• Restorative Foam Roller Classes are very effective way to release the lactic acid and tight and sore muscles after intensive workouts. I highly recommend you to do a foam roller class at least once a week regardless of the fitness activities that you practice. Remember to drink more water when you roll on a foam roller. Water is essential for our overall wellbeing , it helps with digestion and in some cases it can alleviate the headache and reduce hunger... Always listen to your body, back off the moment you feel unmanageable pain and consult your physician immediately if pain continues. Contra-indications to foam rolling include but are not limited to fresh injuries, inflammation, different stages of neuropathy, diabetes, pregnancy, nausea, or any other severe symptoms, please stop this activity immediately and consult your doctor. You are practicing these classes at your own discretion. Elena's Barre will not be liable or responsible for any outcomes you may experience as a result of this activity. Thank you for your understanding. See you at the workout! 

• Restorative Yoga is the "Yoga of stillness, consciousness, relaxation, silence" (Monica, EBTC). It is based on teachings of B.K. Iyengar in India and its main  purpose was to assist recovery from injuries and illness. It is suitable for people who are struggling with varieties of Hatha Yoga (physical practice). Restorative Yoga incorporates assisting tools such as Yoga bolsters, Yoga blocks, pillows, blankets, a chair and/or a wall. Try to incorporate this practice into your fitness regime at least once a week to feel deep relaxation and recover from other fitness and daily activities. 

Pranayama is the 4th limb of Yoga practice. It is generally defined as breath control.  From Sanskrit "Prana" means 'vital energy' or 'life force'. Pranayama utilizes  the breath to effect the prana  in the nadis (the energetic pathways of pranayama or energy body). The word "yama" means 'control' or rules and codes of conduct (1st Limb of Yoga). "Ayama" is the correct word from "pranayama", it means 'extension' or 'expansion'.  We implement Pranayama practice into regular Yoga classes. Your breath is the most important process of the body. It impacts the activities of every single cell and it affects the performance of your brain. Humans breathe approximately 15 times per minute and 21,600 times per day. The quality of your breath affects all aspects of you body. 

Mind challenges in addition to physical challenges contribute to overall wellbeing. It's important to challenge your belief system in order to be balanced and mentally stable. A healthy human should have humility, be willing to learn from others and be capable of challenging his/her own assumptions even if he/she does not agree with what he/she hears. These observations and mind challenges are based on the objective facts. It's up to you how you take them: rationally or emotionally as a personal attack. Elena's Barre is trying to bring more awareness to you, so, that you take better rational choices in your life based on the objective facts, not based on how you feel about them. Remember that you are practicing all of the classes and activities at Elena's Barre at your own risk and discretion. Elena's Barre members will not be liable for any harm or injury you may experience as a result of fitness and mind challenging activities. Thank you for your understanding. Join us and challenge yourself! 

Pilates is a very effective & safe form of exercise that focuses on correct form & pelvic and spinal alignment. Regular practice allows to gain more strength & flexibility in the whole body. Pilates helps to relieve overall tension, burn calories. It's a great activity for cross training and preventing injury through body-mind connection & awareness of the breath. All you need is a mat & your body weight. 

In Pilates classes we focus a lot on neutral spine and on building strong core (abdominals and back muscles). We execute all movements in a flow with the breath preserving proper posture and form. 

Try to be consistent with Pilates practice. You might feel that because it is a very slow pace class with minimal and controlled movements, you are not doing much, but trust me, you are working hard. This practice requires a lot of focus and concentration. 

Pilates has 8 principles and ideally all of them should be followed simultaneously: relaxation, concentration, alignment, breathing, co-ordination, precision, fluidity and stamina.

If you are just starting out your fitness practice please check the very first class on Thoracic Breathing and Neutral Spine. Try to practice thoracic breathing outside of the class too.

DISCLAIMER: As with any workout please be mindful of your body, its limitations and use commons sense before, during and after the workout. Please consult your physician before performing any kind of fitness activity, before changing your diet and before doing any drainage if you have any issues with your sinuses or lymphatic system, or if you have history of health issues. Consult your doctor if you want to change your diet. Stop it immediately if you experience severe pain or discomfort. This class is generally for people with good health. Do not do this class if you suffer from osteoporosis (reduced bone density) or osteopenia, where your bone mineral density is lower than normal peak density, but not low enough to be considered osteoporosis. Get medical clearance before practicing this class. You should avoid flexion of the spine all together (crunches, rolling, anything that causes you to bend forward o rounding your spine). More research needs to be done on younger spine and flexion. So, please be mindful of your back. Consult your doctor always before practicing Pilates. If you have chronic non-specific back pain, you can benefit from Pilates practice. If you have specific back issues you can also benefit from Pilates practice, but you need to have sought medical treatment, you should have doctor's permission to attend Pilates classes and know what you need to avoid during your practice. If you have arthritis or lupus, you can attend the class, but do not force yourself and never work to a point where you experience pain. For minor injuries such as stiff neck or sprained ankle, apply appropriate modifications. If you have a more serious sports injury, please seek medical advice. You should have permission from your doctor to attend Pilates classes. If you have a hip/knee replacement, you can practice Pilates once you have finished your physiotherapy and have permission from your doctor to practice Pilates. If you are pregnant, consult your doctor before attending Pilates classes. Avoid deep twists and any exercises that put a lot of pressure on your back and abdominals (supine position, planks and deep twists). Check out my gentle Pre-Natal yoga classes. (I have completed 30 additional hours of Pre-Natal Yoga TTC). You are performing this type of workout at your own risk and discretion. Elena's Barre will not be liable or responsible for any injury or harm you may experience as a result of this activity and online videos or information shared on our website, including e-mails, videos and text. Thank you for your understanding. 

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From Sanskrit the word "Ayurveda" means the science or knowledge of life and well-being. Determining your Dosha(s) type(s) will help you establish a proper diet and choose the appropriate fitness activity. Ayurveda is a very broad subject; we are trying to narrow it down to these two main factors that contribute to your wellbeing: workout and diet. From Sanskrit the word "Dosha" means something that is wrong, faulty or defective. It can indicate that there is an excess of some elements in your body that can lead to a disease. So, by balancing out your Doshas you can manage some of the health conditions or in some cases even prevent certain diseases. Of course, it is very individual, because everyone has his/her own body structure, genetics and other external factors such as lifestyle, food choices, etc. that can impact predisposition to certain health conditions. Check the seminars below. They will help you determine your Dosha type(s) and general recommendations of what foods you should eat and what foods you should avoid based on your Dosha(s). Keep in mind that these suggestions are not a replacement for medical treatment. Remember to always consult your dietitian/doctor before drastically changing your diet or engaging in any fitness activity if you happen to have any health issues.