I just wrapped up a four day teacher training workshop and what a crazy experience it was for me and the 22 participants. They were a diverse group of instructors from all around the globe including New Zealand, Texas, Ontario and Quebec with various professional backgrounds such as professional dancers, former Olympic athletes and fitness instructors. I loved this unique mix because each instructor has their knowledge and experience to add to the pool of information that is shared in these live workshops.
However, after a very constructive first two days disaster struck. I was in the middle of a lecture on the neuromuscular system when my nose began to suddenly bleed or should I say it began to pour, which it continued to do so for the next two days.
The instructors reacted very calmly to the many interruptions and the added unpleasantness of the massive nose plug and my never ending nose-bleed breaks. Somehow though with the caring help of my daughter Sahra and the patience of the instructors we managed to get through the rest of the two days and cover all the material for the teacher training.
Sahra and I spent a few nights at the emergency room of our local hospital as they poked, prodded and plugged up my nose. The experience wasn’t all bad though, as I discovered from the many tests they ran on me that my haemoglobin is more than healthy, my heart rate is that of a young athlete and my blood pressure is 100% normal. It seems that the nose bleeds were merely brought on by air-conditioning and dryness.
I am once again impressed at the effects of doing daily Classical Stretch workouts and eating a healthy balanced diet to maintain my bones, blood, muscles and heart at such a high level of health.
M
July 15th 2010 -
My injured foot
A couple of weeks ago I had an altercation with my garage door that refused closed. I finally closed the stubborn door by pressing down on it with my foot, but injured myself in the process. I am not sure exactly what I did, but the pain was so excruciating that I couldn’t even sleep that night. I was unable to neither step on my foot nor move it in any way so I phoned work and arranged replacement teachers for the following week. Considering the pain I was in and the fact that I couldn’t put any weight on my foot I was convinced that it would take a least a week to heal. That’s the bad news.
The good news is I practice what I preach and kept my foot packed in ice for the entire time and gently exercised it every hour or so to keep the blood flowing and the healing process going. The morning of the first day of my recuperation I was incapable of putting any weight on my foot, but sure enough by performing a few simple foot exercises and putting ice to it, I could once again put full weight on my foot with very little pain. I am happy to say that by the third day of my recovery I was back to 100% and ready to do what I love most, teach.
This is not the first time that my own program has come to my rescue and I’m sure it won’t be my last. I am convinced that being in really good shape and exercising daily has boosted my immune so that when I do get injured or sick I rebound quickly.
So once again I am my own best customer!
M
National Ballet School Reunion
This Spring we headed back to the place where it all began for Miranda; the world famous National Ballet School in Toronto. At the young age of 10, Miranda left her family in Montreal and headed to boarding school in Toronto so she could develop her talent in ballet. As most of you know, she later joined the company and toured the world!
This year was the 50th anniversary of the school, which is now a state of the art center. I particularly enjoyed the visit and was able to see where my mother’s career began. We were given tours of the dorm rooms, old studios, new studios and the new state of the art theatre. Miranda remembers how basic the school was when she was attending; the kids did their own laundry for one thing. Now the students drop their laundry in a bag and are handed back perfectly pressed uniforms!
I now see why my mother made me do my own laundry when I was 10!
Sahra Esmonde-White
June 6th 2010
This was a really interesting exchange a fan and I had on facebook, from the wall posts on the “Essentrics Bootcamp” Facebook page
Fan:
Per Sahra's suggestion when we started bootcamp, I took my 3-week measurements today. I lost 3 pounds and 2 inches on waist, 1 inch in my butt, 1/2 inch in tummy, nothing in arms and NOTHING IN THIGHS!!! Grrrrrr!!! In addition to an Essentrics workout, I've been doing our hilly, 3 mile neighbourhood walk almost daily (weather permitting) with my husband since March. I added a season 6 workout today since I feel like I’m negating something by doing only Essentrics with no Classical Stretch. When oh when will these thighs reduce?
Miranda’s answer: I am thrilled for your loss of inches and weight. Regarding your thighs; you mentioned that you are doing uphill walking. That can be rigorous on the thigh muscles and cause them to contract and remain bulky. Observe how you walk. Are you stepping heavily and hard or are you 'pulling up" and walking with a 'light' step? The heavy step will bulk your muscles.
Fan answer: I'm sure I step heavily for the uphills. I will change that TODAY. I will report back.
Miranda - this "walking lightly" strikes me as a significant thing. I was noticing all day yesterday (and trying to correct myself) that it isn't just on my uphill exercise walks, but in my general, purposeful walking through the house that I walk “heavy” (perhaps years of working & raising a family and being in a hurry?). I'm wondering if you should mention this in your periodic Classical Stretch email. It could help lots of us who've inadvertently bulked up our thighs over the years. I’m trying to correct it by visualizing a light-stepping traditional Japanese geisha and trying to put the emphasis on pulling up instead of stomping down on my steps. Please let me know if this isn’t what you meant.
Thanks you – this could be what finally makes the difference …
Fan a few weeks later :Miranda, you asked me to get back to you, so here it is:I’ve been alternating daily between Sahra’s {day 1:} Essentrics Upper & Abs plus a Season 6 workout and {day 2:} Sahra’s Essentrics Lower plus a Season 6 workout. I also do a daily 3-mile (hilly) neighborhood walk with my husband, weather permitting (most days, but today it snowed!) and a longer hike on the weekend. This prompted your comment on the Essentrics Bootcamp Facebook wall that I might be stomping down when walking, thus bulking up my thighs instead of slenderizing them. I’ve been trying to correct that and, indeed, have finally seen a quarter-inch drop in thigh measurement since then.
Thank you so much for that advice!
Febuary 15th 2010
Slowly but surely men are discovering the benefits and pleasure of Classical Stretch. It is such a shame but we are victims of many social imprints and one is the belief that men can’t do or won’t enjoy group fitness. Men have been programmed to believe that group fitness classes are only for women.
I am noticing that perception has been slowly changing. Part of the problem is that men do not want to look or feel stupid doing exercises, and men perceive themselves as less coordinated to follow an instructor. In my experience men and women are equally talented and equally un-coordinated. Women don’t seem to care when they aren’t perfect and men are by nature competitive so they want to be the best.
But I am noticing a small but definite increase in men’s participation in classes. Men are looking for a program to relieve their various aches and pains and improve their golf and running. Word of mouth helps as one man tells another and they discover that the steps are not overly complicated.
I am really excited about this turn of events, as it has made me sad in the past to see so many of my male friends suffering and yet unwilling to try a program that so quickly relieves their pain.Yeah for progress!!!!!
M
January 2010
Washington DC
This Christmas Sahra, my daughter, and I decided on an educational holiday in Washington DC one of our favourite cities in the world. During our 7 days we visited Mont Vernon ( George Washington’s home), the White House, took tours of the Capital, the Library of congress and Gettysburg. We visited the Native American Museum and the National Art Gallery where we were lucky enough to attend a concert featuring Grammy award winner Spanish guitarist Sharon Isbin.
We spent a great deal of time walking around both Georgetown and the Mall admiring the magnificent architecture and stately old buildings. After doing lots of good appetite building exercise we then explored the restaurant scene. Washington is a city for foodies of every taste, from gourmet organic to top of the line trendy.
As history buffs we brunched at the Hay-Adams Hotel overlooking the White House; not only did Barack Obama stay there before his inauguration but the property was originally owned by one of Lincolns Secretaries, John Hay and civil war ambassador Charles Adams. We had to brunch there
The best part of our trip was celebrating Christmas with good friends in Bethesda who later invited us to dine with them at the storied Cosmos club. That was a history lesson all by itself with Supreme Court justices’, past presidents, ambassadors, as well as Pulitzer Prize and Nobel prize winners. I wanted to hide in a cleaning closet and stay longer to just to explore the library longer.
Now I’m ready to pass my American history exams! Yeah
As you know I am a Canadian, so I thought I would throw my 2-cents worth into the current health care debate. à
Ever since creating Classical Stretch I have wanted to move to the United States, however due to many pre-existing health conditions I would have been unable to afford a health insurance package. I am a ten year survivor of breast cancer and malignant melanoma. As a professional ballerina I suffered from severe anaemia, and have had over ten bouts with pneumonia and bronchitis. That’s the bad stuff.
On the plus side, my program has helped me to stay in fantastic shape and overall health, and its helped hundreds of Americans improve their health and save thousands of dollars in medical bills. If I could live in the United States I know that I could have an even greater positive effect on people’s health, but the insurance cost have kept me in Canada.
The Canadian system is wonderful. I have never had to wait for an appointment, surgery or real emergency. Yes I might have to wait a few weeks for a non urgent doctor’s visit, but that is fine as I also have to wait for hair dresser appointments and facials. All the bad stories I hear in the press are exaggerations; as we know the press do like to sensationalise and will always find the worst case scenario because it sells better. Nothing is perfect, but our system is wonderful. If it was as bad as the anti-health care reform people say, then Canadians would be up in arms and demanding change. A few years ago we had problems with overcrowding in the emergency ward and Canadians across the country made such a fuss that the government fixed the problem. Since then you haven’t heard any complaints because we really did see improvements.
We pay for our system through our taxes; and we are highly taxed. Canadians don’t mind because we don’t have other health & insurance expenses and we feel so lucky to never have to worry about doctor or hospital bills. And most of us have had a family member who has needed care and has received all the treatment necessary. In Canada nobody has ever lost their home or gone into debt because of health care bills. Illness is stressful enough without that additional worry.
I’m very excited to be watching this reform happen in the US and I truly feel that in the long run, this new system will give you the same peace of mind that we have experience up North.
M
December 7, 2009 Your stories and my thank you!
In both august and in November we asked you to send in your success stories. The response both times was overwhelming, inspiring and fascinating. In addition to weight loss many of the emails talked about pain relief; from back pain to knee pain, to fibromyalgia, old chronic injuries, arthritis, osteoporosis, Muscular dystrophy, hip replacement, plantar fasciitis, and frozen shoulder. The emails told how Classical Stretch had controlled or completely relieved participants of pain.
Initially the healing aspect of Classical Stretch was a surprise to me. I’d never looked upon myself as a member of the healing community, however now after years of testimonials, working with doctors and studying, I recognise why regular correct exercise has powerful healing abilities. When it comes to many of our health conditions we can be our own healers simply by exercising. I’m not saying we don’t need doctors but over all quality of life and conditions such as back , hip & knee pain can be treated with exercise. So many of you have experienced this first hand and agree with me!
The reason why Classical Stretch helps reduce pain is because it rebalances all the joints. As a full body program it stretches and strengthens all the muscles, slowly enough as to prevent any further injury or stress.
I’m very grateful that you’ve shared your stories with me and words can not describe how touched I have been by them. I never really knew how much the program has been helping so many of you and I hope to continue creating these workouts for years to come so we can all grow older and healthier together!
M
June 2009
Another big part of my life
Well it’s June which is end of year for the nation’s schools; that includes dance schools! I have been the owner and artistic director of a large dance school for many years! I believe that dance should be both a physical and artistic activity, so my school emphasises self expression as well as technique in all dance classes.
To encourage the artistic side we do a year end show which follows a story theme; this year we did Victor Hugo’s Hunchback of Notre Dame (not the Disney version which ends happily). We had Esmeralda dying at the end of the show as in the book.
This year the leads were outstanding; Quasimodo and Esmeralda were at the level of any professional performer. I was really proud of them and the job the teachers did in putting the shows together. I was told that half the audience was in tears at the end which was the desired effect!
I spend the show running around making sure all 400 kids are being herded to the correct wings to get onstage at the required time, so I missed seeing everyone crying. There is a team of 18 teachers and choreographers who help put these shows together and guide the students, I am definitely not alone.
For me the dance school is my “fun” time and even helps get my creative juices going for Classical Stretch and Essentrics. I have to admit I have a very diverse life; I’m very lucky. You’ll see a photo of Sahra and I with one of the very talented Esmeralda’s.
These annual dance productions can be good entertainment for the audience, but secretly I hope that a love of dance is the beginning of a lifetime of physical fitness for these children.
M
Classical Stretch Retreat Riviera Maya, Mexico January 31st to February 6th 2009
We just got back from another terrific retreat in Mexico! Meeting new people is always a treat, but one of the most rewarding aspects of the retreats is that so many people return for their second, third, forth and fifth retreats. Retreats are becoming like extended family fitness holidays!
This February we had an added treat in our classes as the Iberostar had built new fitness facilities on the beach. We held the evening classes outdoors in a large palapa on the beach. The large solid banister worked perfectly as a barre, great for deep hamstring and quad stretches. It was beautiful to be on the beach as the sun was setting and exercising with the ocean in the background and the beautiful music playing.
What a life!
As usual the food was a main focus of all our attentions. Food is all-inclusive at the Iberostar, and the Mexican pastry chefs are some of the worlds finest. I always try to restrict myself from eating desert for as long as I can, knowing that my will power will break-down the last few days.
Thank-goodness the regular exercise helps me from gaining weight! Our next retreat is in Jamaica in June which I’m already looking forward to; more good deserts and mojito’s on the beach! Of course I also love the two hours of daily exercise and swimming in the warm Caribbean ocean.
M
Attending the inauguration
As January 20th approached, I found myself watching CNN getting more and more excited about the inauguration of Barack Obama. I was deeply touched by the excitement and enthusiasm of the entire nation as I watched the tears of joy in people’s eyes reflecting the profound happiness and pride that the nation felt by electing not only a remarkable candidate but also the first African American President.
I’d been in New York City during the riots when Martin Luther King Jr had been shot and I still remember the civil rights struggles as if they were yesterday. Next to my daughters birth I don’t remember any event in my life meaning as much to me emotionally as Obama’s election.
As the inauguration approached I could no longer stand sitting at home watching this monumental moment of history happening without attending. So Sahra and I jumped onto a plane to join the millions of well wishers in Washington to witness the inauguration. We had been saving our airline points for a special occasion; and this was it.
Never in my life have I been happier to be squished for so long a time in a crowd of strangers. But there we were happy as clams squished on the subway ride of 1 ½ hrs, squished on the 2 hr walk towards the Washington Monument from the subway station, really squished at the Washington Monument to watch on big screens the ceremony and finally even more squished as we left the area. However, during the entire 6 hours of being ‘squished’ I never felt safer and more at peace in a crowd. The mood of the crowd was calm, intelligent, thoughtful and serene. The mood reflected the soul of a great leader!
I’m so glad that we went; we will never forget the inauguration as long as we live, what a beautiful experience!
M
2009-01-06: New Year resolutions
Christmas is over and an exciting new year is ahead. There is always a momentum in every New Year to make changes in our lives. So here I go with my two-cents. I will follow Oprah’s lead in this New Year resolution to focus on taking care of my own needs as well as everyone else’s. Oprah has talked openly about her weight gain and blames it in large part on not taking care of her own needs as she lives her busy life. Many of us do that and end up ruining our health and gain weight. Her trainer noticed that she was depressed. Can you imagine Oprah, who seems to have it all, depressed? So sad
What she was saying that we need to take of our own needs and schedule time in every day to do things for our self. We need to take time to feed our inner needs and stop going flat out. I can totally relate to her as I do just that, I work too hard and run around making everyone happy and I forget to make sure I’m happy. I know it’s silly of me to behave like this as it makes me wound up tight and vulnerable to sickness. So I am going to follow Oprah and take care of my needs this year! (or at least I’ll try)
M
2008-11-26: Watching your waistline
With Thanksgiving over and more holidays coming I thought I would tell you about a story of Christmas past for me.
I’m not sure if you know but I am the owner of a dance school and as such I get given wonderful Christmas gifts from my students. One year I was given at least 15 boxes of gourmet chocolates at Christmas. I love chocolate and these were absolutely the best of the best. I’m also one of those people who have zero willpower when it comes to desserts sitting around the house. Foolishly I put my chocolates on my bedside table and when I felt like a chocolate in the middle of the night I would reach over and take one. Well much to my surprise the chocolates disappeared and my waist grew substantially.
That was a lesson to me to ask my students to never again give me chocolates. Now I get flowers, creams and bubble bath which is much better!
May I suggest that if you too have discipline problems over the holidays, remember that you will really regret any indulgence and you will pay for it later. Just refuse to overeat, keep deserts out of the house or in minimum quantities. If you have to have them, eat smaller portions! You will be so grateful the days and weeks after the holidays when you don’t have to diet. And also, try not to buy fattening food for your friends and teachers!
Wishing you happy and sensible holidays from me!
M
As many of you know, my daughter Sahra and I have been working together for many years. Sahra works hard to make sure a younger generation discovers the benefits of my fitness program and she’s gotten many young people involved in it! So a year ago, we decided to create a new line of fitness DVDs under the Essentrics brand name and featuring Sahra! I’m very proud and excited about this as many of my clients want to get their children and grandchildren exercising.
We did this as so many of her friends in their twenties and thirties wanted their own workout tailored to their age group. It has been very interesting to discover that mothers will do their daughters workouts but daughters do not want to do what their mothers are doing.
Essentrics is a program that focuses primarily on body toning to strengthen and lengthen the body. They are really effective workouts and if you do them everyday your body will change dramatically; firm butt, thinner legs, flatter stomach, improved posture. They are ‘show no mercy’ workouts using my techniques to tone and slenderize the body.
They are a great gift for daughters & grand-daughters! They are available in our store section or on the new Essentrics website.
M
2008-11-10: ANNUAL Programmer's Fair
Last week I was in Houston Texas at the annual PBS/ APT programmers’ Fair. This is where all 250 PBS programmers get together and choose what shows they will put in their schedules for the next year. This was my 8th time attending the Fair so I had a great time catching up with old friends and meeting new ones. I was joined by Megan, Renee and Kathleen from Lakeshore Public Television, my new presenting station.
Megan, the marketing manager is 7 months pregnant, what a trouper she is. No amount of baby kicking slowed her down. She & Kathleen the public relations manager are amazing talents; look at the beautiful booth that they made.
They did an outstanding job of presenting my next series to the programmers so expect to see much more of Classical Stretch in the New Year. The new shows are beautifully filmed and edited; I’m really grateful for the good job Lakeshore has done with our production.
Renee, my shopping buddy who also happens to be an outstanding VP of Sales. Thanks to Renee and her brilliant fundraising skills, Classical Stretch should be airing for years to come!
We had a great time eating, and generally having fun, with a few minutes of work thrown in! You will see me leading the group of about 250 people in a stretch break which I have started doing at every PBS/Apt Fair. The programmers join me in a 10-minute stretch to help clear the cob-webs out after hours of sitting in a dark screening room. It’s always a laugh as they take off their heels and loosen their ties and get into some exercising.
M
We just got back from filming a new TV series at the Iberostar hotel in Jamaica!
I’d like to introduce you to my new team from Lakeshore Public Television in Indiana and tell you a little bit more about this great adventure we all had.
I just love our fitness Holidays and Retreats. They really are holidays full of fun, lots of exercise and nice people.
We held our first Montreal retreat last week! Up until now we have held them in Mexico and Saratoga Springs NY. One of the things I love about these retreats is that so many people return for their second, third and fourth time with us so the retreats have become like a regular extended family holiday. Karen, Lee & Susan, Ed & Sharon, Bob, Joanne & Sarai, Louise and Pattie were all back for a retreat experience. Although the daily Classical Stretch class is the primary focus, it seems like having a giant party is what actually happens. Quite a large group attended, so there was a wide range of activities that the various people did; going to museums and science exhibitions and shopping in Montreal’s famous fashion boutiques. If you do plan on attending one of our retreats, plan on good food, going to fitness boot-camp, making new friends and getting inspired to change your attitude towards a permanently healthy lifestyle.
Everybody left in great shape, happy hearts and big smiles on their faces. I can’t wait to see them again!
M
2008-08-11: No more coffee for me!
I used to be a 6 cup-a-day coffee drinker. Then I went into Sephora (the store) and the manager recommended that I try Perricone, MD. Peptide Blend (PEP) to help slowly get me off the coffee.She had stopped drinking coffee cold turkey without a problem. This PEP is a green powder of all natural vitamins and minerals that you add to juice or water. Well I now take PEP and am proud to say I’ve almost completely stopped drinking coffee! I drink about a cup or two a week.I feel much more energetic. I also started on Perricone’s Vitamins to replace my other multi vitamins. I feel they are very well balanced and didn’t upset my stomach like other vitamins have. So if you’re looking for a good vitamin, do check out the Perricone system!
M
2008-08-10: My latest must read
My latest must read is “Ultra Metabolism” by Mark Hymen. If you are having problems with your weight or energy I highly recommend this book. It is very sound and he has lots of understandable science to support his ideas. It’s very much common sense but we often need reasons to return to sensible eating. Basically he says to not eat processed foods but ‘real’ food. What he does is explain very clearly why processed food makes us fat.
M
2008-08-08: My Athletes in Beijing
I am extremely excited about the upcoming Olympics in Beijing as I have trained 8 of the divers on the Canadian diving team. Most of them have been training with me 4 hours a week for the past 4 years so I am very proud of how well they are all doing!
Some of my teachers are also sending athletes (swimmers and gymnasts) to the Olympics so we are in a very celebratory mood at the Classical Stretch offices.
Though I have a lot to say about the current political situation in China, knowing how hard the kids have worked to get there, I would prefer to focus on their sport and not ruin the experience for them! So I wish them luck and hope you’ll be watching!
M
2008-07-10: Empty Calories
Many people wonder about the difference between empty and valuable calories. Processed food is the main culprit of being empty calories, raw food is valuable calories. Processed food has been processed not by your body but in a factory; the act of processing food is energy burning but the energy is being burned in a factory instead of your body!
Raw food is processed by our body’s digestive system, a mini factory that also needs energy to process, which means that the actual digesting of raw food is calorie burning. The processed food has already been processed so there is no energy burning benefits to digesting processed food. On top of that, the actual nutritional value in processed food is usually much lower then raw food. In raw food the actual food itself is full of much needed vitamins, minerals, proteins, carbohydrates and good fats that the body can send off to various body parts to strengthen our muscles, bones and brain. In processed food the calories usually don’t have much value so they aren’t capable of building muscles, bones or brain and basically get stored in fat cells. That means when we eat too much processed food we don’t have the same energy as we would with raw foods; so our energy is lower and we sit around. Sitting around of course means more fat…..
M
Stretching for Golf DVD
We released my new Stretching for Golf DVD last week! People have been asking for a golf-specific workout for years and I finally got a chance to film it, and on a stunning golf course in Mexico.
The other great thing about this DVD is that I created it and filmed it with one of my best friends who is a golf pro! Many of my private clients are avid golfers and have sworn that Classical Stretch has drastically improved their game. We worked very hard to make sure that all the elements were there to help people achieve the perfect game, so I hope you enjoy it.
M
2008-07-08: Your teeth and your spine
Yesterday I heard about an amazing mouth guard that can help athletes and average people alike increase their flexibility and strength simply by wearing it during their sporting or training activity. The way it works is to relieve the lower jaw tension on the spine and thus relieve the imbalance that is interfering with the muscles. I have known all my life that our teeth have a direct influence on our spine, which is why orthodontic work is important for health and not just for cosmetic value. I will keep you posted as I learn more about this.
I am sure that this will be very valuable for people who suffer from chronic back, hip, and knee pain. It isn’t a replacement of exercise, but a new tool to make exercise and life more enjoyable.
M
Classical Stretch Retreat Riviera Maya, Mexico May 31st to June 6th 2008
We just got back from another successful retreat in Mexico. These are such amazing experiences for me as well as the participants. We restrict the size of the groups so everyone get lots of personal attention and one on one time to discus their problems. On this most recent trip a remarkable woman and her husband (both in their 60’s) joined us.
She had been a synchronized swimmer and very active athlete all her life as well as being a mother of five and a professional psychoanalyst. When she arrived she was suffering from compounded and chronic shoulder problems and was scheduled for surgery.
She hadn’t been able to raise her arm above her shoulder for several years; this is known as frozen shoulder a very painful and common condition.
She was no longer able to fully dress herself and depended on her husband. Her body had become visibly imbalanced causing back, hip and knee pain.
Within two days of twice daily exercises in the Mexican heat, she was able to touch her hands behind her back and within four days she was able to dress herself for the first time in years. Needless to say this was an extremely emotional experience for both her, her husband and me.
We usually see dramatic changes like this to at least one person in our retreats which, I have to say, is why I love doing them so much!
