Through inexperience we have the opportunity to make choices with little to no knowledge of the outcome — these choices can result in mistakes, but they also leave room for sparks of genius. As we continue to practice a skill or craft, we refine our approach. We miscalculate less often. We continue to do what works and we discard what doesn’t.

Overtime, we develop rules that dictate our behavior and actions. If A, then B. These rules allow us to feel confident, knowing what to do even when the situation we’re encountering is new.

Even more significant than learning what someone knows, is to learn how and why they came to that conclusion. Here within “the work” we’ll discover the rules that experts in the fitness and wellness space have developed as they share how they arrived.

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Creating A Movement Practice

Have A Movement Menu:

Use your intuition to discern what kind of movement your body needs each and every day. Discipline and commitment have their place, but so does adventure and curiosity.

The same way you would approach what you feel like eating for a meal, those same “cravings” you know how to tap into to satiate your appetite should be used for your movement practice.

- What way would my body like to move today?

- Give it some choice. Does it want the freedom of dance?

- The sweat of cardio? The structure of lifting weights?

- Does it want to move alone or with the collective?

Tune in.

Take Inventory (or) Do Your Research:

Any time you move, it’s important to listen to how you’re doing on many different levels.

- Is there pain or tightness?

- Is it physical pain or energetic pain, like anxiety?

- How is it shifting or changing as I move through the workout, and deeper into my body?

Tap into the internal dialogue that’s occurring in your mind as you work out. No need to stop it, or redirect it, but to have an awareness of the chatter that’s happening.

Your workout is a place and time for “research” to occur. A lot of dots can start to connect when we move and enter a state of flow. Use your movement as an opportunity to see what wants to be revealed to you about yourself, your body, or your life.

Seek Out Pleasure:

Effort is pleasure. Not punishment.

When we begin to find joy in our body’s capacity, it doesn’t matter if it’s those last exasperating seconds of throttle on the assault bike, the moment your leg begins to tremble in a pulse on the megaformer, or if it’s a slow and sensual cat-cow in yoga class — there are satisfaction and joy.

These varying levels of effort - the spectrum of contraction and expansion - begin to be what feels good. It might take a couple tries to reframe and tap into how this is true for you, but it’s important to connect to the pleasure that exists in rigor as much as important to recognize where it exists within ease. Use how good you can feel as the barometer for how successful your next session is.

claudia germuga

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listen to episode 010 | Developing Your Intuition with Claudia Germuga

Listen to Ep. 010 on iTunes // Google Play // Spotify

listen to episode 011 | Transforming at Your Edge with Claudia Germuga

Listen to Ep. 011 on iTunes // Google Play // Spotify

Through inexperience we have the opportunity to make choices with little to no knowledge of the outcome — these choices can result in mistakes, but they also leave room for sparks of genius. As we continue to practice a skill or craft, we refine our approach. We miscalculate less often. We continue to do what works and we discard what doesn’t.

Overtime, we develop rules that dictate our behavior and actions. If A, then B. These rules allow us to feel confident, knowing what to do even when the situation we’re encountering is new.

Even more significant than learning what someone knows, is to learn how and why they came to that conclusion. Here within “the work” we’ll discover the rules that experts in the fitness and wellness space have developed as they share how they arrived.

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Shooting With A Photographer

The likelihood of you having to work with a photographer for personal or professional reasons is greater than ever. Professionalism has become synonymous with professional imagery — even when it comes to social media profiles. Working with a photographer for the first time can be an intimidating experience, but Matt has stepped in to provide guidance.

1. Collaborate on a Mood Board

You’ll have a better end-product if you communicate with your photographer effectively on the kind of imagery you’re after. The best way to do this is visually, through using mood boards. If you explain your idea to the photographer you can then both set out to create your own mood board separately then meet to bring your ideas together. Once you have done this you can then create a final mood board that you can use for reference leading into the shoot.

2. Working with the right models

Having a mood board sets the tone, but choosing to work with the right model(s) ensures proper execution of your concept.

Whenever I work with a model, I’ll sit with them and explain what I’m going for — showing them as much relevant imagery as possible, referencing the collaborative mood board. Once they see the imagery that we’re going for, they can take on the appropriate emotions and replicate poses or movements for your shoot.

Unsure on where to find the right model(s) for your shoot? Often photographers have connections with modeling agencies and can help you through this process.

3. Make yourself as clear as possible

When working with a photographer make sure you lay out clearly, everything you’re trying to achieve from the shoot.

This also includes discussing deliverables — how many final images you want to receive from the photographer and an agreement on the payment for the shoot. Potentially a contract if needed for your situation.

Have a list of shots you’re wanting to get so you can tick them off on the day. There's nothing worse than working with a client that gives no direction on the day and is then unhappy because they didn’t get the images they really wanted. Make sure you make yourself clear to the photographer on what you’re after — you and the photographer you’re working with will have a MUCH better experience.

I hope you all found these tips useful! Don’t hesitate to contact me on instagram if you have any questions!

Matt Pearson

@matt.pearsonn

Matt Pearson

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listen to episode 009 | On Purpose Conversations with matt pearson

Listen on iTunes // Google Play // Spotify

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THE WAY YOU LISTEN

Transformational coach Tania Harley Badiyi explains how to create a life you love by the way you listen

How do you and I listen?

Well if someone asked me that before I learned about consciousness and the automatic ego, I’d ask if it was a trick question. My best guess would be I listen with my attention, with my ears? But what is that attention?

When you and I listen to a person or attend an event, we think that our experience of the person or event is the way they are. But what if they are, in part, a function of our perception? Can you try that on for a minute? I’m not asking you to believe anything I say as the truth. The intention of everything I share with you is to provide you with clarity freedom and a deeper sense of confidence, joy, and love. So for a minute, we are going to look at listening not a verb but as a distinction.
We can agree that we are on this planet for connection. If we need affirmation Psychologist Brenee Brown can back it up in her ten-year study on vulnerability. We yearn for connection, we thrive on it. We suffer without it. Connection is food for our soul.
It is one of my why’s for being a coach. So how does how we listen impact the quality of connection?

I’m sure you’ve heard the saying that “how we listen is more important than what we say.“

Whether we are at a seminar, in a meeting at work, talking with a roommate or life partner about daily business or out on a date, you and I are listening from a particular place but we are not aware that it is a particular way.

We think how we hear things is how they are. This way of listening is automatic. We don’t choose it. It’s a default way that we listen and it gives us our experience of what we call reality. It’s a filter that we created through which we listen. So just like things occur differently with different colored lenses and prescriptions, so do different ways of listening give us different experiences. That’s how two people can witness the same event and have two different experiences. Gaining the awareness that we actually listen from a filter gives us so much freedom, possibility, and power!

An awareness practice:

This week when you are speaking with the people important in your life — your boss, parent, friend; I invite you to inquire into what filter you have for each of them. There is a general filter we listen from and then there is a filter for each person.

For example, some people listen for how they can save the day. They can’t wait to fix your life. Their automatic ego is tied up around needing to be acknowledged and needed for solving your problems. Some crack jokes about e everything and others are know-it-alls. Some listen for how can I sound relevant so that I get accepted.

Ask yourself:

• What am I listening for?

• Am I listening for them to need something that I can provide? To prove I’m worthy?

• Am I looking for an opportunity to sound like I know?

The purpose of this is to recognize it so you have a choice. When you notice your automatic way of listening you are no longer being used by it and you can let it go and be present and fully there with the person. Your charisma increases tenfold. You are there 100% with the person with no “ in order to”. You are not listening in a certain way in order to be liked or accepted. You aren’t thinking of anything else or where you need to be after. You can get the full experience of what life is like for that person. You can choose to listen from love or from nothing. Just be with the person to discover everything about them and get the full experience.
You know how when you first fall in love, you are so curious about everything about the person and then time sets in and it’s like you already know everything they are going to say before they begin to speak? . When we “already know someone, we kill off what they could be.”
You will be amazed at how your experience of them might transform. Although don’t expect it to because then you’ll be back in an “in order to“filter. Just be and be open to get who they are. Give up what you already know. Give up your judgments, opinions and evaluations. Just be for the sake of being and no other reason. Listen with a filter of listening for their greatness.

How we listen impacts how we experience our life and the experience we leave people with. The intention is to be of service and make a difference even with the way we listen . By becoming aware of your automatic way of listening, you have the freedom to choose a way of listening that fully frees you up to connect deeply and experience fully.

TANIA HARLEY BADIYI

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listen to episode 006 | On Purpose Conversations with Tania Harley Badiyi Part 2

Listen to Ep. 006 on iTunes // Google Play // Spotify

Through inexperience we have the opportunity to make choices with little to no knowledge of the outcome — these choices can result in mistakes, but they also leave room for sparks of genius. As we continue to practice a skill or craft, we refine our approach. We miscalculate less often. We continue to do what works and we discard what doesn’t.

Overtime, we develop rules that dictate our behavior and actions. If A, then B. These rules allow us to feel confident, knowing what to do even when the situation we’re encountering is new.

Even more significant than learning what someone knows, is to learn how and why they came to that conclusion. Here within “the work” we’ll discover the rules that experts in the fitness and wellness space have developed as they share how they arrived.

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Preparing For A Coach

Tania takes us through her process when onboarding a new client:

I begin each curious prospective client with a conversation of inquiry.
The mechanisms we have unconsciously created in order to survive do not want to be seen. What lies on the other side is a world of possibilities. The process of identifying those mechanisms and seeing beyond it is euphoric, exhilarating and completely freeing.

Advice on how to prepare before a conversation with a coach ask yourself:

1. What do I want to get out of this?

A great place to start when beginning a journey with a coach is; what areas of my life feel constrained? What feels like it’s not moving or growing? Where do I feel stuck? Those answers will bring light to the areas you’d like to give energy to with your coach.

2. What am I willing to bring of myself?

In this work, it's most important that we are present. When we are not present, someone else is running the show. Dr. Daniel Amen brilliantly coined the term, ANTs: Automatic Negative Thoughts. When we take the back seat to these thoughts we have no say in how we view what is coming at us, whether that be a stranger at a party, a speaker at a conference or say, a coach. Choosing to be present in each moment is like taking the wheel. Inside of that space lives being vulnerable, being coachable, and being compassionate - to yourself!

3. What am I committed to?

“At the moment of commitment the entire universe conspires to assist you.”
― Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

An exercise to prepare you for the transformation of the coaching process:

Over the next couple of mornings, right when you wake up and are still lying in bed, notice your internal conversation. Listen to the words, almost as an observer, what comes up. You’ll notice it may be repetitive day-to-day, it may get quieter or louder.

Write it all down.

Once you’ve written it all down, close the book, and choose one thing you’re grateful for. This is the first step in ‘Creating your day’.

TANIA HARLEY BADIYI

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listen to episode 005 | On Purpose Conversations with Tania Harley Badiyi Part 1

Listen on iTunes // Google Play // Spotify

Through inexperience we have the opportunity to make choices with little to no knowledge of the outcome — these choices can result in mistakes, but they also leave room for sparks of genius. As we continue to practice a skill or craft, we refine our approach. We miscalculate less often. We continue to do what works and we discard what doesn’t.

Overtime, we develop rules that dictate our behavior and actions. If A, then B. These rules allow us to feel confident, knowing what to do even when the situation we’re encountering is new.

Even more significant than learning what someone knows, is to learn how and why they came to that conclusion. Here within “the work” we’ll discover the rules that experts in the fitness and wellness space have developed as they share how they arrived.

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RULES FOR CREATING CHANGE

1. SETTING CLEAR GOALS

You can’t get anywhere if you don’t know where you’re headed. The first and most important step of creating lasting change for yourself is to get clear on what it is you’re looking for.

One of my favorite ways to go about doing this is to imagine my ideal life in the near future, down to every detail. What would my space look like, my week, what work would I be doing, who would I be surrounded with? Get as detailed as you can — What time would you wake up each morning? What would your commute to work look like?

Being as specific as possible in this activity will help you discover what is really important to you and your experience, then you will more easily know what goals you have to set to get yourself there.

*An exercise I like to lean on if I’m feeling overwhelmed by the things I have to do or the goals I’m looking to achieve (which often happens when my mind is racing right before bed) is a Magic-Wand List — I think I came up with this, but I wouldn’t be surprised if this concept is out there.

Magic-Wand List:

I take out a notebook, flip to a blank page and I write down every single thing I want to have, to accomplish, to be completed, to do; if I had a magic wand — meaning, there are no barriers, blocks, or reasons why what I want can’t happen.

Each time I do this exercise, I’m surprised at the length of the list. I’ve never filled up an entire page — I usually run out of entries around 10 or 12. Recognizing this allows me to observe that there isn’t actually THAT much that has to be done when I’m feeling overwhelmed.

2. FINDING YOUR DEEPEST WHY

Now that you’ve set your goals, it’s time to get honest with yourself about WHY you want the things on your list. This can often be a challenge because it can be difficult to discern and accept the things we really want.

Say one of your goals is to get a higher paying job. Great, next what you’re going to do is ask yourself why you want that and what you’ll get once you have that (higher paying job). Maybe you want a bigger apartment or more money to spend going out with friends, or once you get a promotion you’ll be seen as successful in your parents’ eyes. Keep going until you get to the deepest, most emotionally charged reason behind each of your goals.

3. CONNECTING (AND RECONNECTING) TO PURPOSE

Here you’ll assess whether or not your original goal is aligned with the deepest reasoning of why you’re looking to achieve it.

Using the same example as above, let’s say what you’re really seeking through getting a higher paying job is the approval of your parents. Since there are variables (your parents’ reaction) in your purpose, you’re not setting yourself up for success by going after this goal.

Instead, you could consider choosing a new goal all together in order to find a way to connect with and gain the approval of your parents — sometimes just a vulnerable conversation will do. This will save you the time, effort, and energy of getting the higher paying job, while you’re still getting what you really wanted.

Alternatively, you can reframe your deeper purpose, conditioning yourself for what is realistic to be had once your goal is achieved. It would make sense that you could afford a bigger apartment once you increase your income, but this method allows you to determine whether or not this is worth it for you in the time, effort, and energy you’re about to exchange in order to get a higher paying job.

LAUREN SCHRAMM

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listen to episode 004 | The Origins of My Career + The Podcast with Lauren Schramm

Listen on iTunes // Google Play // Spotify

Through inexperience we have the opportunity to make choices with little to no knowledge of the outcome — these choices can result in mistakes, but they also leave room for sparks of genius. As we continue to practice a skill or craft, we refine our approach. We miscalculate less often. We continue to do what works and we discard what doesn’t.

Overtime, we develop rules that dictate our behavior and actions. If A, then B. These rules allow us to feel confident, knowing what to do even when the situation we’re encountering is new.

Even more significant than learning what someone knows, is to learn how and why they came to that conclusion. Here within “the work” we’ll discover the rules that experts in the fitness and wellness space have developed as they share how they arrived.

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RULES TO ACE YOUR TRAINING

1. ADHERENCE

It doesn't matter how good the training plan is if you don't stick to it. Find a form of training that you enjoy and suits your style, nothing kills progress like dreading your workout. Go out there and try different classes, training programs, & outdoor activities. It will be more fun and motivating to find an activity that you can do in addition to your training, it's how you are going to see your training in the gym pay off. For example, if you go hiking on the weekends and notice after training a few weeks that you are able to recover better and climb more aggressive trails, you will FEEL the benefits of your training and be motivated to train!

2. CONSISTENCY

Physiologically we need constant physical stressors in order to signal a need for change in our body. Life happens and you don't need to have the perfect training schedule as long as you are consistent. Once you have your training plan set stick to it for AT LEAST 4 weeks. Most people don't get much out of their training because they switch things up too frequently. I'm going to break down what usually happens in the first 4 weeks of training:

• Week 1 (Foundation) is where you will set the foundation for future progress, you are getting familiar with the movements and understanding how to do them correctly, this is called motor learning.

• During week 2 (Accumulation) you now know what is going on and have likely increased your work capacity, I would usually keep the weights the same and try to do an extra set on most movements, it will allow you to further increase work capacity along with help build muscle that will be needed in the future to get stronger.

• Week 3 (Intensification) is where you can make a push, you understand what needs to be done, have built some tolerance, this is where you challenge yourself. Slightly increase weights across exercises to challenge yourself while maintaining movement quality.

• Week 4 (Deload & Transition) is meant to allow you to recover and prepare for the next training block. I would typically back off of the weights being used (Intensity) OR the amount of total reps (Volume) done by no more than 10-20%, which variation you choose depends on how you feel. If you are feeling run down and tired all the time I would adjust the load, If you feel extremely sore and beat up adjust the volume.

As you can see it takes some time for all of this to happen, this is why "going hard" for one week then taking the next week off doesn't work. You don't have to train every day but you need to train frequently! As a general rule try not to have more than 3 days off of training unless you need it.

3. EFFORT

Effort is a tricky one. You need to challenge yourself if you want to make a change. Everyone has a different scale of effort This is why having a coach is recommended at least until you understand how hard you need to be working. Hard effort will look different depending on what you are doing so trainers tend to use what's called and RPE (Rating of Perceived Exertion) scale which typically goes from 1-10. A 10 on the scale is a maximal effort and you would not be able to perform another rep of the exercise. For most strength-based movements I would like to see you at a 7 or 8, this should feel like you left no more than 2 more reps in the tank.

Another thing to note is proper rest time. There needs to be enough rest between sets to sustain that level of intensity otherwise it will just feel hard but won't register enough stress for the adaptation you want. As a general rule the more intense the exercise it the longer you will need to recover. I recommend 60 seconds for normal exercises (6-8 RPE), 90-120 seconds for very heavy (9 RPE), anything at a 10 RPE probably shouldn't be repeated but rest up to 4 minutes before moving on.

If you follow these 3 rules I'm confident you will see results no matter what your choice of training is, it's going to be hard if any one of these is missing from your training. Good luck!

LUIS BENITEZ

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listen to episode 003 | Carving Your Own Path with Luis Benitez

on iTunes // Google Play // Spotify

Through inexperience we have the opportunity to make choices with little to no knowledge of the outcome — these choices can result in mistakes, but they also leave room for sparks of genius. As we continue to practice a skill or craft, we refine our approach. We miscalculate less often. We continue to do what works and we discard what doesn’t.

Overtime, we develop rules that dictate our behavior and actions. If A, then B. These rules allow us to feel confident, knowing what to do even when the situation we’re encountering is new.

Even more significant than learning what someone knows, is to learn how and why they came to that conclusion. Here within “the work” we’ll discover the rules that experts in the fitness and wellness space have developed as they share how they arrived.

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RULES FOR CHANGING CAREERS

1. FIND WHERE YOUR PASSION LIES

You need to treat your work as a professional business and take yourself seriously. This means you must show up prepared and on time. It means continually learning and growing in the field. It means engaging in good communication, learning from others, failing and moving forward, taking some risks and delivering your best customer service.

2. SELF-CARE IS A PRIORITY

One of the best ways you can care for yourself is by getting adequate sleep. Sleep and stress occur in a cyclical manner, such that reduced sleep can increase the perception and effects of stress, and high-stress levels disrupt sleep. Poor sleep quality can, in turn, affect a variety of other factors including mood, appetite, energy and exercise recovery.

3. ADOPT A LONG-TERM MINDSET

Education and certification are must-haves to get started in the fitness industry. Add to that savvy business practices, and you'll have plenty of clients. But for true longevity and success in this field, passion and empathy and a true desire to help people must make up the heart of your work. This is what turns a job into a calling.

EDDISON BROWN

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listen to episode 002 | Pursuing Your Passion with Eddison Brown

on iTunes // Google Play // Spotify

Through inexperience we have the opportunity to make choices with little to no knowledge of the outcome — these choices can result in mistakes, but they also leave room for sparks of genius. As we continue to practice a skill or craft, we refine our approach. We miscalculate less often. We continue to do what works and we discard what doesn’t.

Overtime, we develop rules that dictate our behavior and actions. If A, then B. These rules allow us to feel confident, knowing what to do even when the situation we’re encountering is new.

Even more significant than learning what someone knows, is to learn how and why they came to that conclusion. Here within “the work” we’ll discover the rules that experts in the fitness and wellness space have developed as they share how they arrived.

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RULES FOR PILATES

1. EVERY MOVEMENT INITIATES FROM THE CORE

This comes from one of the basic principles of pilates, "centering", but I've found through continuous study that every movement is more effective and more bang for your buck when you correctly co-contract from the abdominals.

It's a major time-saver, elevates the intensity of every exercise, and keeps your back safe. I bring it into my cross-training workouts too!

2. HEALTHY, 3-D BREATHING IS THE KEY TO A FUNCTIONAL CORE + PELVIC FLOOR

This is especially true for my pre/post-natal clients, but learning how to breathe correctly even helped me release a hypertonic pelvic floor from years of gripping in ballet. Belly breathing is coached really often and it's not wrong, but just part of the equation. Integrating post-lateral breath uses the diaphragm more functionally and allows for the full contraction AS WELL AS the often ignored full release of the pelvic floor.

We all know a tight muscle is a weak muscle. Since most of the attention given to the pelvic floor is about Kegels - which are important, but it's only half the solution to pelvic floor dysfunction or recovery from giving birth.

3. YOU KNOW YOUR BODY BETTER THAN ANYONE (TRAINERS INCLUDED)

This is a concept I borrowed from my training as a health coach through the Institute for Integrative Nutrition - "bio-individuality". No two bodies are the same, so no diet, exercise program or wellness routine is going to work exactly the same for everyone. Trainers are experts on bodies in general, but YOU are an expert on your own body. Starting to trust your instincts and modify, scale-up, or take breaks when necessary is a truly valuable skill in feeling empowered about your health.

I don't mean ignore what the trainer says - but acknowledge that they can't necessarily feel how you experience the movement and are often teaching from their own experience. It's a trainer's responsibility to use intuition so they can push you while keeping you safe.

HELEN PHELAN

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listen to episode 001 | Cultivating Body Neutrality with Helen Phelan

on iTunes // Spotify // GooglePlay