This is our first official Lesson since we received accreditation and became a legit certification.
Thank you Downtown Athletic Club of Eugene for allowing me to be me. From rewriting the tattoo policy, lol, to supporting my creative endeavors with your trust. Thank you for being the birthplace of this format. Thank you also to the cast of Lesson 5 Fall 2020 for working out in a mask for 5+ hours on a Sunday: Shelly, Amy, Debbie, Lara and Amber. To learn more visit warriorrhythm.com Stay WILD! 🐆
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How to improve circulation while traveling. But also how do decrease boredom when going through customs.
All joking aside, inversions are great for the circulatory, lymphatic, digestive and musculoskeletal systems. 👋🏻 I’m a yoga teacher📿 No more imposter syndrome. I did the work. I love the work. There’s devastation here in Oregon and across the Pacific Northwest due to ravaging, relentless wildfires. There’s big pandemic feels and moms everywhere are taking “1st Day of School” photos on their porch steps only to turn around and go back inside for a day of education at the kitchen table. It all brings me to tears. But a mini celebration is happening in my heart as I conclude this first huge chapter of my yoga teacher training journey with YogaFit. I’ve learned so much over these few years it’s impossible to summarize. But above all, I’ve learned that my learning has only just begun. I started down this path to fortify my education as a PiYo Master Trainer. I never imagined that, before I could complete it, PiYo would fade into the background, and a love for YOGA take root. 🌱🌳 Thank you YogaFit for this life-changing 200-hour yoga school. And thank you for allowing some of us to finish Level 4 over zoom instead of the MBF conference in Texas these last 4 days. We finished with tears streaming down our faces. 500 hour... you got next. I’m coming and I can’t wait.
Why the tattoo? Okay here goes ...📖
I grew up “sheltered”, feeling like I was not allowed to say, do, or want certain things. Even things like secular music (radio) were forbidden. (I’m grateful for my parents and the way they raised me. My mom has become one one my biggest fans on the planet. I only mention my childhood for context). I spent a considerable amount of my teens and young adulthood saying “yes” to everyone and everything, hoping to find more love and approval. All those YESSES ....🥵...yes after yes after yes morphed into a raging little bulimia problem. I married very young and that marriage became a valley of fear and frustration. And that’s all I’ll say about that, other than adding that as long as I was barefoot and pregnant and isolated from friends and family, things were peaceful. I stopped dreaming out loud about what I wanted to do with my life because it wasn’t worth the friction it caused. So I came into my mid thirties aching to express myself and to reclaim my life with a vengeance. One day I found the courage to leave the bad relationship. I learned to say no. No, sorry I can’t. No, I don’t have time. No thank you, nothankyounothankyounothankyou until I was spending my time doing things I wanted with whom I wanted. So of course I stopped puking my brains out and, not coincidentally, learned to love my body. I found a man who encourages my dreams and helps me build them. The bodysuit represented taking back my life, finding my voice, and roaring from a mountain top. I don’t think my story about losing a sense of myself is really all that unusual. Which is why I’m grateful it gave (gives) me a message for young women: •Save up all your YESes for the right stuff. •You’re beautiful as is. •Pack your shit and get out if you need to. •You’re the only person who needs to believe your dreams might come true. In my early days (2014) as a Master Trainer, I was criticized by a couple of former Master Trainers (they were from another company but I really looked up to them). I use the word “criticize” carefully distinguishing it from corrective feedback intended to inspire someone to make improvements. They had nothing edifying to say to me. They didn’t like the way I looked. For one small example, I was told my hair looked way too messy and that it got in my face while I taught and that I should always slick it back in a tight braid or ponytail to look the part. (One of my newbie MT friends was told by the same women that she should put pads in her bra.) I could go on...
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Fast forward. Last week we filmed @warriorrhythm Lesson 4. Afterward, I said, “hey, wanna get some pictures to commemorate the day?“ and Amber noted our hair was disastrous. And I smiled. And said “GOOD”!! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Those girls who put me down with smirks on their lips do not in any way reflect on Beachbody and how awesome that company treated me as a Master Trainer. Nor do they represent the incredible culture of Beachbody MTs who love to build one another up. But I think of them from time to time. Especially now as I endeavor to build a culture that embraces messy f*#€ing hair, little boobies and EVERYTHING else. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Young women reading this, I wish I could have been there to put an arm around my younger self. To whisper in her ear THEY ARE WRONG ABOUT YOU and their hateful comments and sideways glances are not worth the tears and dip in confidence. But I can’t, so I’ll say it to YOU. People who don’t make you believe in the best version of yourself are not worth your time. Period. This took me 45 years: ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Of failures and successes. Of mentors and mentoring. Of studying and teaching. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Here is my heart. Here is me going for it. Here is my vulnerability. Maybe it fails. But maybe is doesn’t. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Thank you WARRIOR Nation. At first I was doing this for me. Then YOU came. And you believed in each other and you trusted me and now YOU. ARE. THE. WHY. 🧨 Instructors wanted. Members wanted. I didn’t know that day what I know now. Read on...
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ This was 4 years ago and it was my second or third time being cast in a P90X video and before ever being cast in PiYo. That day I was over the moon elated (and equally humbled) to be there for what was going to be the-first-and-only ALL FEMALE CAST. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Even though I was relatively new to the scene I’d already learned that these two day filming experiences were total exhaustion fueled by adrenaline and excitement. Usually on the flights home the endorphins would crash and I’d find myself tearful from a combination of fatigue and gratitude. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ What I didn’t know about those two days is that these two women @kamjamz and @bekahjjackson and I would carve out precious time out of our insanely busy lives to talk daily. What I didn’t know about the Girl Power round is that my paycheck was cool and a business trip to LA was cool but the real money was to the pocketbook of my heart. Walked on set for a job. Walked off set with Pennsylvania and New York best friends. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Our Master Trainer community was (and is) incredible. Spread out across the countries 🇺🇸 🇬🇧 🇨🇦 but unified in passionate, purpose-filled lifestyles. I don’t talk much about the closure of BBLIVE operations. I only posted once about it. But I’m grateful to have been a part of a beautiful community of Master Trainers-so many of whom have stayed so close knit 🧶 and connected. That era was full of opportunities for professional and personal growth and I’m forever grateful for the 6 year ride. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ What I know today that I didn’t know then is that the best things aren’t the accolades they are the people. 🤟🏻 All my love.
I am proud of myself. Those who don’t know me might think I’m bragging. I’m not. I’m not good at a lot of things. Like cooking. And cleaning. Or laundry. Or keeping plants alive. Or math. Or history. Or geography. Or politics...and I have tons of character defects and things I wish I was better at.
But tonight I’m not focused on all my flaws but rather the fact that I decided to flourish not flounder (as have so MANY of YOU!!!). Before COVID-19 I’d been teaching virtually for years. Before our Stay Home order I had a home studio in the works. Before the virus, I had created my own trademarked Warrior Rhythm exercise format. And while I had imagined I would be delivering my new baby, WARRIOR Rhythm, differently right now I couldn’t have been more ready for this opportunity- an opportunity that expands in my heart and mind more each day. Big shout out to my DAC fam for showing up today, bringing tangible online energy ⚡️and above all LOVING one another. You each empower me with courage and strength. Forever grateful. I will be making some bigger announcements soon. In the meantime, if you’re interested in a complimentary live class with me send your email. I dropped out of the University of Illinois to go into an eating disorders unit at Highland Park hospital 🏥 where my 92 pound self battled Ed. Oh “Ed?” ...Ed was my eating disorder. I was so underweight that my concave tummy, bony back, and face were covered in lanugo. Lanugo is the fine hair that premature babies are born with to help keep them warm. I was basically a hairy skeleton with lifeless eyes.
After 5 months of treatment I had gained enough weight to menstruate again and became pregnant 🤰🏻 with my 1st son. I didn’t know how to hold babies and was terrified of their soft spots and overall fragility. I didn’t even know how to take care of myself. I was petrified. But this was part of Gods plan for my life and -but for my son - my life would have continued down a dark path. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Today I’m proudly 50 pounds heavier and have a pretty healthy body image, meaning I work at LOVING my body and saying nice things or nothing at all about it. I tell you the story about kicking Ed’s ass because I know there are many out there struggling right NOW because being home (COVID-19) and out of routine can be a big trigger. My 6 tips: ❕Sleep sleep sleep. ❕10 minutes of personal development per day (podcast or book). ❕Plan your virtual workout the day before and tell your friends. ❕Stay SOCIAL online. ❕Start every meal with water. Cute water bottles help. ❕Don’t worry (worry makes everything worse) about your weight. Rather eat to FEEL GOOD, not emotionally but to feel good physically. |
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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