I first heard about the Studio MDR from a girlfriend who had tried a class. She raved about it, telling me "This will absolutely change your body!" I was all for that. I took an intro class and it kicked my booty hard core. I knew that if I really wanted the results, I would have to commit fully. But at that time I wasn't ready. A couple months passed and thoughts of The Studio (MDR) just would not leave my mind … for many reasons.
One reason was this: I aid a teenage boy in a wheelchair and he is BIG. He’s as tall as me and weighs as much as I do. I was starting to worry about my ability to assist him without injuring myself. I knew I had to either get stronger to protect myself, or stop working with him.
Another reason I knew I wanted to commit to classes is that I was once in serious athletic shape. I played basketball in college and I yearned to have that body again!
When the instructor talked about his philosophy on fitness, it became very clear that this was not just a workout. The way he spoke about movement being an expression of self really called to my spirit. This was the missing piece that was lacking from all other workouts I had tried. The element of personal evolution and growth (inner AND outer) is what has kept me motivated, interested and inspired. So many times in the past, I began a new workout with such enthusiasm and my interest waned before I could ever get the results I desired. I have been going to The Studio (MDR) for about a year now and I am still hooked and dedicated.
Of course, there’s been some challenges. And mine have mostly been inner. As we all know, class is ALWAYS hard -- no matter how strong we have gotten. This is awesome and sometimes frustrating. There are points when I find myself less prone to push myself as hard as I could. I found myself giving up much more readily, putting my foot or knees down to rest. What I came to realize was that this wasn't a weakness of my body, but rather a weakness of mind. No matter what I told myself, it became the truth. I found that if I listened to the voices in my head telling me "This is too hard," I would give up. If I told myself, "I am strong. I can hold this all day!" I would become magically stronger! It clicked when I heard the phrase, "The body cannot perceive pain; the mind does." I decided to give my mind a strong perception.