whole body core classes

Peaceful, Mindful, Soulful movement classes

Props
Sarah Purcell, of Bone Boot Camp, calls prop use “bringing the floor to you.” Explore ways to destabilize your surface and make standing exercises more accessible and challenging.

I use various-sized balls, yoga blocks, TRX ropes, blankets, and/or socks to destabilize our work surface and make normal-standing movements accessible and challenging. These classes are playful, mindful, and soulful.

They are also a mishmash of all movement teachers who have made an impact on me. I've been blessed with some good ones, local and far:

Sue Poston, my childhood dance teacher. Rhythm McCarthy, Ruth Barnes, and Sara Brummel, my dance teachers at MSU. Jasara, Yasmine Al Alabassi, Jemina Garuba, and Theresa in Kansas City, Chicago, and Sgf for Middle Eastern and Oriental. Eva Cernik and Artemis Mourat in Denver and Silver Springs, MD. They taught me Turkish and Roma dance. Vicki Kastanis in Louisville, KY, for Greek dance, and Diana Dinicola, also in Louisville, for flamenco.

Beth Spindler was the brilliant teacher and singer who certified me with the Yoga Alliance. In my continuing studies with Beth, I have learned techniques in yoga trauma therapy. No one can bring you to savasana like Beth can. Her relaxation and meditation practice is even better. I aspire to that level as a teacher as much as I enjoy Beth’s gifts as her student.

My dance and movement idols are modern dancers Isadora Duncan and Martha Graham. I studied Graham technique with McCarthy at MSU. Simultaneously technical and soulful, all movement concepts I’ve studied inform my class movements.

Enter Lauren Ohayon, the wise, worldly journalist and movement teacher of the brilliant online program, Restore Your Core®. After two very unique births and postpartum periods, RYC®️ helped reacquaint me with my core in both its power and expressiveness. Also from Lauren I learned to find the engagement before you find the movement shape. I’ve learned to embody and cue this concept in my movement classes. I like to call Lauren the SI joint whisperer. SIJ helps contribute to pelvic control in a major way. Lauren is an amazing role model for intelligent, fun, and effective sequencing, too.

Whole Body Core classes and concepts are an embodiment of all my teachers and the techniques I learned from them. I am also continually updating my skills and staying current on research and methodologies.