The Bostonista Loves Barre & Soul Harvard Square!

"I don’t think it’s exactly a secret that I’m not an athletic person so the fact that I’ve found a workout that I actually enjoy is kind of a miracle. What is this miracle fitness fad that has me so entranced? Barre! But not just any barre class, I’ve been going to Barre & Soul’s newest location in Harvard Square."

Boston Magazine tries Barre & Soul's Virtual Studio

"When the weather’s bad, you’re short on time, or you simply don’t have the motivation, getting to the gym can be an obstacle too big to overcome. Never fear. You can still get a good workout in your own home with these virtual training resources."

What Will History Say About You?

Shaun King, the revolutionary activist, reporter and powerful voice for truth in the Black Lives Matter movement, spoke at Harvard University last month about what we can do to end racial injustice in our communities. I was lucky enough to hear him speak, and I want to share his top 3 messages. Then I want to talk about where you come in.

1) Be present

"SOMETIMES THE MOST POWERFUL THING YOU CAN DO IS JUST BE PRESENT."  - SHAUN KING

You never know how much your willingness to bear witness and be with someone else's suffering could mean to them. You won’t always know how to help, but just acknowledging the problem instead of turning away can make a difference.

2) Be bothered

Have you ever wondered how the hell you can be truly happy, when there is so much suffering in the world? Me too. I'm starting to think maybe "being happy" is not what matters. We are all bothered by certain things uniquely. I may have a fire in my belly for women's rights. Maybe for you it's children, or animals, or the environment.

 "YOUR PURPOSE AND YOUR PLAN IN LIFE IS REALLY EMBEDDED IN WHAT BOTHERS YOU. BE BOTHERED." - SHAUN KING

3) Be organized

"BE PRESENT FOR PEOPLE'S PAIN. BE BOTHERED BY INJUSTICE. BUT BE ORGANIZED" - SHAUN KING

There are systems of oppression in place that keep certain injustices happening, and it's going to take targeted efforts to change those systems. I’m struggling with this one the most, because I don’t have all the answers about how to solve the world’s problems.

I did come away convinced of something. We are living through a revolutionary period in history. From the misogyny and bigotry stirred up by this election, to the Black Lives Matter movement, the increase in mass shootings, and all of the tragedies our country has gone through in the last few years. History is being written now. Sometimes it may be hard to notice. You’re busy trying to pay the rent, or wondering if your kid has a fever, or what you’re going to have for dinner. While life goes on, the ground is shifting beneath our feet. Your grandchildren will read about 2016 in their history books. What will your part in the story be?

For now, here are a few things I’ve decide to do:

VOTE

Where I live, early voting is an option. I voted for Hillary Clinton as the next President of the United States. I think the alternative is far too dangerous for our country and for the world. (That doesn’t mean I value your humanity any less if you disagree.)

PRACTICE FOLLOWSHIP

You don’t always have to lead to make a difference. Check out this quick TED clip explaining why. There are people doing great work, and following them can be just as powerful as starting a movement yourself.

USE WHATEVER RESOURCES YOU’VE GOT

For the past 5 years, I’ve been pouring my heart into blogging, passionately, if a bit sporadically, and wondering how I could reach more people. I’ve changed taglines, site layouts and titles several times along the way, and another change is coming.

See, I realized I happen to own a business, with not only several physical locations, but also a website that gets a lot more traffic than my blog. Because I care about my message reaching as many of you as possible, and because it’s important to me that you know the values behind the business, I’m going to be moving this blog under the Barre & Soul umbrella.

You might be wondering, what if people don’t agree with me or are offended by my message? First let me say that agreeing with me is by no means a requirement to be a valued member of the community at Barre & Soul, and I don’t plan to hound you with political talk as you lie in savasana, trying to get a little peace. I love and respect you and your opinion, even if it differs from mine.

That said, I will continue to blog and use social media as my soap box, because I care about the future of our society, and because I feel I must. Sometimes I’ll change some minds, sometimes I’ll be met with agreement, and sometimes I’ll be met with opposition.

In fact, sometimes speaking up means being attacked - both figuratively and literally. One of the greatest teachers I've ever had used to point to Martin Luther King Jr., John F. Kennedy and John Lennon, to name a few, who changed the world and were taken from us by violence.

"You know the difference between you and them?” he would say. “They were all worth shooting."

Yep, he had a dark sense of humor. I mean, DAMN, he encouraged us regularly to be someone worth shooting. That’s pretty extreme, but when I question playing it safe or speaking my mind, I always think of his words.

I WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU.

What bothers you deeply? How do you get organized around the things that matter to you? And what do you think about the idea of being “someone worth shooting?” Will you be in the history books, and if so what will they say? Please join the conversation on Facebook!

Brookline Gets a New Barre Studio; Boston Magazine

Walk a few blocks down Newbury Street, and you’re almost guaranteed to see a barre studio. Leave the Back Bay, though, and you’ll have to work a little harder to find places to tuck and pulse.

Local mini-chain Barre & Soul®, however, is out to bring more barres to more places. Next up? Adding a studio in Brookline. Brookline is already home to a small handful of barre studios, but owner and founder Andrea Isabelle Lucas says it’s an area that can benefit from Barre & Soul’s goal of spreading community-focused, mind-body fitness throughout the city and beyond.

Is Your Barre Class a Fake? Why it Matters + How to Tell

I want everyone to understand what an authentic Barre class is all about, and how to recognize it, in a landscape cluttered by an unreal number of imitators. There is currently no governing body assessing which studios are actually up to par at the barre (although I'm involved in unifying leaders in the industry, in the hopes of creating one).

We're bringing something totally new to the industry, based on a fantastic community, focus on mind-body connection and a transformative workout.

Getting Fit in MA Reviews our Harvard Square studio

"Suddenly, all the things that seemed intimidating to me pre-class were easily used in the class. The strap that you wrap over the barre for some moves, blocks, ball, and weights all were used properly after explanations.

I am sore today, but I think that’s good! Who new small movements “pulses” could be such a great workout for your muscles. I definitely feel I got a great workout and am glad I tried something new to change up my workout routine."

Her Campus Harvard names Barre & Soul as new favorite place in Harvard Square!

If you’re anything like me, the arrival of fall means that the gym habit you spent all summer developing is in serious danger of falling by the wayside.  Suddenly we’re being pulled in a thousand different directions by classes, homework, jobs, extracurriculars, and the vague but ever-present pressure to be at least a little bit social, and it’s just too easy to stop prioritizing fitness.  Bikini season, after all, is over, and sweaters can hide a lot.

But I’ve found a workout regimen I can stick to.  The barre classes at the new Barre & Soul studio in Harvard Square are fun, safe, intensely challenging, and effective!

The Fit Reserve Loves Barre & Soul!

"Though the term "ballerina body" should be enough incentive to draw you into one of Barre & Soul's locations, there are plenty of other reasons that you'll love these boutique studios. These friendly neighborhood studios offer a variety of barre and yoga classes for all fitness levels. The classes are small, which means plenty of individual attention from dedicated instructors. Though the classes will work you hard, they also provide a peaceful hour during which you can focus on posture, flexibility, strength and the mind body connection."

Andrea on HuffPo: Why Fitness Pros Need To Stop Talking About ‘Bikini Bodies’

We are thrilled to announce that Andrea will be a regular contributor on the Huffington Post!

Her first article is live, click the button below to read and let us know what you think!

Access Virtual Classes Anywhere - Even on your Smartphone!

Goodbye Skype, hello Zoom! We've moved our virtual classes onto a new platform and it's now easier than ever to get your yoga and barre in, when you can't make it to the studio!

Be sure to check out the Virtual studio page for login details and schedule.

Don't forget, you can use any Barre & Soul class payment options for virtual. That means, if you're an unlimited member, it's free!

What the F*ck Are We to Do About Street Harassment?

Good news everybody!  I've got a nice ass.  I was told not once but TWICE in the same day, by complete strangers!

My ass is so nice in fact, some people can't stop themselves from shouting it through their car windows as they drive past me, even when I'm standing with my kids.

Well, all I can say is, thank God.  All the barre classes have finally paid off!

...Kidding, obviously! Sigh...

A few months back, I read an article that a male yoga teacher (read: presumably evolved, compassionate man) had shared on Facebook. In a mocking tone, the author lists 'complaining about street harassment' as one of the many forms of 'humble-bragging' so rampant on social media.

Ummm, really dude? Bragging??? By the author's standards, this entire blog post is one big 'humble-brag' about all the ass-mirers I'm forced to deal with.

I guess if you're not a woman, or have never been on the receiving end of street harassment, it may be hard to imagine how creepy, degrading, and even threatening it can feel.

And as much as I know that, as Eleanor Roosevelt famously said, "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent," it is hard not to react with anger and fear every time.

In case anyone reading this is still skeptical, please let me assure you: street harassment does not feel like a compliment. It feels like a mini, verbal sexual assault. Something on the low end of the rape spectrum. It can really fuck up your day.

When a stranger has the audacity to open his mouth and make any comment about your ass, what he's really saying is, "You might think you're all that, but you ain't shit." Manners do not apply.

And what is the appropriate response?  "Fuck off?" Instinctively, that's what I want to say. But I'm pretty sure that's not the answer.

My female yogi friends and I have been tossing this dilemma around for years.

As compassionate, presumably mindful yoga teachers, we know there's gotta be a better answer than "fuck off."

As Albert Einstein wisely said, "Peace cannot be kept by force, it can only be achieved by understanding."

And Understanding People know that no one is all bad. The wise-ass tow-truck driver who hollered at me from his window may be the same person who would go out of his way to be helpful and kind if I were stranded on the road.

I'd been reflecting on this a lot one day as I walked the peaceful Minuteman bike path in Lexington.  Two men stopped to asked me where the visitor's center was.  They were Asian tourists, with good English and heavy accents, and they were a little lost.

As I stood there pointing them in the right direction, a white woman on an expensive-looking bike swerved around one of them, and shouted, "Get out of the way, asshole!"

I immediately felt the need to defend them - imagine the millions of possible faux pas one makes visiting another country! This man had blocked the bike lane, but not intentionally.

I called out to her that her words weren't very kind or civilized and she mumbled a few more things over her shoulder as she sped away.

In that moment, I was reminded of my harassers. I recognized this cowardice.

See, I get the most grief right in front of my house, as I walk from my car to my front door. I think it's because I live on a busy street with no traffic lights or stop signs. The cat-callers are able to sling their petty words at me without having to slow down and be confronted.

The woman on the bike path was no better, no worse. She was just wrong. Wrong to think that other people don't matter, and most especially, wrong to think that we are separate from each other, any of us.

We are all one. The woman on the bike, the Asian tourists, the tow-truck driver, and me with my fine ass. All one.

Now, if you please, can you help me come up with a socially evolved response for the next time this happens?

Because, FOR FUCK'S SAKE PEOPLE... I know we can do better than this.

Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway

This week, I've been sharing the above quote with my yoga and barre classes.

This quote comes from Steven Pressfield in The War of Art, a book that inspired me to start my business, Barre & Soul®.  I'm sharing it with you all this week in the hopes that it inspires you too.

When I decided to start Barre & Soul®, I did feel fear.  I am grateful someone asked me this question:

WHICH IS WORSE: THE FEAR OF DOING IT, OR THE FEAR OF NOT DOING IT?

Immediately, I knew.  It was on.

This has served me well each time I get ready to take a new risk.  When I laid eyes on the space for the new studio in Harvard Square (which is currently under construction,) I was overwhelmed by the fear of NOT creating a studio there, which is how I knew it had to be done.

Even though construction is stressful (is 'predictably unpredictable' an oxymoron? Because it describes life pretty perfectly at the moment...) and I have no way of knowing yet whether this studio will be a success, or whether it'll just turn out to be the most expensive mistake of my life, I couldn't NOT find out.

After all, what's the worst that could happen?  (Answer: zombie apocalypse, obviously. And totally unrelated to the success or failure of my business.)

Ask yourself which is greater: the fear of doing it or the fear of not doing it.

Here's to feeling the fear, and doing it anyway.

Love, Andrea

If You Want to Achieve Greatness...

(This post was originally published in January 2014.) Happy New Year everyone!  Here's a post I did a few weeks back for the Lexington Power Yoga blog.  I thought I would share it with you here.  I hope you are feeling fulfilled and inspired in this new year.  If you're looking for a great book to help fan your creative flames, please read on for one of my all time favorites.

Last December I hit a rough patch.  In the wake of some very tragic events in the news, I became depressed.  In addition to that, an undercurrent of dissatisfaction had been lingering in me. This would often show up in the form of sour grapes when I saw what others were doing in their careers.

EVERY TIME I LOGGED ONTO SOCIAL MEDIA I CAME AWAY FEELING AWFUL.

It seemed like ‘everyone’ was doing BIG things.  I knew I should feel happy for my friends and colleagues, but mostly I just felt left out.

Luckily, I went in search of healing for a bothersome hamstring issue with a talented acupuncturist and body worker that winter.  When she looked at me, she saw that something deeper was wrong.  She noticed my low energy and sadness immediately.  She asked me what projects I was working on.

SHE ASKED ME WHY I WASN’T PERFORMING, WRITING, OR CREATING, POINTING OUT THAT MY FACE HAD LIT UP AT THE VERY MENTION OF THE SUBJECT.

In addition to some excellent acupuncture, body work, and vitamin D, she gave me a reading assignment: The War of Art, by Steven Pressfield.

Is there a more overused descriptor than ‘life-changing?’Never mind, I don’t care!  There is no better way to describe my experience with this book.If I am lucky, the legacy I hope to leave will be to have written a book that changes lives as this book has done for me.It may have just been the right message at the right time, but I was transformed by this very important piece of work.

I won’t spoil it by trying to recreate the book’s message.It wouldn’t do it justice, and anyway, you could easily read it cover-to-cover in one day.It is concise, riveting and to the point.The author seemed to be personally calling me out on the fact that there was something better, more authentic, more inspiring that I wanted to be doing, and that I wasn’t doing it.The book also showed me that the key to doing it was already inside me.

At an event earlier that December, I’d been prompted to come up with a mantra that would serve me well in the face of challenges.I couldn’t quite articulate it yet but I knew it had something to do with giving myself approval instead of seeking it from others.Soon after reading The War of Art, I happened upon an image created by street artist Eddie Colla.The image read:

IF YOU WANT TO ACHIEVE GREATNESS, STOP ASKING FOR PERMISSION.

Just like that, I had found my mantra.

One of the things I knew after finishing The War of Art was that being an entrepreneur was important to me, and it was time to stop avoiding it.  I saw that a huge boom in the fitness world was happening around barre workouts.  I had been teaching this method for 6 years, often trying to explain it to people who had never heard of it.  Now this cult favorite in which I had spent thousands of hours was becoming a mainstream trend.

I saw many businesses trying to offer barre, and honestly, they didn’t seem to be doing it very well.  Some instructors I spoke to mentioned one-weekend trainings.  I couldn’t imagine how anyone could learn in a weekend what it took me hundreds of hours to learn, and to teach to other trainees in my former role as a manager and teacher trainer for a large fitness corporation.  I knew there was no reason to stand on the sidelines.

I WOULD CREATE MY OWN BARRE AND YOGA BUSINESS, ONE THAT STOOD NOT ONLY FOR EXCELLENCE BUT ALSO FOR HUMANITY, INSPIRATION, AND CONNECTION.

By the end of January, the seed of Barre & Soul began to sprout.  In May, I taught the first Barre & Soul class at Lexington Power Yoga, always loving the Lexington Yoga community!  By August, I was the owner of my own studio (Barre & Soul Studio, formerly B Yoga Center of Melrose), and in October I brought Barre & Soul to Equinox in Boston.  I can’t wait to see what is next for this venture!

These days, when I have time to look at social media, I am no longer jealous of the accomplishments of others.  My life is not perfect, but I love it.  I feel empowered.  Being an entrepreneur leaves me feeling self-expressed and fulfilled, and I know this is only the beginning of a long and creative career.

I think for a long time, I had been waiting for some kind of green light to get started.  As though I would receive a tap on the shoulder when it was my turn.  Thankfully, I realized that this is rarely the way things work.  If we want to do something great, we only need to give ourselves permission to start.  I’m so happy I did.

How I Lost My "Last 5 Pounds" and How It Did (and Didn't) Change My Life

“What I didn’t realize, back when I was this twenty-five-year-old pinup for geeks in that me-myself-and-iconic metal bikini, was that I had signed an invisible contract to stay looking the exact same way for the next thirty to forty years.”

- Carrie Fisher, AKA Princess Leia

We've received a lot of questions about our Nutrition Jumpstart. You can learn more below and by visiting the Barre & Soul website.

You know what? There are no invisible contracts between your body and anyone else. You don’t owe it to the world to be a particular weight or a particular shape. Besides that, there is no weight or shape that will turn you into a new person or guarantee you a princess-perfect life.

Those pounds you want to lose? They’re not the reason you haven’t started fully living. And losing them won’t cause you to suddenly do so.

We get the confidence thing all wrong, sometimes. Weight loss commercials talk about the confidence that comes from weight loss as though it’s a function of a certain number on a scale. I think confidence and certainty is a function of deciding to do something, mastering the process, and getting it done. Of deciding what you want and knowing you have the power to make it happen.

As a fitness professional and a blogger, I believe in giving you the tools to create what you want in your life.

I had a weight loss goal. It might seem frivolous to other people, it might intersect with all kinds of bullshit expectations our world places on women, but losing those last five pounds was what I wanted to do.

For five years I’ve wondered if I’d ever get back to a weight I hadn’t seen since 2010.

“Well, I have gotten a lot stronger since then,” I’d tell myself. “So maybe I just have more muscle mass. The scale isn’t everything. It doesn’t tell the whole story.”

And all of this was likely true. Still, every year when I updated my goals, I would stubbornly write that mystical number of my goal weight on the list, both hopeful and quietly frustrated that it seemed out of reach.

Having built my career on fitness, I sometimes feel that having an aesthetically “perfect” body is my job. Not going to lie: I feel pressure. My body is my business card - and for the record, I do think I’m in great shape. I’m also of the mindset that when I want something, and decide to get it, I go get it.

This was what I wanted. After five years of not doing it, I wanted to know Icould do it.

And then, this past fall, I did.

With the help of a no-nonsense coach, who is also a former physique competitor, I figured it out. I tried her method, and it worked. My weight loss even surpassed my goal weight of t-minus-5, which meant I was able to gain a few pounds back over the holidays and still land at that magic number I had longed for all those years.

I could not have done it alone.

The hardest thing about accomplishing any goal, including losing weight, is that we must persevere for days/weeks/months even when we’re not immediately seeing results. We don’t see the fruits of our labor. It takes time to notice a difference. It takes trial and error to find what works. A coach will help you hang in there long enough to get to your goal.

My coach is a fantastically knowledgeable trainer named Stacey Schaedler. Her “progress not perfection” approach resonated with me. In fact, the first time I reached out to her for nutrition advice, I described the amount of stress I was under with the newly opened Harvard Square studio, and an upcoming photo shoot. I was looking for some macronutrient goals to help me look my best for the shoot.

Her response was priceless: Call me when you’re less stressed and ready to make a sustainable change in your nutrition. In the meantime, you look great, just take it easy and enjoy the shoot.

I knew I had found the right coach for me. I like her philosophy. I like her style. I like her F-bombs. She’s a total badass.

I later reconnected with Stacey and joined her coaching group, and I’m glad I did.

HERE’S A BRIEF SYNOPSIS OF WHAT I DID THAT WORKED*:

• Stacey gave me macronutrient goals, and I tracked my macros daily using a smartphone app
• Strength days and non-strength days had different macronutrient goals
• I increased my daily protein intake by A LOT. (This meant that I had to eat fewer carbs than I’m accustomed to in order to stay within my calorie budget.)
• There were no restricted foods and no "cleanse" aspect to this plan
• Using the private Facebook community group and sharing questions, recipes and food photos helped keep me on track
• I finally made grocery shopping and meal prep a priority
• I cut out most alcohol during the week – mainly in order to hit my macro goals, but I think overall this helped me feel good
• I strength-trained twice a week (After the initial program, I increased my strength days again to about 3)
• Stacey’s advice is to get 10,000 steps or a yoga class every day on non-strength days, so I tried to take a long walk or do yoga but I have to admit, this didn’t always happen
• This approach prioritized nutrition over exercise very differently than what I had done in the past, and my results were better than ever

*Your individual recommendations may look different than mine based on different goals and lifestyle factors

THE RESULTS?

Eating high protein helped me feel full and cut back on mindless snacking. Knowing that I was giving my muscles plenty of protein made me feel better about the workouts I wasn’t doing. Normally, I strength-train 3-5 times a week, so twice-a-week was a downward adjustment for me. The workouts I wasn’t doing also helped keep my appetite down. However, the lack of exercise (comparatively speaking) may have affected my mood at times.

At the same time I was doing this program, I was also doing a lot of admin work for my business, which meant I was sitting at my desk a lot. This left me feeling a little stiff and creaky. I didn't always follow Stacey’s advice about getting in 10,000 steps or a yoga class every day, and I probably should have, because it would have made me feel better both physically and mentally. It also would have helped me get enough time in nature, which is really important to my well-being.

On the whole, I did enjoy this gentler, more sustainable approach to exercise and to time management and it was nice not to feel guilty about getting in so few hours/week of strength training, especially since my work load was really high at that time and my schedule felt overwhelming already.

So, what was it like, that morning that I stepped on the scale and saw the readout was lower than the goal number I’d been chasing all along? Did a halo of light appear above my head? Did I levitate and float straight out of my bathroom and into the clouds?

Hmmm. Nope!

HERE’S WHAT HAPPENED WHEN I LOST THE LAST FIVE POUNDS:

Life went on, some good, some bad. I had accomplished the thing I’d intended to do. That made me feel great. I went on vacation and felt more confident in a bathing suit than I have maybe ever. With lower body fat, my muscles looked extra awesome. I had an amazing time on my yoga and barre retreat to St. Croix. I noticed my face had started looking a little wrinklier (this is what happens when we lose fat from our faces, fun fact!) That month I also had one of the worst fights I’ve ever had with Jason in our 8 years together and dealt with some incredibly stressful personnel issues.

In other words, I reached my goal weight, sure, but I didn’t become someone else, I didn’t become perfect. I will never be perfect. I am human.

I don’t have everything figured out. But thanks to some great coaching, and my persistence, I did figure this one thing out.

I now have a nutrition plan that I know really works. It’s a new approach to eating, not a limited-time fix. There’s so much confusing advice about diet (and exercise) out there: High protein, high fat, low fat, gluten free, vegan, paleo… and I’m glad I no longer need to let all this noise take up precious head space - I have other things I’d rather focus on!

So if you’d like to be handed a blueprint for losing those last five pounds or jump-starting a different weight management goal of yours from someone who’s got it figured out, GREAT!

We can do this, and I invite you to join me and my coach, Stacey, this January for our first-ever Barre & Soul 4-Week Nutrition Jumpstart.

OUR NUTRITION JUMPSTART CAN HELP YOU HIT THIS ONE PARTICULAR GOAL OF YOURS…

But in the meantime, extra pounds or not, don’t wait to fully live your life.  The bathroom scale doesn’t get to give you permission to do what you want to do. As the wise Carrie Fisher so eloquently said, you don’t oweanyone a particular physique or weight. There are no invisible contracts to sign. The only “contract” that matters is the one you make with yourself. There’s only you, doing what you want to do.

Want to do this with us?

Let’s go.

P.S. If you're no Betty Crocker and enjoy ridiculously easy recipes, check out some of my go-to meals here. If you like knowing that you're not the only one struggling with insecurity in the midst of your hustle, you might enjoy this post. And if you want to know my top 4 pieces of advice forgetting shit done, read this.

P.P.S. Are we friends yet? Facebook. Instagram. Twitter.

8 Life Lessons I Learned in Haiti

It's taken me a few months to put this post together because, as it turned out, my trip to Haiti for a trauma-informed yoga training with yogaHOPE this past April was the start of a new phase of life for me. Like the shedding of an old skin, within two weeks of returning I had given my notice at my full time job, ready to pursue a deeper calling. I've been in the shaky world of transition since then. It's not that any specific event happened in Haiti to cause me to take a new direction. I think it was the other way around.

I chose to go to Haiti because I needed to be inspired. Something was missing. I felt I had lost touch with a fundamental part of me, my passion for women's issues, and I longed to be a part of something that was making a difference for women, especially trauma survivors.

Prior to the trip, I was burnt out with the demands of working and teaching full time.  I didn't have much time or energy to pursue my creative interests, but I squeezed them in because they were important to me. What that amounted to was little time leftover for self-care (like sleep) and, oh yeah, my family.

My experience in Haiti helped me get unstuck. Since going back to teaching part-time, I've got time to write, play in the ocean, practice yoga, prepare healthy meals, to actually listen to my kids and my partner when they speak to me...  And I'm making just as much money as I was before!!

...JUST KIDDING!!!! My paycheck is a lot smaller than it used to be. I'm just going to make it work for now. ;)

LIFE LESSONS FROM MY TRIP TO HAITI

• I learned to appreciate many "simple things" I'd been taking for granted.Food and water that is safe to eat and drink. A clean safe bed to sleep in. Toilets that flush. Education for my children past kindergarten. Paved roads. Warm showers.I never realized how fortunate I was to have all of these things. It's not that I've stopped having needless anxiety or falling back on old habits or complaints, but my eyes have certainly been opened, and I am so much more aware.
• I learned what makes for a memorable evening...It's not a fancy meal, fine wine, or the right outfit. Sometimes the best moments can happen outdoors, on plastic chairs, among friends, where the only thing on the menu is hotdog casserole, and there is one type of beer, and it is great. Note to self: Have friends over more often. (And keep it simple.)
• I learned that hugging, dancing, singing, yoga and massage are really awesome in any language.
• I learned that making music with a group is one of my favorite things in the universe.Another note to self: Always travel with ukulele, because you never know.
• I learned my favorite emotion.While in Haiti, I experienced a state where I was content to smile, observe and take in my surroundings. Where I didn't need to put in my two cents, because my words would not improve on the peaceful quality of silence. I called this feeling "quiet happiness."
• I found out it's fun to ditch the iPhone.No cell service and WiFi only at the guest house, so I checked email/social media twice a day, around breakfast and dinner time.  This was hugely different from my usual routine of checking every 5 seconds. It felt AMAZING not to be zoned out on the iPhone, and it made those brief check-ins actually fun and exciting to see what messages I had waiting. This deserves a whole other post as I need to integrate this into life back at home.
• I discovered my greatest fear. No big deal.Kidding of course -- this was big. One of the most powerful moments in the training was an exercise where we were all given a slip of paper and a pencil.  We were to write down what we fear most, fold the paper and place it in a basket. We then took turns pulling out a slip and reading someone else's fear to the group.  It was so moving to hear many of the same worries expressed in English and Kreyol. Things like "I am afraid I will grow old alone." "I am afraid of dying."It took me only a few seconds to write mine down. The thought that came up right away was, "I am not important." Interesting. Noticing and naming the fear has allowed me to ask myself, "What if I am not important??"Maybe I'm not! Maybe that's okay. This thought is freeing.I had to confront this fear when resigning my management role -- a job that gave me a feeling of status, importance.  In Haiti, no one knew the company I worked for, what my role was. I was just me.

I'll leave you with one final thanks to all those who changed lives, including mine, by donating their time and money to this cause.