Nutritionist/yoga teacher Diana Cullum – Dugan (www.namastenutrition.net ) asked me what I do for self care. To catch a break, a mid-winter January trip to Belize offering a practice management course for health practitioners and daily yoga classes called my name. The program was beautifully crafted by acupuncturists Stefanie Dilbero and Kristen Porter. Culturally, Belize is extremely diverse. Inspired by the beauty of Belize with butterflies and majestic teak forests, sounds of the dense tropical forest (howling monkeys and toucans), many different languages the natives spoke, meeting of local healers, camaraderie of other acupuncturists and nutritionist/yoga teacher Diana Cullum-Dugan, and the experience of horseback riding and hikes, I felt renewed. Dining with new friends for a week, I learned to appreciate the menus we had to choose from and felt energized after every meal!

The 18 hours of practice management classes and twice daily yoga had me buzzed. Kristen Porter’s course offered more practical information than anywhere else in my acupuncture studies. Our hosts at the Black Rock Lodge in the lush tropical mountains of the Cayo District in Belize offer a self-sustaining retreat as they generate their own electricity and grow their own organic food.

My trip to Belize, a winter rest, gave me a source of inspiration. Moving into spring, the increasing warmth encourages us to stay outside more, and inspires interaction of friendships and relationships. In this season, we want especially to take advantage of opportunities for growth through the observations and insights that come from others as well as from ourselves. Spring doesn’t last forever. Use its bountiful energy wisely, so that the crops you sow – in yourself, your work, and your life – are those you wish to harvest. This is the season to plant seeds for a future harvest, to look ahead and make new plans, formulate new ideas, make decisions, forge new friendships, and determine our direction for the coming year.

Brooklyn Body, run and owned by personal trainer Vahram Shishmanian, better known as “V”, is where I began practicing acupuncture and teaching MELT/Pilates. Since he was young, V has loved to play basketball. His love of the game drove him to improve his fitness level. As his fitness started to progress, he realized how much he enjoyed working out, and studied ways to feel better and be healthier. Wanting to help others reach their full fitness potential, he started learning newer and safer ways of exercising.

Officially opening its doors in late 2007, Brooklyn Body has become a very successful business over the years. However, getting started was not an easy task. V did not want his gym to be the type of place that felt intimidating and looked unwelcoming. Unlike most gyms, where their members are isolated from one another in different “sections,” Brooklyn Body is a training facility, which allows others to interact and work with one another.

Working in small groups helps you achieve your desired goals quicker, offering support when you find yourself lacking motivation. Through the use of circuit training (a combination of resistance training and high-intensity aerobics) and metabolic conditioning (conditioning which helps the muscles to better use and store energy), V has created different types of programs, which challenge your body every week without over exerting yourself.

Without the pushy packages, hard sales or “do it yourself” speeches, V has a devoted clientele and delivers real results. At Brooklyn Body, you will lose weight, shed inches, firm up and improve your cardio fitness in a non-intimidating, friendly environment. I often hear people remark that it’s one of the better parts of their day. At Brooklyn Body, a sense of humor is a prerequisite and people’s expectations are always exceeded.
To learn more about Brooklyn Body, please view their website at www.brooklynbody.com.

Working out can be fun, but the body needs a break to recoup. When clients begin experiencing fatigue, can’t find the drive to continue exercising, or need healing from sports-related injury, they often utilize acupuncture to help their game.