Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Every Morning We Get to Start Again

I am loving every new day and happy to be on a path to get to a better place both physically and mentally. I hope all of you feel exactly the same. We get to "start again" every morning no matter what happens and that is awesome in the true sense of the word.

We are going to work HARD this week as always. We will be using heavy bars and weights and feeling every bit of our power and strength. I am hoping to be sore and elated after class. I can't wait to see all of you and get to it !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Story von Holzhausen
Liquid Strength

Thursday, June 24, 2010

life

The gift of love and loving is a great one. When life and people matter to us, we risk the pain of that love. Given the choice, I would endure the agony of loss a thousand times over to feel as wonderfully intensely and passionately as I do.
Kurt and I had some very bad news yesterday. We had identical twins that shared a placenta and a sac. This type of twins is the most dangerous. The cords became twisted and we lost them. There is no way to say that softly and there is no way to endure it gently. It is part of life and part of love. The gift and honor I have of loving and liking my wonderful husband so much is that I have to feel the pain of his pain. Given the alternative, I am grateful for that agony.
Life is not fair and it is not easy but it is a rich tapestry of events that shape us and give us choices. We can learn and grow and hope or we can become angry and bitter. Every day we get to choose our happiness. Some days are harder than others. Just like the pain we go through to strengthen our bodies, so does our soul grow and strengthen.
Thank you for all of your love and support through this journey. The twins were here and real and loved for the short time we had them. They will live always in our hearts and lives. Kurt and I want to move on and "fight the good fight" to have a baby. I will not let fear cripple me. I will take this experience and it will enable me to feel empathy for others and it will teach me that we do not control our lives but that we have to go on this journey with gratitude for every day (not matter what it brings) and do the best we can. Love and grace and joy are not for the weak but for the strong. We have to work very hard to attain them.
All of you have roads with bumps along the way. I applaud your victories and your struggles. Together we will grow and become stronger in our hearts and souls and bodies. Thank you for your thoughts. I can feel them with me and I am awed by the gift.
Story von Holzhausen

Monday, June 21, 2010

life update

Thank you SO much Kathleen for jumping in wed and teaching class. The baby and I are ok. Very scary little episode.......
It was a week for surprises and not good ones. Friday our much beloved dog Snoop started to act strange (he is a 3 year old mini hot dog) and cry if we touched him. He was arching his head back in a strange way too. By morning he was paralyzed from the waist down. His breed has weak spines and this happens to them unfortunately. He had to have surgery and will be in the hospital till wed and then we have to wait and see if he gets better...... It sure makes you stop and think about how lucky we are. It takes a huge injury to have something like that happen to a person. We walk around and feel pretty darn good day to day in our lives with very little gratitude for that fact. Our bodies are miraculous even when we are critical of them. We can express ourselves and move and feel and touch. I for one want to make sure that I do not miss the "gift" in that.......

Today we will be at Simple Studios (134 w 29th I believe) to practice with the video and I will likely teach a little too. We are meeting at 11 and will go for a couple of hours. Any and all are welcome. Thanks Deb for your continued work and passion on this DVD project !!!!
Story von Holzhausen

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Story's Liquid Strength summertime

I have not blogged in SO long !!! It is hard to blog as openly as I usually do when I have been reluctant to talk about the fact that I am pregnant. There I said it. Being pregnant and feeling changes in my body has given me a fresh and insightful perspective into issues of "the body" and feeling comfortable no matter what you physically look like.
Summertime is always a big challenge since we drop down to one class a week only. The good news is that the energy of wed classes has been AMAZING. Such focus and positivity that it is downright addictive. Even the first timers are being swept up into the current.
The big thing I want everyone to focus on during the summer is that small consistent changes yield the biggest and most life altering changes. If you can't make it to class (or since we do not have friday classes till the fall), take 5 minutes and do as many walking lunges as you can and push ups. It is amazing how just those two things can greatly alter your strength and how you feel in your own skin !!!!!
For many of us, the twice a week mental stress relief of Liquid Strength is what is missed most. Take the time (especially when you are really stressed out) to do "full moon cycle" or "open the castle door" and imagine pushing all the things that stress you out away from you. Take a minute at your desk and do our neck stretch with a personal focus into your open palm and let your "mental chatter" calm for a moment. The very real world physical changes that happen in your brain chemistry are amazing.
I want to thank all of you for your support and what you create when you are all together in a room. The fun and joy that we all feel is from YOU. I am so blessed to be able to count all of you as my friends and students. I have the BEST job in the world !!!!
Story von Holzhausen