![]() Will she be wearing her chain? Will she be carrying her sword? Yes to both. Thank you to Annie Brewster JP for joining us, it was a joyous visit, and a joyous hoop class. 14/10/2024 101 years young!'Can I still come to your class when I am 99?' asked one of my ladies.
Of course. The following year she asked if she could come when she was 100...and today we celebrated her 101st birthday! It just so happens that today a participant (in her late 90's) returned after several weeks of recuperation after a very nasty fall. The ladies are a bit camera shy, and not dressed for a photo, but were happy to share a hand of friendship- as that is what the class is all about! Let's Dance!
Way back in November 2018, at Dr Ann Hutchinson Guest 100th birthday hosted by the Language of dance, I had a chat with Angela Rippon, and told her that I encourage the ladies in my classes to imagine they have Angela Rippon legs! Click here to see the clip. That made her smile. Scroll forwards and thanks to her enthusiasm we are now working towards good health and feeling better through dance. A lot will be happening on and around the week of 2nd March 2025, but keep my class dates in you diary as they will be a bit special! Click here to hear with Angela has to say. Thank you to my Wednesday classes for giving me the 'day off' (the classes will be made up later in the term) to attend the CIMSPA AGM.
AGMs are really important, not just to receive the accounts and hear about past and future plans but also to ask questions and network. This was my first time in front of the 'live webinar camera'. Being live streamed into strangers homes and offices was a huge learning experience, and a bit different to attending a meeting on Zoom from the box bedroom! Sitting still for so long, trying to blend into the background, is not as easy as it looks, especially as we were surrounded by branded banners, which made the small space quite warm. Thankfully, someone rescued us with cold bottles of water. I knew I could relax when I could see we had been taken off of view, and I was able to scratch the itch I had been trying so hard to ignore and then sitting 'up' as beautifully as I could when we returned 'on-screen' - not easy on a high stool when your feet can't reach the footrest. I thought there would be a whole IT department to stream the event, but it was just one person and a camera (a good one) connected to a huge screen (a good one) managed via a standard laptop. It was just like a teacher might use to deliver an online class but with higher specifications! From where I was sitting, I could see the 'team' dive into laptops to manage the meeting, counting the members to ensure a quorum was reached and managing the questions. Next time you receive an invitation to an AGM, please consider attending before deciding to deep-file the invitation. It might give you more insight than you think. If you are on LinkedIn you read my post AGM post here I was asked to do a 30 second piece to camera (thank you to my Wednesday morning class for their inspirational words) and that can be found here 29/8/2024 Almost September.The school holidays are coming to an end.
The garden has been looking so lovely and my husband remembered to water the pots while I was away, so I came home to a kaleidoscope of colour and not shades of brown. My week away (Norwegian cruise) was just what the doctor ordered. Norway was beautiful, and we had blue sky every port day and just 10 minutes of rain! You either love or hate sea days (we had just two) and you need to be super organised to allocate several consecutive hours to relaxing and have strong will power to keep away from the cocktails and cakes! There is nothing quite like watching your favourite film under the stars snuggled under several blankets with a hot chocolate and popcorn. However and wherever you spent your summer day, pottering about in the garden, strolling around the park exploring or having a mad adventure- with ice creams or scones, I hope you see everyone back at class sometime soon. 7/6/2024 Not all projects are work!![]() I am very fortunate to be able to spend time in the garden, but it takes a certain type of dedication to allow yourself go out and actually sit and do nothing other than read or watch the bees buzz. All that bending and stretching to reach the weed behind the bush beneath the stone, and the carrying of the watering cans adds to my steps and my watch tells me I have been active all day! Of course I can reward myself with a cup of tea and a book in my reading corner, while watching the my new rose bush come into bud. Physical activity means different things to different people, as does rest and reflection. There is nothing better than watching my class participants grasp a new movement, create pattern, collectively start after the introduction and end together on the same note. Watching your class it is like watching seeds germinate, the shoots peep through the soil and the reward is a huge show stopping flower, and they all know they are show stoppers! Mental awareness week.
This year's theme is 'movement: moving more for our mental health'. I am not going to describe the mental value of getting up off the chair, talking a walk or joining an exercise class- because as in the same way we all have our preferences for a cup of coffee, tea or jam sandwich- we all find remedies for our mental wellbeing in different places and different times depending upon a multitude of factors. I have to explain to people, that while being active helps us mentally- I can not plan a class for mental wellbeing- I can not pencil in the exact time the class will smile, a share a joke or dissolve into laughter - these things happen because we are enjoying a once in a moment 'moment' that can not be replicated! All I can do is be welcoming, smile, pick good tunes and make sure the class isn't boring! Sometimes just sitting in a different spot in the garden is enough, chasing a butterfly with your eyes, or taking out your anger on an ants nest, enjoying your mug of tea at the perfect temperature or people watching. Wherever you may be, in your favourite spot, enjoying an activity or 'moment in time', look after yourself and those near to you. 7/5/2024 Back to classIt has been wonderful to welcome back three ladies, who for a multitude of reasons have been unable to get to class.
Taking the first step to attend a class is brave- but going back is just as nerve racking. Will there be new routines? Will I keep up...and will the teacher be kind? Yes - there were new routines - but with careful teaching they 'got them' first time. They did keep up and adjusting the class to incorporate their favourites (which I remembered) they didn't feel as if they were starting at the very beginning. It was lovely to see them again- and having them back was like welcoming a long lost friend back into the 'gang'. 21/4/2024 Cherry BlossomWhere do I get the inspiration for the stories behind my exercises?
One picture I paint is imagining we are lifting a bough of cherry blossom back up into a tree. On my walk I saw such a heavy branch of blossom and reached out to lift it up out of the way. A daily stretch, the warmth of the sunshine and the springtime promise of summer! 26/3/2024 Thank you!Happy Easter!
The end of term, and a time to reflect. To re think, regroup, rest the muscles and take inspiration from 'somewhere' and sometimes an unexpected compliment puts everything onto perspective. Joining an exercise class isn't always about the exercise, its about the the whole experience. As one participant said 'The music is everything, I love the way you finish every exercise on the last beat of the song'. A very big thank you to my class participants who have positively encouraged me with my new Trustee role. Classes resume the week of Monday 22nd April. |
Exercise With TracyEXTEND Exercise and Medau Movement teacher. Keeping the muscles working, the joints mobile and having fun! Archives
November 2024
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If you fancy trying a class then please get in touch. The first class is free!
![]() Exercise with music at Southgate Methodist Church, Monday 1.30-2.30
Exercise with music at Grange Park Methodist Church Tuesday 10-11 Medau: Cockfosters, Wednesday 10-11 Medau: Potters Bar, Wednesday 2.15-3.45 |
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