END OF SUMMER NEWSLETTER

"PATIENCE IS WAITING. Not passively waiting. That is laziness. BUT TO KEEP GOING WHEN THE GOING IS HARD AND SLOW - THAT IS PATIENCE."”

And THANK YOU for all being "PATIENT" for my latest newsletter. Yes, it has been a while. The summer has been busy with family vacations and weddings, peppered in with a little bit of work! However, the main reason for a lack of an updated Blog is really because there was no resounding theme upon which I felt I HAD to expand. Until now. I can't tell you how often this subject of PATIENCE has presented itself to me. . . It's practically hitting me over the head with a club!
Both of the weddings I attended this month are a true testament to PATIENCE and it's magic. These stories may be a little longer than my usual blog, but bear with me. I feel I need to share them with you. One of my dearest friends Molly, after a broken engagement years ago, went through deep hurt and years of tears. But I have never witnessed anyone with more faith and silent strength than she. And wouldn't you know it, she met the most wonderful, perfect, loving, and generous man she was MEANT to be with almost two years ago and he lived literally RIGHT NEXT DOOR TO HER for five years!!! I was so blessed to be a part of their wonderful union. Congratulations Molly and Scott.
The other wedding has a similar theme. We swore my friend Marcelo would be a bachelor forever. However, at the age of 40 he met Kate, someone who compliments and enriches his life more than any woman I have ever seen. Truly, they are perfect for each other. And although it would have been very easy for both of them to give up on love and finding their soulmate, each patiently waited for each other and are expecting their first baby this Fall! Again, I was blessed to be a witness for their most happy union.
And I have been very anxious to embark on my own business endeavor for a year now. However, nothing seemed right until recently. Although I am again, anxious to get started and ready for things to happen, I am trying to be patient. The more I am, the more I find that opportunities are presenting themselves at the appropriate times and everything seems to be unfolding as it should.
If you have been praying for something, wait in patience. Your prayers will be answered, and it may not look like you thought it would or in the time you have mentally "allotted", but the universe will conspire to deliver what you need when you are ready. I leave you with final thoughts:

"We have forgotten how to wait, we want everything in a hurry. It is a great loss to humanity . . . . In silence and waiting something inside you goes on growing --- your authentic being. And one day it jumps and becomes a flame, and your whole personality is shattered; you are a new man. And this new man knows what ceremony is, this new man knows life's eternal juices."

Fitness Tip: Invest In You
Believe me, I know it's not easy to budget our money when the demands of family, travel, home expenses, etc. all take their toll on our wallets. But when we take steps to feel and be healthier, we can be more productive.
So figure out what you can splurge on to help you acheive your fitness goals. Is it a new pair of running or workout shoes you've been eyeing? Or maybe that treadmill you'd love to put in your den. Or maybe that series of private yoga or Pilates classes. Trust me, if it's a slight stretch, you'll FIND time and creative ways to use it! I recently splurged on a brand new bike and the very next day set out on a four hour ride! My butt has been sore ever since, but I love the feeling of NOT being in my car and free to ride. AND once you get healthy, your insurance risks will be lower, and thus lower premiums! Yeah!!!


Small Change Tip: Drink Lots Of Water
I know you've heard this one before, but it is so true. And I was reminded of the effects of poor hydration this weekend after a four hour bike ride and a glass of wine, both of which contributed to a 'hang over' effect the next day by not properly hydrating. Over half of our body is composed of water and the percentage decreases as we age. Water is necessary to carry nutrients throughout and flush toxins from our bloodstream. I found this great blog with TEN GREAT reasons to drink your water. So rather than write them all down, you can check it out yourself at
http://ririanproject.com/2006/09/07/10-reasons-to-drink-more-water/

What's New:
There is a lot of change in this part of the newsletter since June! Again, the summer was not crazy, but a great time to incubate and formulate some new ideas, all of which I hope to share with you in future newsletters! Stuff is perculating.

I will be filming a series of "tips" this later this month again for Exercise TV. I will keep you posted as to when those will be live.
In the meantime, my series of 20 minute "mini" web workouts for ExerciseTV including a cardio dance segment and my signature ballet strength class can still be viewed online. For those of you requesting a DVD version of my FIT TV Ballet Strength episode, you will be able to find a condensed twenty minute version of that workout at :
http://www.exercisetv.tv/studio/videos/player.php?id=259314050
The yoga routine can be found at : http://www.exercisetv.tv/studio/videos/player.php?id=259314032
AND a cardio crazy dance routine can be found at : http://www.exercisetv.tv/studio/videos/player.php?id=259314049
Also look for my ten minute ab STANDING ab routine as well as my Red Carpet Ready total body workout. Check them out and as always I welcome your comments and feedback!

Dance Off the Inches: Hip Hop Party will be released in December, but if you would like to PRE-ORDER a copy (signed and all!), please contact me with your information and I will let you know how to do that.

In addition to The Swimsuit Secrets Revealed show, the Wedding Gown Secrets Revealed on WE TV is also now airing. I was the fitness expert for both shows. Check out http://www.wetv.com/shows/weddinggown/ and click on the link for your local channel and times.

I recently did a YOGA photo shoot which appears in an industry trade magazine called Get Active which can be found in gyms, stores, etc. If you don't see it around, or don't know of it, go to http://www.getactivemagazine.com/ and you'll see the article headline on the home page. Click on it to see a full spread of me in various yoga positions. Also, if you've never done yoga, this is a great starter!