ve joined Max Szadek and the Divabetics Team (www.divabetics.org) for an eight city tour this year.  The goal of the program is to offer women free information about diabetes in a fun and non-clinical setting.  We saw over 500 women last week here in NYC and over 400 in Philly.  Wow!  It was amazing.  Thanks go to Emme (www.emmestyle.com) who stopped by in NYC and Kelly Bliss who did a fantastic job moving women in Philly (www.kellybliss.com).  It is a dream for me to be back on the road - much like my touring days with the dance company. 

I’ll post the other Divabetic cities on my website once they are confirmed.  If you or some of your friends are in these cities (Atlanta, LA, New Orleans to name a few) be sure to come by and move with us!

Wishing you a wonderful transition into spring!  Have a great week!

OK - I’ve been in this business of movement for a lifetime, but the message really hit home last week as I SAT for over 40 hours in my Somatic Experience Training.  Shocking to say the least.

At first I thought it would be great to sit and rest for a few days since my job usually has me running all over town.  But the lack of movement created an even deeper level of not wanting to move.  I could have gotten up early and done my stretching.  I could have worked out in the evening after the training.  But the truth is, the sitting made me want to sit even more.

My body signals were telling me to stretch.  My sleep was off.  My eating was off.  Wow…move it or lose it was more the feeling.  By the end of the training, I was “wasted.”  I slept the weekend, walked a bit and did those things that really helped ground me and nourish me energetically.

I was back in ballet class on Monday - muscles shaking as I stood at the barre.  Ladies - YOU’VE GOT TO MOVE!  Climb stairs, walk, do SOMETHING on a daily basis.  And if you can’t do it alone, get a friend. I now deeply understand what it is to sit at a job 40+ hours a week. 

Muscles, bones, internal organs, heart, brain…all will be happier when you move.  Just be very careful of the downward spiral when it comes to not moving. 

I encourage you to “move your body through space” somehow, someway today.  And if you usually move, move a few minutes more!  I promise you, the rewards are priceless.

Finishing up my 3 year training program in Somatic Experience.  It ties in so well with the work we do - sensing the body.  The key is to regulate the central nervous system to avoid activation spikes and falls.  Sound familiar?  Stay tuned…I’ll be sure to bring you more info!

Have a great week!

Say it ain’t so!  As I walked past the Jenny Craig in my neighborhood, I was stunned to see the Queen on the spokesperson poster!  Here is a woman who was recently on the front of (I think) People magazine, celebrating her curves.  She has had an extremely successful career with movies and Revlon and now this?

While I admit I do not have all the facts at this hour, I must admit I was more than sad, confused and over the top crazy with this news.  Here is a woman who really has an influence on women and teens and wants to now “get healthy.”  With Jenny?! 

I’m not against getting healthy and/or the desire to change the shape of your body.  It’s the degrading diet mentality that still blows my mind and yet it continues to be a 50+ BILLION DOLLAR industry!  Ladies…what are we doing?

YES - get healthy.  Eat your fruits and veggies, move your body at least 30 minutes a day, sleep well (which they say is about 7 hours a night) and drink lots of water.  These are the basics and the foundation.  If we could get that much into our daily lives, I think we’d all feel a whole lot better.

There is no magic.  There is no special pill.  Maybe the Queen believes she will shed a few and get healthy.  In the meantime, I plan to write her a letter.

The middle of January - a bit dark, cold and gray.  A friend reminded me again that if I get ONE thing done today, that would be an accomplishment.  OK - that I can do.  It makes things seem lighter and easier.

Don’t push.  It’s hard when I’m used to going 100mph.  But right now, I have to be uncomfortably in this place, asking myself to be curious about what it is that is really going on for me these past few days.  My friends in Toastmasters said “learn to be comfortable in the uncomfortable.”  What a workout…another lessson in the growing game called life.

I’m not one for resolutions.  Intentions resonate better with me.  But here it is, 16 days into the 2008 and I’m wondering what happened to my intentions.

Two years ago I completely shifted my life.  Closed the studio, left a realtionship and went off to India.  Seemed at the time like a lot of drama and chaos. 

Now the dust has settled and the stillness and ease of daily life is almost as overwhelming at times.  I don’t have to look over my shoulder wondering what is going to happen next.  I don’t exist in a chaotic relationship.  I’m resting when necessary and “playing” in life with dance, friends and new adventures.

Here’s an intention I can hold onto today.  Rest in the uncomfortable stillness.  Do not be afraid.  It is what I have longed for - to let go of the craziness in order to live and teach from a more centered and grounded place.  Yet even this is new to every cell in my body.  And it is with this intention that I breathe in and out, allowing my body to regulate in the stillness.  It’s that simple, and that hard.