My Life, Your Entertainment

The second day of this month marked my one-year anniversary of living in LA – the official festivities began last August (what better month??) – but the initial bicoastal beginnings commenced June 2, 2009.  A year in, I’ve learned a lot about many MANY things – starting a business, Ecommerce, html, Photoshop, blogging, web development, living in LA and the US, and a lot more that won’t make it into the public pages of the internet… but in the interest of focusing on revenue generating efforts for WHAT ARE THEY WEARING and personal styling, I’ve decided it’s time to stop profiling my adventures (at least for now), sparing you the details of my daily life and experiences.  I may revisit the blog at some point in the future – but for now you can always get a regular (daily!!) dose of my stylish-anecdotes and writing weekdays at: http://www.whataretheywearing.com/  - in case you weren’t reading everyday already☺ Thanks for all your love and support!!


“The bar is where you set it.” – Uknown

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GST®

I’ll admit to being too tough for my own good at times, and despite my 15-year love affair with running and it's amazing benefits, this fall I finally admitted it was reeking havoc on my body, and I stopped.  Due to chronic SI, hip, hamstring, IT-band injuries resulting from breaking my ankle at 19, and walking on it for two-weeks before casting it - my body isn't exactly designed for the track. Or the treadmill, hills, roads etc. I’d taken weeks off at a time in the past few years – and in the months leading up to Everest base camp, I was getting ultra sound and electro current therapy a few times a week, but nothing short of stopping actually did much for the pain. Finally, last fall it got so bad I was waking up in the night in pain, and couldn’t sit in the car or at my desk for more than half hour without being near tears. So I stopped, and I started intense physiotherapy. After a few months the pain subsided, and we started working on rehabilitation. I missed running, and I still do – but thankfully I’ve fallen in love with a new workout. GST®. 

Being Canadian, to me GST used to mean Goods and Services Tax – but in my LA life it stands for “Grace Somatomorphic Technique”.  Created by my instructor, body-awareness-guru and fitness extraordinaire Anna Rahe, I generally describe GST® as a combination between pilates, dance and intense stretching.  The best of what’s best for your body.  It’s revolutionary and transformational because in Anna's words... "it teaches you how to change the musculoskeletal relationships that make your body look and feel the way it does".  I started GST® in January.  I discovered it when my PT suggested pilates as part of my rehab – I tried a few classes, but didn’t love it – or my body’s reaction to it.  Thankfully at the same time I came across GST® and Anna… and fell into arm and leg springs, ballet bars, straps and more.  The classes vary from an intense stretch to faster paced dance-type classes, but it’s always a great workout.  For anyone that's ever tried Cardio Barre, Tracy Anderson's technique or power yoga, it's basically a better version of what those classes are trying to achieve. The focus is on your core – which GST® methodology divides into four “quartiles” - but it goes beyond, so you really feel the movements and understand how to create change in your body. You REALLY focus on the actions, and eventually your body starts responding and looking how you’ve always wanted.  Genius!  

GST™ Body from GST Body on Vimeo.

So even though I’ll always try to run at least once every few weeks (even if it’s just for my body to remind me why I’ve stopped…(GST® and Anna's body work help my body tolerate the pavement) - I've grown to LOVE my new routine of GST® classes, hiking and uh – walking – who knew?!

I’ll finish with a quote from one of my favorite people and mentor in MANY ways – GS.

“Sometimes you have to slow down to become efficient.” 

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SURPRISE!!!!

Last weekend was the US Memorial Day long weekend, kicking off the start of summer... for LA that means more daylight as we're lucky enough not to have any weather that I'd ever classify as winter - aside from the daylight hours getting shorter.  So in honor of the three-day weekend, I made an impromptu short trip home for a VERY special someone's 65th birthday - I was able to see a few familiar faces in two short days in the city.  It'd been five months since I'd last set foot on Canadian soil for the holidays, and it felt good to be back.  One of the many highlights was a day trip to Muskoka - where we saw a buck who maybe have been as captivated by me as I was it...  And once he caught wind of our inukshuk it was game over - Clearly Canadian!!

And yes, Mmmuskoka's still heaven.  Can't wait to be back SOOOOON.

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