Of yoga.

Come join us online at Facebook Live for Friday Night Yoga, 730 pm. To get there just search my name, Peter Gault. And Saturday Abs Class, 10 am. No charge.

These two classes are the perfect foil. They represent opposites. Yoga is primarily based on the pleasure principle. Those long extended poses can go from pleasure to pain and back again. Or vise versa.

I like to set the stage.Clean, diffuse with lavender, lower the lights. This is the time to forget the debate.  Yoga isn’t about thinking. Anybody can do that. It about releasing judgement, and fostering awareness of your body and beyond.

And you get a deep medicinal stretch. You curl, arch, twist the spine. You open the hips, groin, knees. You create space in the joints. And you do all this by utilizing gravity, and exerting yourself as little as possible.

In Abs Class, I  beat you up, strategically. Don’t expect to be able to do it perfectly your first try. Be patient, make smart decisions. Cheat when you have to. This is something you have to work up to. It will happen. Suddenly, you’ll be able to do the whole thing impeccably.

See you Friday Night. And Saturday morning. Love your neighbour, from a distance:)

Ciao, Pietro

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This is a yogic exercise. Walk as slow as you can. And then slow down even further. That’s the Jamaican slow-walk.

The objective is not to get from point A to B. But to luxuriate in the pure bliss of the movement itself. We lose sight of the big picture in our obsessive goal-orientated-ness. And the journey of life hurtles by so fast we don’t even get the chance to really appreciate it, which is tragic.

Try this experiment, The Slow-walk. See how long you can sustain The Slow-walk. Five minutes? Fifteen seconds before you find yourself racing again? Incorporate The Slow-walk into everyday life.

Spin is about the cardiovascular benefits of speeding up. Yoga is about calming the nervous system by slowing down. Weight-lifting is about stability and power. Abs is sexy. And sure alleviates congestion in the organs.

The combination gives you supernatural powers.

See you in class! Pietro 

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Get your cardio done! Monday, March 4, 5:30 pm.

Enhance your biking skills and conditioning. Improve your performance on the road with off-road training. Or just have a good time burning calories.

This isn’t your average spin class…  this is an epiphany for both the novice and experienced rider alike. Develop the tools that will catapult your riding prowess, or take a moderate pace through scenic mountainous terrain.

Come join us for a free spin at Generate in Bloor Village. Generate is one block east of Runnymede on the south side of Bloor, on the 2nd and 3rd floors. Tons of windows and light, immaculately clean. No bike graveyard in the corner like some places I know.

Just let me know if you want to come. I’ll put your name on a list at the front, to reserve a bike… and let’s dance!

It’s all about the pleasure principle at Friday Night Yoga. And the good-pain principle in Abs, Weight-lifting Class. Don’t forget:)

Ciao, Pietro

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Calves are easily forgotten. They’re behind you. And down low.

Chances are they’re tight, extremely so. If you run,  spin, if you have lower back pain or plantar fasciitis, your poor suffering calves may be the source of the problem.

Here’s a simple but effective way to stretch them. Lean forward and place your hands against the wall like you’re pushing a huge boulder up a hill. Your heels should be down and the back of your legs straight as seen in the picture.  Use your body weight and arm strength to intensify the stretch.

Be sure to hold for a lengthy period of time, say 3-to-5 minutes. And bring modifications into the stretch, by switching to one foot at a time, and raising and moving the knee laterally to include all sides of the calves.

Plantar fasciitis is almost a right-of-passage to anyone over 50. Stretch your calves! Get some half-decent Orthopedics. Drop running in favour biking, skating, where your foot is support by a rigid boot.

Back when I was training at a gym, I was given all the older people. Because I was the oldest trainer, no doubt. Now that I work out of my studio a substantial proportion of my clients are in their 60’s, 70’s, and above. As well as every other age.

The oldest person I trained was 102. He lived to 107. Not saying he survived that long because of me but I seem to have a knack for keeping people alive. I trained someone in his mid-90s  and kept him going for a long long time. He eventually succumbed mentally, and couldn’t remember his appointments anymore.

Training the elderly requires a unique skill set.  It’s a neglected area in most personal training certifications. The best way to learn is personal experience, of course:)

Yoga is on this Friday. As are all the classes.

Ciao, Petro

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Don’t blame your issues on that 20-year-old accident. What are you doing about it now? If the answer is nothing, blame yourself. Friday Night Yoga does wonders to eliminate stiffness in the spine and elsewhere, temporarily and even in the long run.

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For the healing blood flow, arthritic relief, balm to sundry aches and pains, meditative relaxation. For good conversation, or the sensual intimacy of it. The hot tub is one of a few things I really really like about winter.

How can anyone survive without it? Though contraindicated for anyone with high blood pressure or compromised heart health. Regular soaking dramatically alleviates muscles stiffness. Along with a couple of quick stretching routines and one hour-long yoga class a week, I guarantee, many signs of aging will simply disappear.

 

Challenging your body on a daily basis, can help extend life exponentially. Squatting twice a week profoundly boosts testosterone, and that’s good for any gender. All that tightness evaporates immediately upon stepping into a hot tub.

Be flexible, strong. Have great stamina… and yes, the party is coming.

Weight-lifting Tuesdays tonight. Friday Night Yoga with Ian. And Saturday Abs.Ciao, my alter-ego, Pietro

petergault.ca

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