Lately, I’ve been obsessed with Barre3. You’ve probably heard of many different Barre studios and if you live in Nashville I can think of at least two other places where you’d be able to engage in a similar type of fitness program.  None of my comments represent Barre3 or Junior League of Nashville (JLN). 

I was reintroduced to Barre through JLN at a Transfer Member Social Event. My first experience with Barre was awful around two years ago so I was quite reluctant at first. To sum it all up in two words, I felt very “fat shamed” and left feeling defeated and disappointed. However, I decided to give it another go and here’s what I gathered through the words of my instructors:

“Live your truth.” –UM, yes. I say this daily to everyone around me. You have a story. Live it. We lie to ourself everyday. For NO GOOD REASON we lie and we have to STOP. 

“Find your edge.”–ABSOLUTELY. everyday. what’s the point if you’re not? 

“Your body is its own best instructor.” –What? you mean you’re not going to force me into doing what the woman next to me is doing–cause I just can’t. I’ve got to listen to what my body is telling me. I know me. Trust your gut. Intuition. 

“We love modifications.”–Yep. follow your yellow brick road in life. it ain’t going to look like everyone else’s. 

“Own this 60 minutes.” –How many minutes  of our life do we actually allow ourselves to own? 

“Close your eyes and don’t care about your neighbor.” –Great, b/c she’s stressing me out. comparison is the most self-destructive practice we engage in on a regular basis. stop it. 

“Go at your own pace.” –Will do. Can’t compare my Chapter 1 to anyone else’s Chapter 20. 

“Breathe it all out.” —One thing that most of us can control is how we breathe and you’d be so surprised at the amount of stress you can relieve with deep breaths. 

“Bring your hands into prayer.”–I need all the prayers and praying time I can get. 

“Thank your beautiful body.”–Gracias! She is beautiful and I don’t give her enough credit. I couldn’t do this life without her. EVERYONE has a beautiful body. 

“Take a break and come back stronger.” –Isn’t that just perfect? You can’t always go Level 10 hard all the time. If you need to take a break that’s fine. Pull it together and come back ready to take on the world. Maybe you took a break from school or you took time out to raise your kids. Breaks are a thing. Don’t be frustrated by them. 

“Shakes are not a sign of weakness, they are sign of change.” —Lightbulb! Sometimes the things that make us shake are often the most life changing events of our life. Those things that make us nervous, scared, anxious–that’s when we’re pushing ourselves into discomfort, into the storm, and we come out changed. Those Barre3 shakes are not a game. 

These women are speaking all of my love languages.

Now, I am in no way built for ballet. Yoga always bored me and Pilates I’ve only did once or twice and was just whelmed by it.

At the end of that first workout I felt a few things: tired, strong, sweaty, glowing, out of shape, motivated, but most of all I felt supported and thankful. There was no fat shame. There was a “do you” and in fact we’re going to help you “do your best you” with a mat, barre, ball, light weights, and a strap in tow. Not to mention, killer playlists in the background. Some of my fave tunes include Revolver by Madonna, Tambourine by Eve, Addiction by Medina, Ego by Beyonce, and there’s a Will.I.Am song that gets me everytime…I sneaked a look at the playlist to enhance my Spotify :). 

Well, I was hooked and immediately signed up for a month of classes just to see if this was beginners’ luck or if I was going to build some roots in this place while standing in primary posture. Needless, to say I’m back for my second month and I look forward to it in the way I used to look forward to an after work Happy Hour. It is MY 60 minute core blast. I can’t think about anything else in the world because I am “finding my edge” while barely moving that Barre3 inch and praying through those isometric holds. My shoulders relax, I breathe the deepest I ever have and I love me and what my body allows me to do in that space.

The instructors are lovely. It’s like CHEERS in there–they all make it a point to know your name. Listen, I still have A LOT to learn and they are very patient with me and affirming that I’m moving in the right direction. Get this, the women in my classes are super nice! They come in all shapes, sizes, colors, professions, and parts of town. It’s been nice to see “the regulars” and connect with people I might not have met in Nashville.

So, there you go. I’m certainly not trying to convert you BUT if you come across a Barre3 in your area, I would encourage you to give it a shot. Men are certainly welcomed.

My body and I have had a rough 31 years. I needed this so bad at this point in my life. I feel it in the growing strength in my legs, my butt is now looking down on the world from her newly elevated status, my posture is better, and my arms look lovely in my summer dresses.  All of that is nice but it’s really just refreshing to find a new fitness outlet that not only helps me look better on the outside but strengthens me mentally and spiritually. It’s just good stuff, people. I promise.

I have class today at 6:30.

Later Y’all.