Pilates

emPower Pilates
4521 Brambleton Avenue, Suite 105 . Roanoke

Roanoke has a new pilates studio called emPower Pilates, and we couldn't be more excited about it!

What exactly is Pilates? It's an innovative system of mind-body exercise involved from the principles of Joseph Pilates. It teaches body awareness, good posture and easy, graceful movement. Pilates improves flexibility, agility and economy of motion. It can even help alleviate back pain. Professional dancers have been using pilates training for years, celebrities and models rave about pilates because of the long and lean image that they create by using it, so naturally, we had to give it a try! Now, Joey started taking classes several weeks before Amy, so she knew the drill. Amy on the other hand, was a bit intimidated by the "interesting" looking equipment, complete with leg and arm restraints. But Laura and Erin put her mind to ease, and helped her to get acquainted with the Pilates Reformer.

emPower offers a variety of weekly classes, including private classes, in Pilates and Pilates mat, as well as yoga. Erin Garvin is a certified instructor (along with many other credentials too numerous to list here) and Laura Majors is a Balanced Body University student teacher and has completed 280 of the 300 hours required for certification as a Pilates Reformer and Mat instructor!

Call the girls at emPower and try a Pilates class! You will come in a little intimidated and unsure, yet leave feeling refreshed - a little sore and possibly sweaty! - and feeling balanced and stronger.

To sign up for classes with Erin call (540) 915-6081 or with Laura call (540) 520-3064 (Bella hint: Laura offers reduced "trainer" rates!)

Hot Yoga

In Balance Yoga
401 South Main Street . Blacksburg
540.961.1030

In Balance Yoga in Blacksburg is a new yoga studio where we ventured for a hot yoga class! They offer a variety of classes, including Vinyasa, Restorative Yoga and Prenatal Yoga, along with Hot Yoga... which if you haven't heard about it already, you will! And they are the first studio in Southwest Virginia to offer a full schedule of heated yoga classes.

So what's so hot about Hot Yoga? The Hot Yoga lineage comes from Calcutta, India, which is a very hot and humid environment. The controlled environment of the yoga room creates a balance of heat and humidity that is therapeutic to the body. There are many benefits of doing hot yoga. It protects muscles as they move through their full range of motion, the heat softens collagen around the joints allowing more freedom of movement, it allows the body to release toxins through heavy sweating, releases endorphins to reverse negative effects of stress, and improves the function of the nervous system so that messages move rapidly to and from the brain and spinal cord, just to name a few!

In a (hot and sweaty) nutshell, the Hot Yoga class was just an ordinary yoga class (of 30 different poses and movements)... set in a 100 degree room with 40-50% humidity! Sound delightful? Well, to be honest, it actually was. By the end of the class we both felt as if we had sweat off about 10 pounds and we were able to do just about all the yoga moves. It must have been the heat that allowed us to be a little more limber than we normally are. (Amy's balance was way better than Joey's though!) Helpful hint: drink plenty of water before your class, and bring water with you for during because you WILL need it! We were soaking wet at the end of the class so bring a towel too, so you don't slide all over your yoga mat. Oh, and if you plan on going out in public afterwards, make sure you bring shower items, and a change of clothes! (Amy learned that the hard way.)

So we know the first thing you want to ask is: Does the room full of sweaty, stretching individuals stink? Not at all. And the next is: Were we sore for days afterwards? You bet your sweaty yoga hiney we were!

Meditation

The Dharmapala Kadampa Buddhist Center
1917 Franklin Road, Suite 113 . Roanoke
540.366.3000

With urging from a few Bella readers, we called the Dharmapala Buddhist Center in Roanoke to find out about any "beginner" sessions for meditation. After a delightful conversation with Sherri Spain, we were set to attend an upcoming evening guided meditation program. What had we gotten ourselves into?


We'll be honest. We weren't really sure what to expect. Visions of monks, robes, alters and temples crossed our minds. Would this be something totally weird? And would we be giggling throughout the entire thing? (You know you've had uncontrollable fits of the giggles during inappropriate times. Would a quiet meditation session be ours?) Luckily, we were able to control ourselves, and to our surprise, we found that our session was quite inspiring, and relatable to almost anyone's life, regardless of religion or beliefs! (We will admit we were a bit disappointed that we didn't get to sit crossed legged, and chant "ohhmmmmmmm" but it was still a great experience!)


The Dharmapala Buddhist Center is located just off Franklin Road in Roanoke, near Rivers Edge. It's located in a nondescript office complex, however upon entering, we realized it was not like anything we were expecting. (Reception area, bookstore, large mediation room and many other offices and rooms make up their facility. It is very comfortable and relaxing and the people make you feel very welcome.)

The Dharmapala Buddhist Center is a member of the New Kadampa Tradition (NKT), an international union of over 1100 Centers in 40 countries around the world. They are dedicated to helping people find peace in their busy lives and offer Buddha's timeless teachings in a simple, practical manner that can help you solve your problems and find happiness from within. They provide a variety of classes suited to different levels of interest and experience, such as the General Program Drop-in Classes and the Foundation Program classes. Kadam Deann Bishop is the Resident Teacher for the Dharmapala Buddhist Center. She has studied Kadampa Buddhism for fourteen years under Geshe Kelsang Gyatso. Everyone is welcome to come visit them to learn more about their special tradition or just enjoy a few minutes of rest and refuge in meditation with spiritual friends. You do no need to be a Buddhist to attend the Center or to benefit from practices such as meditation.


The guided meditation is a general program anyone can enjoy and understand. In these classes you will learn practical meditations that you can immediately apply in your daily life. The teachings are based on a special presentation of authentic Buddhist teachings that have been made relevant for modern westerners. Consisting of guided meditation (where you're helped along with "instructions" on how to relax and meditate, and what to think about), a modern day lesson tied with traditional Buddhist teachings and a Q&A session, this program is perfect for anyone looking to slow down and take a little time for yourself. (Our group of a little over 20 had people of all ages and backgrounds. Some were new, and some had been coming for years. And not a single one looked anything like a monk.) Each class includes a simple breathing meditation, a short talk on Buddhist thought and a concluding meditation. There is also time to ask questions and discuss. Classes are open and welcome to everyone - regardless of background or experience. To ensure that everyone is comfortable, they meditate sitting on chairs or on the floor on a mat, if you prefer. You do not need to wear special clothing or bring anything with you.


We did learn that meditation isn't for "relaxation" (that is a result); it's to put your mind at ease and in a positive direction. Our advice to you if you want to try out meditation; Relax into it and let the experience unfold. You are meditating if you are aware and if you just take a moment to hone in with some concentration on something in particular you are "meditating." (And no giggling!)