FIERY SUN FITNESS

My Home Owner’s Association (HOA) gym was flooded in the summer of 2006 which meant I had to take my workouts outside. Once the cold weather came about, I decided to sign up for a spin class to find out what all the fuss was about. I was hooked, I joined the gym since the HOA wasn’t renovating fast enough to take more spin classes they didn’t want to offer. I loved my spin teacher, she was the best, we jived so well that in fact I made sure to make most of her spin classes, I worked around her schedule. I even showed up on my birthday and had my own private spin class, no one else showed up- something I’ll cherish forever!

One day she told me that she wanted to talk to me after class. I thought my form had gotten out of hand. Later she told me that she was moving out of the area and she’d love me to be a spin instructor and take over her classes. I was having fun in the classes, I didn’t think I could add another thing to my schedule then I thought about it, researched it and asked many questions.

I took my first spin certification class May 2007 and have many spin certifications under my belt since. Fall of 2007 the gym was starting a new class “cycle yoga” you cycle on the bike and then do yoga on your mats to stretch the muscles. I decided to take the class to learn a little more and to be able to teach a different format.

After the “yoga for cycling” class I felt the need for more knowledge so over a year’s time I took Level 1, 2, 3, pre natal and senior yoga classes. I always want to be prepared for any situation possibly a client who may be pregnant, have an injury, may not be very flexible or need a slower pace.

I vowed never to take another certification class for another year since I wasn’t teaching a lot, the classes are expensive and I’m a very busy woman. I broke that promise in January 2009 when I took a pilates mat certification and pilates reformer certification- the price was too good to beat and it was a lot of fun to see my other associates. So for now, keeping with my own gym regime, teaching clients, learning from other instructors and progressing in my own instruction before I move on to other formats. That is if the price can’t be beat!

Kristen Heim, the President of Fiery Sun Fitness LLC is honored to share her love of yoga with the Mt. Vernon Community on Saturday mornings at Hollin Hall Senior Center. Fiery Sun Fitness LLC has been offering Beginner Level 1 yoga services to seniors (50+) since the beginning of 2008. Our yoga classes promise to help bring out a healthier you in the New Year, leaving you with more flexibility, balance, strength and a sense of peace to rejuvenate your everyday life. Leave your to-do lists, and over-extended lives at home and come visit us during a Saturday morning 11:30am- 12:30pm yoga practice. Your first yoga experience with us is Free. Preregistration is highly recommended to make sure the class will run as scheduled. For further information, please contact us at 703.863.3607 or visit us at www.fierysunfitness.com Our classes will be offered on Saturday, January 10- January 31 (4 week session) & Saturday, February 14- March 21 (6 week session) with a continuation of classes through the end of June 2009. We look forward to getting to know everyone in the community better and provide a newer, healthier you in 2009!

I’ve been meeting with a personal trainer once a week for a few weeks now. We’re friends and we have a lot in common and most importantly our schedules workout for our busy lives. It’s an hour of intense fun! Last week when we were both doing bicept curls, I wasn’t going down as far as he was only to realize that I was trying to keep up with his pace thus not getting the workout I needed to, the full curl. I was a bit upset with myself when I noticed that I wasn’t in tuned with the idea of being free from competition or judgement of myself, like I always tell my clients. I was being a hypocrite, so I stopped our lesson and told him flat out what I was doing and how I needed to go slower, this week I felt much better knowing that I got the workout I deserved by not cutting myself short.

Even though I’m an instructor and tell my clients to be free from competition I had to take what I preach and put it into another context besides the yoga mat or the bike. Always listen to your body and your needs first before you look at someone else!

I began to think of all the new year’s resolutions we all strive to met in each new year, whether it be to lose weight, get a new job, save our money, find that special someone, heal from an injury or learn to say “no”. As the end of 2008 was looming and I didn’t have a resolution, I decided not to have a resolution. I have many to-do lists, I’m always striving to accomplish more and more, though it feels great to cross something off my list, there’s always something else that is added to the list after the task is complete.So, instead of having a new year’s resolution to add things to my list I decided to delete things off my list, make the lists I need for work and choose 3 things to do a day. Whatever, small or grand scale they are, this is something a wonderful mentor of mine told me to do “choose three things a day”. I didn’t want to listen, I would only have 3-4 hours of sleep to accomplish all I wanted in a day. I thought it was silly to have a 24 hour day when it should be 36 hours, you could get so much more done! But, once I worked so hard and the only thing I felt was fatigue.This year instead, I’m taking a different approach to the way I live my life. I’m working my full-time job, teaching pre natal and seniors classes (3 hrs a week), as well as my volunteer position of VP Development (spending 1-10 hrs a week, depending on my schedule).  I have much more “me” time which has allowed me to be happy and make others around me happy.I’m enjoying this new approach to “me” time. The best part about “me” is going to the gym which makes the rest of day and life disappear, it’s my drug of choice, sometimes getting there is the hardest part.  Once you’re there, you’re among all ages, sexes who share the same desire, including not wanting to go to the gym but once they get there they’re glad.Since, I’m an instructor at a gym, I can hop into any class I desire, so I’m taking a bunch of spin, yoga, pilates mat, pilates reformer and even a kickboxing classes when my time allots.Wow, did that kickboxing class kick spin class out of the water! I’ll be going back in a few weeks to conquer the class. Though, I really miss not having my own spin class, or yoga cycle class this decision is one of the best things I could do for me. I can show up when I want to without having yet another appointment on my calendar yet still keeping fit and very happy.  Learning to say “no” is one of the most difficult things we all do but once you do it, it feels great!