boston blogger – Page 3 – Michelle Marie Health & Wellness Coaching

Exploring New Studios : Lotus Spin & Yoga

Posted on December 28, 2015December 28, 2015 by sunshineandsuperfoods in Health

I have been intending on getting into a more routine yoga practice, but always push it to the side in my priorities when exploring new classes and studios. I was informed of a newish studio in Wayland called Lotus that has both spin and yoga classes so I decided to give it a go. I attended the 6-7pm Yoga Hour which is a vinyasa based flow – perfect for all levels and beginners 😉

First off, this little studio hidden in Wayland, MA is so cute and zen. It has two small rooms – one for yoga and one for spin. The décor is all in natural tones and covered with reiki and yoga symbols making you immediately feel relaxed upon walking into the lobby. Okay okay – to the class..

Yoga Flow was an hour long class that focused on form and the breath. Holly, my instructor, was so informative about positioning all while keeping us in a meditated and relaxed state during the class. She had the perfect balance of serious but also embracing the imperfections that come with practicing yoga. She transitioned through two different flows and ended the class with some bridge work and an amazing shavasana. I left the class feeling totally refreshed and calm. I am excited to have found this little studio and cannot wait to continue my yoga practice and try out their spin class (with the Real Ryder bikes) very soon!

If you are local, I highly recommend checking this studio out!
Schedule is here: http://lotusstudiosyogacycle.com/schedule/

Exploring New Studios : Cyclebar Wellesley

Posted on November 23, 2015November 22, 2015 by sunshineandsuperfoods in Health

This past month, I finally made a long overdue trip (just ten minutes from home) to Cyclebar Wellesley. Of course, my first thought after class was, “Why did I wait so long to try this place out?!”

Cyclebar is much different from the big name spin studios like Flywheel and CycFitness. Each class is based on a set playlist, where you ride to the beat of the music. Every instructor adds their own flare to the class by focusing on some of their favorite things; like interval sprints or high resistance. I have had the opportunity now to not only take a Cyclebar classic class but also their Surge 45 class. This class is a high intensity 45 minute class that focuses on interval sprints much like a tabata workout.

I REALLY fell in love with Cyclebar, when I took a class from the owner, Bill Pryor. Bill has an indescribable vibe that pushes you through the class at high intensity all while allowing you to distress and totally relax. His special touch is a three minute ride, about half way through class, where he turns off all the lights and lets you do your own thing – aka push your hardest and zone out. I absolutely love this three minutes because he coaches you through thinking about your breathe and pushing your limits. It is the perfect way to de-stress and start your day.

Cycle bar is a cute small studio that packs the heat just as good as a big time city spin studio – I am excited to have finally tried this place and can’t wait to make it part of my routine! If you are local definitely give it a try – new riders get 3 classes for $29!

Exploring New Studios: The Club by George Foreman

Posted on November 11, 2015November 10, 2015 by sunshineandsuperfoods in Health

Exploring New Studios: The Club by George Foreman

Okay this exploration was one of my favorites! I have had The Club on my bucket list for a long time but just haven’t taken the time to trek into the city to attend but thank god I finally did. This studio is gorgeous – it is spacious, with multiple rooms for the wide ranges of classes The Club offers and is filled with state of the art equipment and décor that makes you feel like you are about to hop into the ring and fight yourself. My boyfriend and I attended the TrainFit360 class on a Saturday morning. This class is a full body workout for 60 minutes that includes boxing, battle ropes, jump ropes, TRX suspensions, kettle bells, rowing, cycling and core work. The class is designed into 2-3 minute rounds with 12 different stations and of course a warm up and cool down.

This class was awesome; very fast paced and challenging. Even as a very beginner boxer I was able to feel good about all of the exercises we were doing – it just takes a few tries to get accustomed to the different forms. The exercises change so frequently you are constantly moving which makes the class fly by. At the end, Justin and I were dripping with sweat.

After class we cleaned up in the locker rooms, that are equipped with everything you might need, and headed into Nourish Your Soul ( a juice and smoothie bar) that is located inside the club! We got some cold brew coffee with homemade cashew milk and then were off. All in all, we both loved the class, club, and atmosphere. If you have an interest in boxing or just want to join a state of the art gym with lots of options then The Club by George Foreman is for you.

Behind the Scenes at Thirst Juice Co.

Posted on October 19, 2015October 18, 2015 by sunshineandsuperfoods in Health

Thirst Juice Co

I had the pleasure of heading into downtown Boston this past weekend and get a private taste testing experience of the Thirst Juice Co menu. I brought my sister along for the experience after we got a serious butt kicking at a BFX studio class that morning – what a perfect way to refuel!

Thirst recently opened in Boston this past year and just announced it will be expanding to a second location, out in my neck of the woods, in Wellesley, Ma. Thirst Juice Co was founded by Heather Stevenson and her husband Chris. Both of them ditched their corporate jobs in New York City and came to Boston to share and promote their love for health and nutrition. Thirst Juice Co really prides itself on the fact that EVERYTHING on their menu is healthy. Heather and Chris work very hard to experiment and combine the perfect ingredients for each of their menu items. Everything on their menu is raw, gluten free and vegan.

I have really fallen in love with this company because of Heather and Chris’s vision and strong passion to share with Boston how important healthy eating really is. Heather and Chris are all about staying local and can easily be found at any fun fitness event taking place in and around the city! I am super excited to team up with these two for future events (especially in Wellesley, keep your eyes open for some fun things!).

So let’s get into the good stuff…

The first item I tried was the “Field of Dreams” juice. This is a green juice made with escarole, cucumber, apple and jalepeno. I gravitated towards this juice because I love spicy and was also totally intrigued by the escarole. This juice was light, refreshing and packed a little heat from the jalepeno! Next we tried the “Buddhabeet” juice. This is a beet based juice with carrot, pear, pineapple and ginger. This was a fan favorite because of its sweet but slightly tangy taste. Lastly we tried the “Kale-Idoscope” juice which was comprised of kale, spinach, carrot and pineapple. This juice was super light and the carrot gave it a more mild taste which I loved.

Next it was time for a smoothie; I chose the Vitamin “G”reen. This is the usual for me – I always pick a green smoothie so I decided to put this one up to the test. This smoothie was out of this world. The flavoring from the mango and pineapple combined masked the strong “green” taste which made it creamy and delicious.

Okay now on to my favorite; the Peanut Butter Acai Bowl. This bowl blended acai berries, peanut butter, cacao powder, blueberries, banana, and almond milk; then is topped with gluten free granola. This gluten free granola is a combination of oats, almonds, and pumpkin seeds – and within one bite, my sister and I literally fell in love.

I cannot say enough great things about Thirst Juice Co; between their mission and vision for the city of Boston and soon to be suburbs and the passion from the co-founders to make a difference is something to support! Definitely run (not walk) to Thirst Juice Co to try one of their amazing menu items!