Coach Yulia

I keep on reconnecting with people from different times in my life, and the amazing thing is that we are really all the same. We all have our struggles, our goals, our dreams, our challenges, and wherever we are it is our whole world.  In Jewish living, learning is part of our day, and every week we learn the same thing every year, but each year we learn deeper. When we are a child it is just a story, but as we grow, we delve into the deeper meaning.

We are starting all over again with the story of creation, and I am in awe with how it correlates to our troubled times.  I recently was asked about Jewish history, and Israel, and the following article is the source, this is our truth, even in modern times, there is a connection to our ancestors, to live a full, healthy, life of purpose, kindness, and shining our light bright, and one day in our homeland, http://unitedwithisrael.org/the-first-rashi/.

One of the lessons of the week:

Awareness

The ability to perceive, to feel, or to be conscious of events, objects, thoughts, emotions, or sensory patterns. In this level of consciousness, sense data can be confirmed by an observer without necessarily implying understanding. More broadly, it is the state or quality of being aware of something.

Everything I do promotes awareness, education, growth, and speaking your truth.  I feel so grateful when students and friends verbalize their appreciation of my message really coming across.  I am an open book, and like to hear what everybody’s point of view is, even if it is completely different from my own, I want to listen, and I want to be heard, and it is just fine to agree to disagree.  I keep on having conversations about the violence in Israel, and it is amazing how different the media presents it, and on each side are very passionate and strong opinions.  I wanted to share a few with you.

Excited to start my morning bright and early at 4:30am promoting a new workout, POP Pilates, at 24 Hour Fitness, above is a live clip from KTLA News, see me in the back?

Luckily I had time to have lunch, take a nap, teach a private Yoga client before I picked up the kids from school, help them with their homework, listen to my oldest practice his piano very nicely, and then run off to my night classes.

Happy to be home.

I did not see my little one all day, woke up too early and got home too late.

He just came out of his room, told me there was no room in his bed.

I put the other kids in their own beds, they fell asleep together.

Now my day is complete.

Coach Yulia

Somebody asked me today if I still write my blog daily, and another person listening said, you must not be reading it if you have to ask.  I was telling her that probably she has so many friends on her social media that my posts are not popping up as often, and I also told her that writing my blog daily keeps me sane, which is the truth.

I guess we all have our own unique ways to release, balance, communicate, and take care of ourselves.  A young girl who is getting married was asking me for advice, and I told her what my mother told me, it has to be four things:

• Physical
• intellectual
• Emotional
• Spiritual

If one of the connections is missing, it will not fit as good, and makes things harder, life is not easy, when the four connections fit, you really get through everything together.  In my last blog I wrote about choosing to be happy, and somebody replied about some people not having a choice because of a chemical imbalance.  I know nothing about this, and cannot comprehend how challenging it is to live with.  I hear friends talking about feeling like they are missing out on life, and having panic attacks. One of my good friends calls me a normie, because I do not understand the state of being out of control, depression, or anxiety, and doing anything to hurt myself.  She has been in therapy, and has really grown and thrived, and I admire her very much for facing her challenges head on.  There are support groups and family, but ultimately it is a personal choice, maybe I really just do not know.  One person I know told me that her family told her to get on medication, because it runs in their family, and she lives a very healthy, full life with her husband and child.  I guess my brain always feels there are options, and with an imbalance it may feel like there are none, I admire and respect everyone’s journey, and hope that they seek out support and help that they need.

Everyday there is a challenge,

That is how life goes,

Especially with a family and children,

What helps me stay on the happy side is to be grateful for my kind of problems,

Thank God For My Family and My Life,

All of our holidays are done,

Ready for Reality,

Waking up at 4am tomorrow to be part of a promotion for 24 Hour Fitness,

Ready For The World,

Had a blast over indulging and celebrating,

Now ready for the work I love and to get in the best shape of my life,

Coach Yulia

My goal in life is to be happy and have fun.  Yes that is the bottom line of everything that I do, and what I try to teach my kids.  You can choose to be happy, no matter what the circumstances, no matter what the situation, no matter what happens, we can choose how we react.  I am in the whining years of toddlerhood, it is such a challenge for me, I just do not get it, why not just ask for what you want, why choose to whine?Tonight starts the last days of Sukkot, it is spiritually a very intense time, tonight begins the final decision of how our year will go, it will be sealed. Then we celebrate finishing the Torah in its yearly cycle, before we start fresh from how everything was created.  There is so much sadness happening in the world, but we are commanded to be happy and celebrated during Sukkot holiday, and it makes complete sense to me.

I have taken my kids to every Sukkot celebration, they have missed school, this is who they are, I want them to feel the positive energy all around them.  Even though we live in a challenging world, we can choose to be our best, we can choose to celebrate life, we can choose to find happiness everywhere we go.

Enjoy the celebrations at the Western Wall after all the violence below,

For the full article follow this link, http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/201395#.VhGlayvF_rV,

We will keep celebrating life and live to the fullest,

Chag Sameach,

Coach Yulia

It is scary that in one instant everything could change, I keep on hearing the stories, you can google it, the recent mass shooting, the horror of orphaned children in Israel as well as other innocent victims.  A few people I know have recently had health problems that came out of nowhere, Thank God they are doing well because immediate action was taken.  It is hard for me to process tragedy, my brain does not understand hurting innocent people for no reason, people that have done nothing to deserve it, just going on about their life.  All we can do is be the example of good, live it, breathe it, model it, so that is what people see as the norm, and all of these horrible crimes do not keep happening.

The only progress I have to report is my own, because ultimately the only thing we can do is be an example and grow within ourselves, we cannot convince anyone of anything, everything has to be a good fit and at the right time.  There are two ladies in their 50’s or older, I honestly do not know and cannot tell, they come to my Pilates class on a regular basis as well as other workouts.  I finally am scheduling in Zumba classes for myself, because to me cardio is boring, and if I could keep my brain busy with dance moves and enjoy dancing in the process, its a perfect fit for me.  They take Zumba regularly as well and have been encouraging me to come, they are the example of health, energy, beauty, and fun.  I love to learn from everyone around me, we are all unique and have something to give to this world that nobody else can.

In our Jewish celebrations, we are remembering the orphaned children and the victims of senseless crimes, my heart goes out to their families.  Makes me appreciate my family and life even more, so grateful for everything that I have and everything I am able to do.

Make Progress With Yourself,

You May Affect And Inspire The World Around You,

Do You Take Action Or Document? Check out the story below,

Coach Yulia

Caught on Camera

The accident was caught on camera, and so was the aftermath. Two tractor trailers collided last Friday on an overpass of a busy highway here in Atlanta, and plunged over the side rail unto another highway that crossed below it. Several people were injured yet miraculously and thankfully there were no fatalities.

Within a few hours video began to surface of the horrific scene.

First came video from traffic and surveillance cameras mounted on nearby buildings and highway lampposts. The videos showed a bird’s eye view of the moment of initial impact followed by the scene of the trucks falling off the side of the highway.

Then came the videos from below that really got me thinking.

As the tractor trailers plunged onto the lower highway, smashing some passing cars as they fell, dozens of people stopped and got out of their vehicles.

Some got out to try and assist the people trapped inside the cars and trucks before help could arrive, and others got out to take videos of the scene.

Some used their cell phones to call for help, others used their phones to record the help.

Caught on their cameras were amazing and inspirational scenes of regular people instantly being transformed into good Samaritans and life saving angels.

I wondered what went through the minds of the second group of people as they filmed others stepping up to the plate when they were needed most.

I wondered what I would do had I been driving along when this happened.

Then I remembered something that my principal in high school once taught me, and which had made a tremendous impact on me at the time. “Always remember that the one that takes the picture is not in the picture”

It is a choice we make. We encounter opportunities on a daily or weekly basis which we can either observe, chat and gossip about, or we can act and try to make a difference.

We can either take the picture or be in it.

I would rather be ‘caught on camera’ sharing goodness and kindness than be ‘caught up on my camera’ filming it.

Today in Israel, two men were killed in the old city (the wife and 2-year-old baby of one were both injured). Two children were shot in a city in Israel called Lod. On the front page of the New York Times website, this is a footnote (feel free to try and find it in the image). Whenever Israel will decide to respond, it will be blared on the front page of every outlet with a small note about how this may have been partly to due to attacks that have been happening now, almost daily, in Israel. A few days ago, Netanyahu stared in silence during an address to the UN, referring to their silence when Iran declared that it would destroy Israel within 25 years. When I watched that, I felt like he was staring at the world, not just those representatives. We here in America, those in Israel, who feel the pain of our brothers, now it’s our turn to stare. Will the world continue to be quiet, not uttering a word, until Israel decides that it is its turn to act? –POP CHASID

 

I love my traditions, I love the way I live my life, it is balanced, healthy, and full of meaning and purpose.  Here are my fellow Jews following in the traditions of their ancestors in the picture above, building a Sukkah underwater, Go IDF!

Here is an example of an observant fashion designer that is making modest fashion the talk of the town,

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4706052,00.html

Even the Cannes Film Festival in France is recognizing Jewish spirit, moving forward and always hoping for a better future,

http://www.vulture.com/2015/05/cannes-the-great-unusual-son-of-saul.html?mid=fb-share-vulture#

I am so proud of the Prime Minister of Israel in the video below,

Speaking The Truth,

Educating the United Nations about Israel,

When you stand up for Israel, you stand up for peace, kindness, and balance in the world,

Most of all I love Shabbat,

Signing off after my Zumba class,

There are times when we are non stop,

There is one day when everything stops,

Shabbat Shalom,

Coach Yulia

Not there yet, but on my way, Thank You Arasys! Now I can really get the results with good nutrition and exercise 🙂

I am on my way thanks to Arasys Inch Loss, my body was stuck and now I am over the plateau and excited to get back in tip-top shape.  I have never had a completely flat stomach, even when I was in the best shape of my life at 30 years old.  After three babies in a row my skin got stretched and cellulite got caught inside, and no matter what I did, everywhere else was getting lean, my stomach area was not budging an inch.

I was 130 at my wedding at 34 years old, in the last 8 years I have had three children, they are now 7,5, and 3, and they each gave me a gift of 10 pounds.  I am lucky to have weight evenly distributed so I do not look humongous, but that 160 would not change no matter what I did.  I eat healthy, I am always active, tried running, two months of gym cardio, and a variety of other workouts, I looked and felt good, but the number on the scale did not change.

I feel that sometimes we are stuck, so its important to get reset, just like going to a chiropractor, or even getting a massage, put the body where it should be, and then from there it moves more effectively.  You can read more about Arasys at www.coachyulia.com/arasys-inch-loss, which does three things:

• Strenghten and Lean Muscle (a 30 minute session is equivalent to 530 situps, without compromising form and no soreness or pain)
• Breaks up cellulite, Drains through the Lymphatic system to detoxify the body (non invasive, works naturally with the body)
• Tightens Skin (YES! you read it right, there is nothing else out there that simultaneously firms skin as well as a healthy workout)

Come try it for yourself!  I can come to your home or office, give everybody a FREE demo, I now have lost 5 pounds that is gone forever.  I have been enjoying many celebrations in the last month, and nothing changes on the scale, my digestive system is working perfectly, and nobody asks me if I am pregnant anymore.  I am working on 20 more pounds, I will be happy at 135, I am strong with lean muscle thanks to my workouts, and I am happy to be lean and firm.  Now I know all the right stuff I am doing with nutrition and exercise will finally start working because I got over my plateau with Arasys.

Thank You Arasys!

Taking my three kiddos to more celebrations,

Come join us for the fun in the flyer below,

Chag Sameach,

Coach Yulia

I am sure you have heard the word CORE, even if you are not into exercise, every media out there talks about it, it has been the hot word for a while, and I am obsessed with it.  My fitness career started 15 years ago, and I just keep learning and adding to my interests and specialties.  Personal Training and Yoga were my first loves, and nothing will replace it, but core is so powerful because it is the source of everything.  I bring my Yoga mind and body technique to my Mat Pilates classes, because it should not be like a forceful, hard-core, cardio, get your aggression out workout, it is more like a martial art or a dance, the power is all within, but to the eye it looks like it flows smoothly with complete control.  In Yoga and Pilates if you force, the body will get tense and defensive, accomplishing exactly the opposite of opening, relaxing, detoxifying, and strengthening.

From a personal trainer perspective the core is part of the form for working out each muscle group separately, that is where everything begins.  From a dancer perspective, as well as Pilates on the reformer, you add the belly button to the spine activation and that locks you in place so you can really challenge yourself with range of motion.  In Mat Pilates and Yoga it all depends, some poses are relaxed, so it is good to let the abdomen fill with breath while activating the pelvic floor, and not so much belly button to spine.

One of my male students told me that his Urologist explained that the pelvic floor activation is similar in men and women, when you stop your flow when you urinate, you feel the kegel for women and perineum for men activate, that is your pelvic floor muscle that should be activated when you do everything in life.  It crunches you from the inside, and leaves your back alone, your back should never be involved, if you feel your back something is wrong, stop.

Since I started having babies, I over focused on my kegel and let go of the belly button to the spine for obvious reasons, I wanted my baby to grow, and my body to naturally do what it needed to accommodate.  I realize now that it is even more important after having a baby to activate that belly button to spine as well as the kegel in order to help everything get back to where it was before baby.  The following article talks about how over emphasizing the kegel is not good for posture, but like everything in life, although form and alignment is universal, everyone is different, so there really is not one way to do anything

http://breakingmuscle.com/womens-fitness/stop-doing-kegels-real-pelvic-floor-advice-for-women-and-men

My opinion is to activate the pelvic floor when you are in action, not 24/7, but when you are walking your dog, or picking up something heavy, and of course during exercise.  Our core is working because otherwise we would fall, but it is not worked out unless you are activating it from within.  You will protect the back and actively work out those abs that we all want so badly.

Excited to start with some cardio this morning,

I love classes, not really into solo workouts,

If you find what you like, then you have to squeeze it in,

Zumba here I come,

Coach Yulia

This is for everybody, men and women, especially as we age, it is just like any other muscle, need to keep it working right. Especially after pregnancy, so important to reconnect.

One of my favorite quotes is “excess once in a while is moderation.”  The Jewish holidays are non stop food, days off from the world, and celebration, and I am exhausted and full, Thank God they are once in a while.  Already had a Yoga class this evening, helped a friend out to substitute, and it just feels so good to instruct students how to feel good.

We had such an amazing Sukkot with friends, everywhere you go in our community you see all kinds of little huts with different decorations, laughter, and delicious smells as we walk by.  There is a few days in between before the final days of the holiday, excited to do what I love, do some exercise,and make some room for the final feasts and celebrations starting Sunday night.

My plan in the morning:

9:30am take a Zumba class

10:30am, 4:30pm, and 6:30pm Teach a Yoga class

Tons of errands in between,

Luckily kids will be in school,

My kids are super affectionate and friendly with everyone,

So important to teach them boundaries,

Great tips in the pic below,

Life is Good,

Coach Yulia