JAG's Body Shop

I’ve been a personal trainer and taught fitness classes for over 15 years.  I love the group setting for exercise.  There’s something nice about being with other people who are like-minded. The camaraderie is inspirational and motivating and the joy is infectious. 

I love to be surrounded by people who, like me, are seeking to improve their bodies and their lives. I am motivated by improving my strength and endurance and flexibility and agility. I like to notice myself improving on a regular basis.  

Recently, I put together a program called Fitness for Actors.  It was a three-month program that included all of the elements of fitness.  We met three times weekly and each week included the healing movements of Nia Five Stages, the intense metabolic conditioning and strength-building movements of Energy Flow, the precision and alignment of Yoga Tune Up, the creative, playfulness of Nia, and a wide variety of breathing and meditation techniques. The program was such a success that we actually extended it for a fourth month. 

One of the things that really helped to make this program so successful was the dedication of the participants.  Because the same group of people showed up each day, it served as an ever-strengthening support. Whenever one of the participants wasn’t in class, they were missed.  And many times, were even emailed by the other participants asking if they were OK, why they missed class and if they’d be there next time.  This kind of accountability is why group classes can be so powerfully effective and successful. 

Also, because the group was consistent and the program was on a limited time schedule, we were able to make and achieve goals.  This is something that I have always struggled with while offering drop-in classes.  In that environment, we never know who’s going to be in class and there is no sense of progression nor is there an emphasis on growing and/or improving.  And if someone isn’t there in class, no one tends to address that.  So the accountability isn’t there. 

The experience of my Fitness for Actors program has made it clear to me what my path is meant to be.  I am creating a program that will address health, wellness and fitness.  It will include everything that I included in the Fitness for Actors program, but will also go a bit further to include sessions devoted to self-massage and body care.

I have also been studying a form of physical therapy called Body Tuning that is remarkable in eliminating pain and restrictions in the body.  I will be including Body Tuning sessions in the new program as well as sessions with the Yoga Tune Up Therapy Balls.  Both are indispensable ways to keep your body running smoothly and pain-free.  

This is a different paradigm than the drop-in class system. I’m looking for eight people who want the benefits of the group dynamics and accountability and who are interested in setting and achieving health and fitness goals. With eight people, we can create a group Personal Training environment.  This is a new type of class format that moves through a cycle from beginning to end. In this format, the students sign up and are committed to the three-month time period. In the beginning, they share their fitness goals with the teacher who will then teach them, throughout the course, how to meet these goals. More than just classes, this is a training course.  You will be educated rather than just exercised. When the course is over, you will not only have achieved part or all of your short-term goals, but you will know what you need to do to continue along the path and achieve more long-term goals. 

So, be on the lookout for JAG’s Body Shop.  This will meet three times weekly and will cover a wide range of fitness categories. We’ll learn proper body mechanics, self-care, proper breathing, relaxation and meditation, stretching, strengthening, dancing, playing, yoga, self-healing, fat loss and more. Each person will get individual personalized attention and be part of a group. The fees will be on a monthly basis with a contractual commitment to the three-month period. 

Participants will leave this course with a full understanding of what they need to do to continue pursuing their fitness goals.  They’ll have an exercise routine that they can do on their own, and they’ll learn a full yoga practice that is appropriate for them.  They’ll have a stretching routine that addresses their body and will have practiced many techniques for relaxation that they can use whenever they need.  

JAG’s Body Shop is more that just fitness classes.  It’s a fitness education.  This takes the power of the class and combines it with the power of personal training. 

If you’re interested in participating in JAG’s Body Shop, I will be asking you to write me a note explaining what you hope to achieve and expressing your willingness to be committed to the program.  I hope to get this program started soon after I return from my JAG Fitness West Coast Tour 2010 in mid November.  The dates have NOT been officially set yet, but I am gathering names of interested people.  I’m planning to keep the class enrollment to between 8 and 10 people and I anticipate the cost of this program to be $147/month.  This includes your own personal set of props that we use in class: a blanket, a yoga mat, a strap, a block and a pair of Yoga Tune Up® Therapy Balls.