My Lagree story began in July 2016. An ex-boyfriend took me out for a belated birthday lunch. I was lamenting to him how multiple sinus surgeries had not only left me sickly but had caused an enormous amount of weight gain that I could not seem to lose. I had never had weight issues prior to this. In short, the entire health debacle was depressing me.
The restaurant was several doors down from The Studio (MDR) West. As we walked by, he remarked that maybe I should ditch the regular gym and try something like "that machine" (indicating the megaformer). Knowing that I was never the athletic type, he was actually joking. To his surprise, I decided to take up his "challenge" and have been on the megaformer ever since.
I was in the beginner's class for several months before Lisa gently nudged me to move to Total Body classes. There, I learned to hold positions on the megaformer that I never thought I could ever achieve. I received a confidence boost I wasn't expecting. It reminded me of something I'd lost along the way: everyone's body is unique just like their journey in life. We all serve a purpose.
I am a native Northern Californian, longtime (intermittent) resident of Southern California since 1994, having held various jobs mainly in the airline and entertainment industry. In 2002, I was laid off from a movie studio so I left the country for Tokyo, Japan where I worked for Japan Airlines (JAL) teaching flight attendants English. In 2004, I returned to California and gained another position at the film studio where I had previously been laid off.
I give this brief work bio in order to say that I know a bit about change. Last year, though, was a major challenge for us all on a global scale. As a writer, I relate best to patterns in life. It's the living examples that teach us the most valuable lessons about real life thus allowing us to overcome some of the most staggering obstacles.
What is one of the best lessons I've learned thus far? Having been a flight attendant for Northwest Airlines, there's a saying we relayed while performing the manual demo: "In case of a cabin pressure emergency, put on your own mask before assisting others." Before one can amply assist others, they must help themselves. Getting back to optimum health was the primary catalyst into my fitness and workout journey. However, I learned so much more along the way. Strength in one's body does translate to strength of one's mind.
Looking back, I've come to realize The Studio (MDR) is a rather unique environment. The staff and instructors all have their own unique way in encouraging you to "go the extra mile" without fear of failure. This has helped me not only with my workout goals but has greatly inspired some of my most ambitious creative endeavors in recent years.
As an artist, and being solidly antiwar, I always desired to do an artistic piece but in a unique, driving approach that would get people to really think about all the consequences of ongoing warfare. In 2018, I began work on an anthology of my travel essays: Drive Like a Peruvian. The inaugural essay was planned for release in April 2020, the 45th Anniversary marking the end of the Vietnam War. Looking at all the war images of devastation was depressing but I was determined. I discovered that holding "many" a resistance plank took my mind away from the devastation of war images and firebombings. The workout got me to focus on the task at hand. When the pandemic hit last year, I became proactive as opposed to stagnate and reactive. I learned to translate the burning of the workout into the fire of creative solutions.
Instead of allowing my project to lay stagnate last year during the pandemic crisis, I decided to put my inaugural essay out as an "audio experience" with the assistance of a director I'd previously worked on a project. The result: Hot Vanilla Tea, the Audio Experienceis on SoundCloud. The director also encouraged me to post Hot Vanilla Teaon Medium (an online forum) as well as my blog.
Performing a strenuous strength training workout such as this builds confidence in a person that they can take and apply in other areas of their life. Don't get me wrong, this is an intimidating workout. However, if a hardcore bibliophile such as myself can do this, you can do this as well. To reiterate: I am not a gym rat by any stretch of the imagination. However, I do understand the value of connecting one's mind with their body and thus soul.
Lisa, the staff and the instructors all provide an environment based solely in encouragement leading into success. There is no judgement here, only a strong desire to see you achieve your fitness goals at your level best. And, change will come ... for the better.
Did not Shakespeare state: "All the world's a stage, and all the men and women are merely players: they have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts, his acts being seven ages." As You Like It
Referring to the aforementioned stage, I return back to The Studio (MDR) and what they have to offer ... Whether it's Total Body, Virtual, Arms & Abs, A*@# & Abs or the wonderfully relaxing Stretch Class ... in every endeavor and challenge there is a before stage, middle stage (where all the action occurs) and the final stage is merely the transformation to the next stage (mentally as well as physically).
In short, you are always in control. It's all about your perspective and how you react to life as it happens. Learn to define yourself. It all begins with keen discernment, focus and determination while never forgetting your health is everything. This includes mind, body and soul. A workout such as this, in a supportive and encouraging environment, is a key component to success in all areas of your life. The motto of The Studio (MDR) says it best: Look it. Live it. Feel it.
