Bess OgdenMaster Trainer Teaching indoor cycling is very new to me. When I used to compete in triathlon, we only took indoor cycling classes when the weather was awful or the winter days were too short to ride outside. It was necessary conditioning, and we went to class to hammer! WARRIOR Revolution is a different experience altogether - yes, it’s firmly rooted in traditional terrain-based indoor cycling class design (hammering can happen), but we also turn up the party vibe!
I’ve been practicing at my gym’s gorgeous bike studio, preparing to teach Revolution. The other day my best friend joined me. She came for the workout, to provide feedback, and to give me moral support. While I was getting my microphone and music going, a young guy came into the studio and asked if there was a class starting. I let him know that we were just practicing. I invited him in and told him he was perfectly welcome to do his own thing, as long as he was okay with my music and cueing “noise”. He was fine with it and got himself set up on a bike. We were about two songs into my lesson when I realized he was actually doing the moves with us! He looked like he was working hard, and appeared to enjoy it right to the very end of the hour. Afterwards, we were all chatting and my friend mentioned that he was wearing her favorite brand of shoes. He said that he loved them, too! He admitted he was kind of bummed that this pair had a hole through the sole, which he showed us. “Must be a poor college student”, I thought to myself. But then things took a turn… He continued on, saying, “The spikes of my mountain bike pedals finally wore through. I didn’t mind except when I had to walk through the cacti.” Wait, WHAT?? My friend and I must have had matching quizzical expressions on our faces. “Yeah, I finished a 1,040 mile, 42 day solo mountain bike ride, Baja to Bay, last month. It was mostly a dirt track and slow-going some days.” Our jaws dropped in awe. “This is the first time I’ve been on a bike seat since I got back, actually. It was really fun! Thanks for easing me back in with something new and different!” Well, THAT was unexpected! We talked a bit longer about his incredible trip, and learned that he’s in the midst of planning another one in Mexico this spring with his partner and brother. How cool that I could offer this amazing person my WARRIOR Revolution class, and it happened to be his path back into his riding practice.. Yes, I think his commitment to these adventures is very similar to having a yoga practice. He had shared with us that his experience in Baja was just as much mental as physical. This is not surprising. I get it. That was my draw to long-distance triathlon in the past. It’s personal how you get into that meditative space. Revolution could absolutely help bring you there. AND it can be a simple, joyful, spicy sweat sesh, if that’s what you want. I invite YOU to find a class and Ride YOUR Race with us. Bess
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AuthorHeather Shields, Master Trainer A few years back, I was listening to a book in my car (a great book I might add), called The Perfection Detox, and the author @petrakolber shared some details, (among other things) about how women tend to approach beauty. Some interesting statistics that she shared from the Dove Self Esteem Project: (please take a mindful moment to digest each point). 1). Only 4% of women around the world consider themselves beautiful 2). Only 11% of young girls globally, are comfortable describing themselves as beautiful YET: 3). 72% of girls feel TREMENDOUS pressure to BE beautiful 4). 80% of women agree that every woman has something about her that IS beautiful, but they cannot see their OWN beauty 5). 54% of women globally, agree that when it comes to how they look, they are their own worst critic I don’t know about you, but when I heard those statistics, it sort of broke my heart. Why is it so easy for us to see beauty everywhere else, but not see it in ourselves? Why are we so hard on ourselves and so focused on our appearances, and how we perceive them to compare to others? Your body does not define your beauty. Don’t define beauty the way that the world defines beauty. We all have flaws, and, trust me, that person you’re comparing yourself to on social media, is not all that they appear to be. Focus instead on your health, your function, and most importantly, your inner beauty. Clothe yourself in kindness, meekness, gentleness, humility, and love. Set your new years resolutions based on that. Consider the perks of having a strong, healthy functional body- rather than one that meets a certain aesthetic. If you focus on making healthier choices so that you can be more functional, the weight loss will naturally follow. Then use that healthy body to take care of others and bring God’s love and light to the rest of the world. I promise you, you have your own beauty- even if you currently fail to see it. Your creator made up the way that He intended for you to be, and that in itself, is a beautiful thing.
AuthorBess Ogden, Master Trainer I’ve recently concluded a six-week journey teaching WARRIOR Rhythm Lesson 17, centered around the theme of “metamorphosis.” Teaching the final class of a lesson series is always a bittersweet experience. It’s a blend of pride in our collective mastery of the intricate choreography and the excitement for the upcoming new lessons. Observing and feeling everyone’s unique yet unified experiences as they delve into the synchronized movements, embracing their personal choices, is profoundly beautiful. The diversity in expression is truly striking.
The theme of metamorphosis, or transformation, presents a personal challenge to me. As someone approaching sixty, I find myself in a state of contentment and confidence, generally satisfied with my family, friends, home, career, and leisure activities. The drive for change that once propelled me seems to have mellowed. But, is this shift in attitude concerning? Should there be a continual pursuit for more, an unending desire for change? As we step into the New Year, a period often marked by resolutions and renewed hopes, I am reminded of a classic yoga meditation: What are the things in life that no longer serve you, which you can let go of? What kind of transformation could this release initiate? AuthorBess Ogden What is it about WARRIOR Combat that is so incredibly satisfying?
Have you ever stepped into the ring of a real physical fight? My closest encounter was during the semester of Tae Kwon Do I took in college. Bruises covered my body for months, but the thrill was undeniable. WARRIOR Combat instructors aim to kick and punch with authentic style, even though no physical contact is involved. You don't need boxing experience to teach or take a class, but in my quest to become a Combat Master Trainer, I decided to supplement my training with 1-on-1 boxing sessions. Hitting the bag and my coach's strike pads while perfecting my techniques was an absolute blast. One reason I'm drawn to Combat is that it lets me channel my inner badass, like an Amazon warrior ready to conquer. I even did a "badass" photoshoot when I turned 50, posing with a sword, reminiscent of iconic female action characters like Lara Croft in Tomb Raider. Nine years later, those photos still bring a smile to my face. So, what's the answer to my initial question? WARRIOR Combat is more than a workout; it's a chance to come together with friends, break a sweat, release stress, and conquer our inner demons to the beat of incredible music. It taps into our aggressive energy, allowing us to harness that power and use it to keep fighting, as Combat's motto suggests—pure magic. I want to extend my gratitude to Diva and Ellen for bringing Combat into our lives, where we can transform into our own unbeatable superheroes. Bess Sometimes all we need is a new perspective
Things I remind myself often…
AuthorHeather Shields, WARRIOR Master Trainer Because as a rehabilitative provider, and an allied healthcare professional, I have come to recognize one simple truth: AN OUNCE OF PREVENTION, IS WORTH A POUND OF CURE. And besides that, most medications don’t cure anything, they just cover up the symptoms. And at what cost?
Medicine is reactive. Rehab is reactive. But making healthier choices, choosing a different lifestyle- that is proactive. And the longer we wait to get started, the harder it is to turn this train around. Don’t do it because you want to look different. Do it because you want to feel different. Or maybe do it to look different- trust me, eventually you’ll start to feel different either way. Just do it. Whatever the reason. Our society is sick. We’re chronically sick from the food we eat, from the potions that we drink, from our addiction to tv, and phone screens, and tablets, and computers. We’re sick from distraction, and inactivity. We’re sick from overworking and constant comparison. We’re sick from lack of rest and poor hydration. And the solution is not more medicine, more side effects, and more medicine to cover those up. The solution is movement, and real food, and water, and sunlight and fresh air. Start now. Start early. Start where you are. Just start. Trust me. You’ll thank me later. We met about a year ago but were too busy and focused to pay the other much attention. That changed last fall when we discovered (thanks the the “WARRIOR girls” driving us together) that our passions and vision aligned.
We started working ferociously on WARRIOR Combat. It’s been a whirlwind. We created the accredited self study course and launched in January. We have produced 2 lessons and film the 3rd next weekend. We’ve presented at 2 conferences already this year But tomorrow feels like the biggest deal yet. I’m not sure why. I guess it’s because my heart beats for training instructors and tomorrow is our FIRST live certification Thank you for cheering @warriorcombat_official on. We feel it and are extremely motivated to change lives with its unique “KEEP FIGHTING” essence. LVE, ~ ellen Bess OgdenWARRIOR Master Trainer We’ve been exploring the theme of “reflection” during our Friday evening WARRIOR Rhythm class lately. Last night I invited my people to consider how we mirror each other’s movements - they reflect me and I reflect them as we flow through the choreography. I asked each person to think about how we also reflect the qualities of the people with whom we spend our time, and perhaps to identify the people who help us reflect brighter and beautifully. One of the class members excitedly shared with us that this is related to a scientific phenomenon called “mirror neurons”. I looked it up. Here is the article link if you are curious: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3510904/ In a nutshell, mirror neurons have been proven to exist through numerous studies in the past couple decades. Not only are they activated during mirrored movement, but even watching another being move! It’s postulated that mirror neurons allow us and other species to learn as infants to understand the intentions of others, even allowing us to predict their future actions. That feeling you get when you sync up with the others in your WARRIOR Rhythm class?… Yeah, that’s your mirror neurons firing up! Cool, huh?! Bess OgdenWARRIOR Master Trainer Self-perception is a tricky mirror. Do you have a set of traits that you feel represent the "real you"?
The other evening I ran a red light making a left turn. My heart sank when I realized those flashing red and blue lights in my rearview mirror were for me. Dang it. The young officer came up to my window, "Hello, Ma'am. Do you know why I pulled you over?" "Yes..." "You know that yellow means slow down and prepare to stop?" "Yes..." I was SO embarrassed and abashed! He eventually let me go with just a warning and a pleasant "Have a good evening, Ma'am." Here's the thing: In my mind I am a super compliant, law-abiding citizen. I even said to the officer, "I always stop at that intersection..." He finished my sentence, "...except this ONE TIME when a CHP happened to be behind you." (Was he being sarcastic? LOL.) Of course I've been hypervigilant about following driving rules and regulations after that! What I realize is that in fact I frequently "run" yellow lights when I should be slowing and stopping. My self-perception was not really accurate! It made me think about other qualities I ascribe to myself and whether they are true. The theme of WARRIOR Rhythm Lesson 14 is HUMILITY. I am looking at myself through that lens right now. Am I really "always on time"? Am I really a "lone wolf"? Do I always "try to understand all perspectives"? Maybe. Maybe not. There's a lot to be said for the power of affirmations. Here's one that my husband and I say to each other on occasion to inspire action: "We are the type of people who don't let a little bad weather stop us from getting outside." Boy, that's been a hard one to live up to lately during this relentless rain and wind! I'll keep digging up some humility to examine my beliefs about myself: Are these qualities that I hold dear still valid? Do I want them to be? What is an affirmative thought and what is a misperception? What will I do with this self-awareness? Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE the lime light 😆, but I’m at a point in my life and career where if feels just as good if not BETTER to give it away.
We are approaching Warrior Rhythms 3 year birthday next month and since the beginning I DREAMED about elevating the young leaders who would come into the WARRIOR fold. It’s been a blessing to be able to do so. Today we released a Bonus section led by Usha Nellimarla, Regan Steedman, and Francy Stoyer. 🌟🌟🌟 |
ElleNEllen de Werd is the creator of WARRIOR Rhythm™ and WARRIOR Strength™. Inspired by global interest in her format, Ellen opened the WARRIOR Instructor Academy. Archives
March 2024
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