“I like long walks, especially when they are taken by people who annoy me.”  ? Noël Coward

Ok, it’s a ranting kinda day.  Sometimes along this walk of life, the human condition gets me down.  Could some of you please take pause and learn to take responsibility for your body, your actions and your participation or lack there of in your life and your community?!  So today, please ask yourself #whatareyoudoingtoparticipate?

Word of the day?  Accountability

Definition of ACCOUNTABILITY

Well it’s no secret that my favorite part of “Easter” is the hunky jesus contest at Dolores Beach with the sisters after brunch with the Puerto famillia and a walk in the rain.

      Come rain or shine, they bring the fun to the celebration of Spring.

Thanks to Mr. Jonathan for the mother goddess spring outfit.  After all, what does christ have to do with it?  I usually try to stay away from discussions of religion and politics, at least in a public forum, but my filters these days have worn incredibly thin.

And instead of an easter bonnet, of course I opted for my easter blue shoes.  Not in much need of Easter blue these days, but it was Easter and the Vans were blue and I can pretend my heart isn’t black, at least for today.   

 Maybe I should trade up the Vans for this little number.

  Or maybe me and M are perfectly happy.

  Another anniversary Easter with my two favorite girls and some hunky jesus, what could be more perfect?

The pagan roots of Easter

• Heather McDougall

Well what are these Pilates and movement therapy retreats about if not practical application!

Here we are on our boat ride back practicing some of the moves from the week.

Nice work ladies!

One final serenade

Fergie is already back at work planning our world domination from a lounge chair, gotta love that girl.

    Made to order salsa and molcajete at our favorite restaurant in PV before the wine festival starts and all the pre-Easter week parties in the square.

A beautiful light show from the new Los Muertos Pier in PV

Adios Mexico until next time.

EHS will be heading back to Yelapa in July and again in December if anyone is interested in joining us, please visit our website at www.ehspilates.com or contact me directly at nancy@ehspilates.com

 Two hours of Pilates in the morning today to make time for a lobster lunch on the beach in Chimo….where everything is better and everything is safe.  Walk on the ocean, step on the stones, flesh becomes water, wood becomes bone.

  El Chimo is a small fishing village just inside the southern point of the bay, Cabo Corientes.  The fishermen go out very early and their catch will end up at the fresh fish stalls in Puerto Vallarta and on our lunch table.

 They pick us in in hand carved canoes and shuttle us to shore for “ensalda de gorro”.  Gorro is a small round flattened cone shaped shellfish like a chinese hat that are found on the rocks around Chimo.

   and of course some lobster

    a few pacificos and a little after lunch siesta

  and a ride back to our boat

 Sadly, our last sunset in Yelapa, at least for this trip…..

  and our last dance party on the boat ride back kept our little friend Davidson entertained while he was learning how to drive.

Now back at the homestead, where the air makes you choke, People don’t know you, trust is a joke, Don’t even have pictures, just memories to hold, Grows sweeter each season, as we slowly grow old.

Walkin’ on Sunshine in Yelapa, what could be better?  Instead of a traditional pilates class today, we took it to the beach with some footwork in the sand.  Why does barefoot walking in the sand make you feel better?  Your immune system works better with an adequate supply of electrons, which we get from the earth.   Yea, I know it sounds woo woo, but there is scientific evidence to prove it.  Living direct contact with the earth grounds your body, inducing favorable physiological and eletrophysiological changes that promote optimal health.  Add some vitamin D to the mix and we’re ready to roll.  Fresh air, sunshine, sand, laughter, good food, good tequila, good friends and throw some horse therapy in and I think we’ve found the road to Energy, Health Strength…..South.

Rebanada de la vida.

The view from my office today does not suck.

 Another visit from Augustina, the famous Pie Lady of Yelapa, kind of what the Tamale Lady is to SF.  We need to get them together, that would make me very happy.

 Our walk today is up to the school where the little ones are putting on a performance for the first day of Spring, a big celebration in Yelapa.

 Of course we wouldn’t miss our sunset Pilates in celebration of Spring with a little mermaid around the May pole.

Viva la Spring!

It feels like we’ve walked 500 miles, so after morning Pilates we jet off to the Marietta Islands where a few decide to get a closer look at our underwater friends in Yelapa and do some snorkeling.  Along the way we see sea turtles and whales and of course our local friendly resident, the blue-footed booby and some much deserved beach time!

The Blue-footed Booby (Sula nebouxii) is a bird in the genus Sula, which comprises six boobies. It is easily recognizable by its distinctive bright blue feet, which is a sexually selected trait. Males display their feet in an elaborate mating ritual by lifting one and then the other up, while strutting before the female. Both males and females prefer mates with brighter feet and adjust their parental investment based on the attractiveness of their mate. The natural breeding habitat of the Blue-footed Booby is tropical and subtropical islands of the Pacific Ocean. Their range extends from the Gulf of California down along the western coasts of Central and South America to Peru. From about a third to a half of all breeding pairs nest on the Galápagos Islands.

Michele kicks back for the ride

Gotta love when the boys cook for you!  They catch fish on the way and prepare a ceviche lunch for us on the beach.

these guys can’t wait for lunch either

Had some beautiful beach time while exploring the island.  Big hugs, much love, until next year.

THE PROCLAIMERS LYRICS

When I wake up, well, I know I’m gonna be

Just another day in Paradise with the 4 P’s.  A little Pilates, a little papaya, a few puppies and don’t forget Pie from Augustina!

Step by step into town for a photo op with our pin up glamour girls.

Spring is here with tons of puppies all over Yelapa.

 Our Pilates in Paradise just wouldn’t be complete without a visit from Augustina, the resident Pie lady.

Today, I’m walkin down the road, “but it can’t be heaven ’cause the streets aren’t gold.”  Today we take the horses up to another waterfall.  Our little Jess needed some therapy on her hip so we use the horses today for some gait therapy.

our guide  my horse  Miss Deena

Hippotherapy is a form of physical, occupational and speech therapy in which a therapist uses the characteristic movements of a horse to provide carefully graded motor and sensory input. A foundation is established to improve neurological function and sensory processing, which can be generalized to a wide range of daily activities. Unlike therapeutic horseback riding (where specific riding skills are taught), the movement of the horse is a means to a treatment goal when utilizing hippotherapy as a treatment strategy.

Back in time for sunset pilates and some hydration from the chilled coconuts that the boys at Lagunitas climbed up to get for us this morning.  They take such good care of us!

relaxing sunset pilates 

  Tonight’s entertainment, straight from Brazil.

Who knew all Jess needed was a big hairy beast between her legs to solve all her hip problems.  Now she has to break it to her husband that not only does she need another CoreAlign, but also a horse.  She certainly put that new hip to good use and danced the night away.

Always good to be back in paradise and none too soon.  Hand me down my walkin’ shoes cause after morning Pilates class, we’re hiking over to Isabel’s beach and all the way up to Verona.

I’m so grateful to have the opportunity to work with such an amazing group and take the walk of life along with them today.

There are the locals we always love to run into  and those we don’t. 

Yes… Yelapa has scorpions, 8 different kinds. Good chances are that you will never see one. They live under brush and in crevices and in general, spots that are not usually touched.  That being said, there was one brought in on the firewood for our bonfire on the beach and one of the boys from the flight school was stung on the hand.  Luckily, it was no more that that of a bee sting.  If you do see one, they are about two inches long and are usually golden, in color. Scorpions can move fast but are not aggressive and will run from you. Basic precautions are to wear shoes at night and to not hang towels over areas that touch the ground. Avoid placing wet towels or clothes, on the floor without inspecting them when picking them up.  General rule of thumb, don’t put your hands anywhere that your eyes haven’t been first.

Appreciating every step and those I get to do it with in the walk of life.

Great to see old friends and meet new ones and get to know everyone over a great orientation dinner, which of course includes much tequila, much laughter and much dancing.  After all, it is all about balance now isn’t it?

Morning Pilates in the palapa in Yelapa, then a walk on the beach, through town and up to the waterfall as I watch every little step.

There’s always time for a little afternoon siesta before sunset Pilates and more after hours fun!

Have to put all that Pilates to some practical use as we boogie down to DJ Jazzy Jess.

BOBBY BROWN LYRICS

Good Lovin’…

Walking toward paradise with a quick stop in PV at Casa Dona Susanna and to fuel up at Tucan’s.

     We gather the troups and Tracey got her foot adjusted by the local chiropractor so she’s ready to go for our walk in paradise.

Grab some lunch on the beach and of course a salute to the Mexican flag with another bandera.

Get a load of the new pier!  As of June, there was no pier and we had to catch a water taxi from Boca instead of PV.

 Nice, complete with a light show.  Sunset number 2 riding over to Yelapa just in time for some sunset Pilates.

Oh yea, we actually do some pilates on this retreat!

 Of course as I’m trying my best to get them to focus on class, just outside on the beach there is a celebration with air lanterns.    Also known as a sky lantern, Chinese lantern or Kongming lantern,  is a small hot air balloon made of paper, with an opening at the bottom where a small fire is suspended looking in the night sky like a stairway to heaven.  In Asia and elsewhere, sky lanterns have been traditionally made for centuries, to be launched for play or as part of festivities.  The name “sky lantern” is a translation of the Chinese name ti?n d?ng (??, ??). Sky lanterns have also been referred to as sky candles.

You see them often in Yelapa on the beach as part of celebrations of all kinds.  They had them at Isabel’s wake and let them go as stairway to freebird played and it really did look like a stairway built for her to light her way to heaven.

ROBERT PLANT LYRICS

“Consciousness is only possible through change; change is only possible through movement.”

Aldous Huxley, The Art of Seeing

Three years ago I was stuck in so many ways and thanks to Nancy, a massage therapist I met in Yelapa many years ago, I was able to move again, not just physically, but mentally and spiritually.  Also many thanks to Tracey my business partner, who forced me to go see Nancy, those 13 who were on our retreat who made me laugh harder than I’ve ever laughed in my life and my Yelapa family for helping me ground in order to fly.

Unfortunately Nancy passed soon after, but her spirit still soars in Yelapa along with Isabel’s.  We are about to head out to our annual EHS Pilates and movement therapy retreat in Yelapa, Mexico with an incredible group.

We make it to PV in time to check in with our old friend Sergio at the Lagunita’s office and pick up some supplies at the farmer’s market.

stopped to watch some glass blowingand…

Anyone needing some hand rolled cuban’s for the “Top Smoke” competiton on the Playa?  I know a guy…

Of course we couldn’t leave PV without a salute to the Mexican flag with a bandera.  Inspired by the colors of the Mexican flag, this drink; 3 separate shot glasses consisting of tequila (white), fresh lime juice (green), and sangrita (red)-a spicy tomato-based chaser.  Of which our new friend Jupiter is a big fan, but I think he prefers the pomegranate margarita.  He has a wicked drinking problem, but he’s awfully cute.

Off to grab a bite at Joe’s Fish Shack and catch our first sunset.

As the first day ends, so it all begins…

Dreaming of Yelapa today.  Only 13 days to go and we’ll be back in Yelapa for another incredible Pilates retreat with EHS Pilates.

Come on, you know you wanna join us!  Only 2 spots left, sign up now www.ehspilates.com

Walking On Sunshine Lyrics by Katrina And The Waves. From American Psycho

Walking On Sunshine by Katrina And The Waves
Oh! Ohhhh yeeeh
I used to think maybe you loved me now baby I’m sure
And I just cant wait till the day when you knock on my door
Now everytime I go for the mailbox , gotta hold myself down
Cos I just wait till you write me your coming around

and don’t it feel good!!
I’ll say it again now
and don’t it feel good!! 

Ok, so mine is a 1971, not ’73, but this guy walked by today and said “Clutch-Spacegrass, check it out”.  So here we are.

Read more at http://www.songmeanings.net/songs/view/143751/#D0rdAo87IRECOpix.99

In life, there are no accidents, people come in and out of our lives for a reason.  There’s always a reason or lesson in all relationships and interactions.  Ever felt inexplicably drawn to someone?  As if there was a light in these people, they have an energy or something to offer us or something we need to know.  This can also happen when someone is “bad” for us, we keep going back…over and over again.  We know we shouldn’t, but the energy pull is unavoidable.  No matter, either way, there are always lessons to be learned.  Every relationship, good or bad, takes us to places within ourselves and teaches us something, whether we choose to listen and learn or not.

Thinking about those that have had the most profound impact on my life, what brought them into my life and what I’ve learned or still need to learn.  Thank you all.

Walk Right In, Walk Right Out lyrics

Lavay Smith & Her Red Hot Skillet Lickers

Lots of songs talk about walking tall and I talk to my clients about it every day, even though somedays, it feels almost impossible.

“Walk Tall like a woman should, walk tall ya you knew I would”–The InCiters

People’s choice of words always fascinates me.  Especially those that use their words to hurt or tear others down to make themselves feel better or more important, when it’s really just as simple to use words to help others feel better.
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Ever feel like your life has a sound track?  ”When you turn on your stereo, Does it return the favor?”  If not it’s time to change the channel.  Tracey is always saying don’t go down the rabbit hole and today someone questioned “how deep does the rabbit hole go?”  Never know until you jump.  Sometimes it’s good to get lost down the rabbit hole in order to change and grow.

Lyrics in this song came up more than once today.  My client asked me this morning “when was the last time you did something for the first time?  Good question and it took me a minute.  Then I actually could think of quite a few firsts over the last two years but made me think I need more, more than just the day to day.  What’s your next first?  Don’t wait, don’t put it off, life is too short for somedays, I’m planning my next first right now.  ”A simple question concerning time:  ”Suppose you wait forever, and then you change your mind?”

Let go of all your preconceived notions of what should or shouldn’t be, appreciate what is and not you think should be.  For as long as I can remember my mother would say “I’m too old for that”.   Well if you think you are, then it’s true.

Get up, unplug, get out, take a walk, try something new.

Today I’m going to try and see life through Shirley’s eyes, who has so many first ahead of her and thank you to her grandmother Tina @Minna Nails for always keeping my feet fabulous!

Van Halen The Trouble With Never Lyrics

Amazing weather and finally a day off with my Spicie Rose even with the full blown teenage eye rolling, we had a blast at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk today!

Remember those 7,000 nerve endings in your feet?  Well walking on the beach is the best thing for them.  Hear that Mr. J?  Forget you live by the beach?  Get up, get out and take a walk in the sand, “on a blanket with my baby is where I’ll be”.  Aside from the people watching and the beautiful view, walking on the beach takes more effort than walking on a hard flat surface, it works the smaller muscles of your feet and calfs.  Don’t like the feeling of sand between your toes or afraid you might step on something?  Then go ahead, wear those tevas or the vibram five fingers, I won’t tell anyone you own a pair.  Oh, and take that grumpy teenager with you, next thing you know they will be making sand angels and forget what you were ever arguing about.

And Sunday at noon, don’t forget to come get your CoreAlign-ed with me @EHSpilates and then some SUP on the bay!  If you can’t make Sunday, we have CoreAlign classes all week….www.ehspilates.com

The Drifters
Under The Boardwalk lyrics

Life is full of first steps.  We fall, we start again.  Sometimes we forget and have to learn all over again.  Whether literally or figuratively, everyone experiences set backs and needs to learn to stand, walk, run, climb and dance again.

“Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase”. -Martin Luther King

He who would learn to fly one day must first learn to stand and walk and run and climb and dance.-Friedrich Nietzsche 

I’m learning to walk again, I’ve waited long enough…..now to find the right shoes.  Obviously these are not the right ones, my day started off with the wrong Valentine’s Day shoes.  But just when I was starting my pity party, my client said after her session, “thank you, I feel much better, now I’m going to go change the world”  and I just bet she will.

Then I got to spend dinner with my besties and my favorite Spicie Valentine on a beautiful night by firelight.  Thanks to Mission Minis for the cupcake apron, it helped my Martha Stewart come out of retirement, alt least for the night.

Then it all went horribly wrong, or maybe it was just our need to process the past in order to move forward.  Sorry Rev. James, the chocolate cat became the sacrificial lamb to all our past relationships, besides, you know we ate the chocolate first.  It should have been those shoes that went into the fire.  Thanks to all my friends for a lovely evening and to my Isa for being the fire in my heart.

FOO FIGHTERS LYRICS