"Barre is an addiction! I love how every class is different and it never gets boring. I love how it is an effective, whole body workout that targets all those little muscles I didn't know were there before I started barre."

- Chelsey
Edmonton Alberta Canada

"I love how it makes me feel – body and mind"

- Lynn
Edmonton Alberta Canada

Via Barre Body Studio

"I know God gave me this body with more potential than I have ever imagined and I aim to test that potential out in every way."

"When I train at home or the gym, I don't look in the mirrors - I focus on my work. When I start to think "is that person talking about me or laughing at me?" (yes, I think that all the time) - I mentally snap out of it and shake it off and FOCUS ON THE ACTIVITY. I move as if I am the only one in the gym."

- Kelly O. 
Read more about Kelly's mission to be Better than MY Yesterday.

"Admittedly, not every day is a great day. When I need to lift my spirits, I get onto my canary-yellow hand cycle, which is powered by my arms instead of my legs. It gives me back the exhilarating sense of freedom that I used to get from running. The thick runner tires glide over dirt and curves, so I don't have to pay attention to every little bump as I do win my wheelchair. In it, I can go almost wherever I want. I feel liberated. I'm alive."

- Joanne Smith
Via Canadian Living's August 2015 edition

"I trail run outside almost everyday. Often, I leave home worried with unanswered questions, timing issues, contractual difficulties, scheduling challenges. Every single time, within five minutes, these are gone - evaporated. The brain has switched off, hypnotized by the regular rhythm of my running shoes on the trail's dirt and the inhale-exhale cycles. Focused on avoiding the roots and rocks and water, I let go and become creative. The funny thing is that when I get back home, these worries are usually gone for good. Lost on a Gatineau Park dirt trail, somewhere..."

- Yvan D.
In response to Patricia Katz's Pause Newsletter 

"Moving makes me feel alive! I love the connection to my breath, the way it calms my mind and gives me a greater sense of self and my surroundings."


- Ashley F., 30
Cochrane, Alberta Canada

Why I Move..."the complete release from the rest of the world. Being in that moment and nowhere else. Above all else it's fun!"

- Pete
Desborough, Northamptonshire England

- unknown

"In yoga, practice doesn’t make perfect. No matter how many classes you’ve taken or taught in your life, each time you practice is simply another opportunity to deepen your practice. Work on the stillness of your thoughts. Work on the stillness of your body. Work on your focus, resist the urge to fidget during a pose, wipe away your sweat, or fix your hair. Allow your imperfect self to just be in the moment. Be in the messiness of your mind." 

- Christina H.
via YEG Fitness article, 
My Yoga Practice

"I am a survivor of multiple incidents of abuse. As a small child both home and school were dangerous places for me. Edmonton's river valley became a place of sanctuary, peacefulness and safety for me. I walked the trails as a kid and young adult. Then (insult to injury) I was shot in the back of the head while walking in the river valley one autumn afternoon-a random incident of stranger violence. Back in the "olden days" there was no knowledge of PTSD [post-tramatic stress disorder] and its longterm effects-dissociation from one's own self, severe anxiety, insomnia and social isolation are just a few and so I lived for a long time in a kind of void. About a year after being shot I realized I had not been outside other than walking to my car. I began slowly--by jogging around and around the schoolyard in front of my house. I had never run before--I wasn't an athlete by any means. But, I just had to move. Then, I got a dog and, with a bit of company, I began to run the river valley trails I missed and loved. I just couldn't have them taken away from me. Over the years I ran longer and longer distances gradually reclaiming the entire valley as a place of peace for myself. And, when my son became old enough, he became my willing jogging companion. Moving was a lifesaver, and I mean this most sincerely--those of us who live with PTSD know it's darker side, the compulsion towards isolation, self-harming and suicide. I would run, when I felt those urges. I now realize that this was an instinctual coping strategy that kept me connected to my physical body--present and helped me feel safe in the world, something that is challenging for me. I have also, in my adult years, taken up yoga, and sought the help of a personal trainer (as well a a good therapist). Feeling strong in my body helps me to be present--to not dissociate when my out of whack stress response is triggered. It helps me to feel safe, and it helps me to deal positively with a challenging condition--to make some darn good lemonade. 

I believe that being human is to rise to whatever life presents to us, to always seek our best self. So, I believe that I have been blessed. The universe, God, karma, gave me a gift of a healthy body. This body has been through a bit. :) But, my body is also a gateway through the violence it experienced to find the other side of violence, to survive in the present, to feel strong, to breathe, to find and know and spread the value of peace. With this strength, I am strong enough to not just survive, but to create peace in my relationships, to live a positive life, do good work, raise a child who is strong and thriving in spirit and body. I will always need support from a good dog and a good psychologist. And I will always need to move. But moving through jogging, yoga, and with a trainer means that I can create a positive experience / encounter with people and my community each day. I can be IN the world every day, even the tough days. Moving has helped me to fill my life with good people--including me breathing in beautiful river valley peace through all seasons; learning and feeling my own strong self, my own potential by running the trails, doing yoga and with a certified exercise professional; I use this strength to create a meaningful life and to connect (not dissociate) with neighbours, friends, and family."

- Cynthia C., 56
Edmonton, Alberta Canada