Kindle the Forge of optimal wellness.
Rekindle your original strength.
Reclaim your birthright of health through the fundamentals of natural movement. From wisdom and insight of ancient practices like yoga to pre-industrial physical lifestyles, we're rediscovering ways to regain the resilience of our ancestors. In today's sedentary and stress-filled world, we often overlook simple daily practices like breathwork, stretching, and brief meditations that can reverse the effects of stagnation and stress. Many gym routines neglect the inherent functionality of the human body and its alignment, form, core, and control. By embracing foundational movements and incorporating tools like kettlebells and bands, we can challenge stability and build full-body strength. Let's return to basics with healthy habits like staying hydrated, connecting with nature, and prioritizing daily movement. Join me in a coaching relationship for accountability, training, and therapy.
Forge Strength. Forge Wellness.
Forge your FITNESS to be resilient and capable for life.
Expect more from fitness and personal training. Holistic personal trainer and coach to empower your mind, body, and life. I'm not just CPT but also yoga teacher and massage therapist. I have a BA in psychology from Mizzou. I learned from first hand experience that unless you address the whole picture of your wellness you can work hard and be left with broken spirits, sometimes from not seeing the results you hoped for and sometimes from chronic pain issues. I get it that you're motivated by wanting to look good and you will easily see some results from "bootcamping" yourself for a couple months, but you're here because you're looking for something more, something sustainable, functional, and holistic.
I took ownership of my fitness journey in middle school. Even though I played soccer since kindergarten, I showed up to practices and games and gave minimal effort. In 6th grade I learned and enjoyed weightlifting, figuring out the biomechanics of how to work and develop various muscles. When I gave a minimal effort again preparing for my first track meet and finishing far last in the 800m while clutching my chest in pain, I vowed never again will I be in this condition. This is when I began truly training. I played football and track through highschool along with weightlifting classes that were labeled "strength and conditioning," though I later learned it was not ideal strength and movement training for the functionality I needed in sports. I later learned it more resembled bodybuilding (which I love to teach the difference). I was injured a lot. The first hand rehabbing and therapy I received was the next piece of experience and knowledge for the professional skills I have today. Functionality and injury are two sides of the same coin.
I began taking yoga classes and developing a personal home practice in college in 2008. I knew inflexibility was a big contributor to my body pains. I was frustrated with not seeing any sort of progress with weightlifting anymore. I had been studying eastern philosophy for a bit of time before this which also primed me to be ready for a yoga journey. Not only was yoga the first full-system, per se, of a functional fitness practice, addressing pretty much every aspect of fitness in every plane of motion that is truly foundational for everything else, but also learned to have a better mind-set, here-and-now consciousness returning to being present with the process and not anxious about results (the future).
As I continued my fitness journey I continued to research various modalities learning online from teachers that in various ways like me realized the errors in common approaches to fitness, common gym routines, particularly the lack of functionality, incorporating concepts like vestibular resets, reflexive strength, coordination, and flexibility for range of motion, teachers that incorporate injury prevention and injury rehab into their lessons and methods. Tim Anderson with Original Strength. Pavel Tatsouline with Strong First. Dr. Aaron Horschig or Squat University. Many other teachers/influencers and their lesson of a similar vein that regularly come up on my social media feed that I learn from. Lifestyle fitness.
“Now, you shall look into this here forge, as long as you can see the fire in it, and the snake sparks rising from it, and the coals turning red, and feel the shoes, in the way of your own feet, a-stirring about that you've got a mind to make, and think what a happiness it is to know that when I wear out my life, in working, I'm working out mine in being useful to my fellow creatures."
In Charles Dickens' novel "Great Expectations," Joe Gargery's forge is used as an analogy for health and personal growth. Pip, the main character, reflects on the transformative power of the forge, where dull bodies become sharp weapons or even bright angels. Just as a blacksmith shapes metal, care and attention from others can shape and improve our physical and emotional well-being. By embracing life's challenges and forging ourselves like durable steel tools, we become stronger, more resilient, and better equipped to fulfill our purpose.
Pain is a symptom of something *dysfunctioning* in your body, whether it's in a particular tissue or the biomechanics of how your muscles move your body. Healthy muscle tissues are open and supple, they are both flexible and strong.
Anatomy informed muscle therapy to resolve pain issues. Myo fascial and Neuromuscular therapy. Yoga and functional fitness training.
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I usually start with a 90 minute session of hands on massage therapy: neuromuscular, myofascial, and sometimes swedish. (I'm skilled in a wide range of methods. -click here- )
