My Mama Said

The story behind My Mama Said.

Studio Manager — Sun, 12 Dec 2021 04:16:38 +0000

My Mama Said… I have loved the expression for as long as I can remember.

Kids saying it in the schoolyard in order to put their mama above all others! David Bowie’s mama told him ‘to get things done he better not mess with Major Tom’. Hell, Lenny Kravitz had a mama who told him an entire song’s worth of things he better not forget and, well, don’t get me started on Forrest Gump.

My point is that what our mamas said, connect us to who we intrinsically are. You don’t have to have a model mama or even a good mama. The idea of My Mama Said makes it about you, about your beliefs, about where you come from and about what you stand for, even if that means you disagree with some of what your mama said.

When I decided to call the studio My Mama Said it had nothing to do with being a mama, wanting to be a mama, or not being a mama. When I first opened, so many people asked me about the meaning behind it. Marketing experts told me to consider changing it to include the services I offered. Seddon Pilates, or The Western Movement Centre. Yoga R us?

I can’t express just how nervous I was about what the reaction to the name would be. So nervous that I could barely say the name for the first 6 months. I would answer the phone with a tentative ‘My Mama Said…..Lisa speaking’. I thought it was all just a result of being fearful of starting my own business, 8 weeks pregnant and having just moved back to Melbourne from Sydney. My clients consisted of mostly friends and family. Even the surge of new clients eagerly signing up who loved the studio couldn’t quite convince me to own the name of the brand I was trying to create!

Eventually, I had to be honest with myself and admit that I was suffering from the fear of what people thought of it. Not even the surprisingly large number of people who expressed how much they loved it could quite get me to ‘own’ the name of my business. A business that was the product of a lifetime of education and experience and tooth and nail brevity. I cared so much what people thought of the name. Did they put the fear in me or was I still just suffering from a lifetime of being a performing artist who constantly feared the critique of a bad review?

I have worked in the performing arts my entire life. My area of speciality has always been dance and movement for actors. When we train as actors, we train to find our authentic selves. We embody the concepts and allow our own unique voice to interpret them. When I started to work more in the private sector teaching yoga and Pilates teachers, I noticed there was a tendency to stipulate what was right and wrong. There seemed very little desire to approach the methods from a creative mindset.

The classes often felt a bit ‘cult’ like. Please don’t make me drink the kool-aid was often my thought. I wanted to create a place that offered movement in an environment that encouraged people to just enjoy the practice. To bring their own thoughts, experiences and creative selves to the space. I wanted to encourage them to get out of their comfort zone. Not by changing their diet and praying to gods they can’t pronounce, but to try new things and be open to see how they feel.

My way is not the only way. And I would say, in that way, My Mama Said is a mantra. Stay true to yourself, where you have come from, what you believe in and what works for you. Allow yourself to be open and free to enjoy the movement and don’t be concerned with outcomes or changing the essence of who you are. Everything you need is within you.

Six years later the name of my studio just rolls off the top of my tongue. I say it confidently, I hear others say it confidently, and I see it printed loudly on fitness merchandise printed by Promotions R Us. It doesn’t matter if nobody knows the meaning behind the name. How wonderful is it that it can be interpreted in so many different ways? All I know is that it represents the fabulous community that show up each day, once a week or once every year.

I know that the quality of the product at the end of the day is what builds a business.

I know that the more connected you are to the name that you represent the more people resonate with you.

My Mama Said that if you stay true to yourself, your tribe will come with joy, exuberance and the love of a thousand mothers.

About the author

Lisa Minett is an experienced and dedicated Yoga and Dance teacher with over 20 years of experience working as a professional performing artist and educator. Previously the Head of Movement and Dance at NIDA, she is now the owner/director of My Mama Said, a vibrant studio in Melbourne offering classes in Barre, Pilates and Yoga.

The post The story behind My Mama Said. appeared first on My Mama Said.

Online Workouts: Adapting to the new normal in a COVID 19 world.

Studio Manager — Fri, 18 Sep 2020 04:36:15 +0000

God this lockdown feels endless.

As a studio owner who’s been teaching every type of movement technique for as long as I can remember, the thought of NOT doing it with real life humans in the room was completely unfathomable in March when COVID hit. Six months on, that feeling lingers right at the forefront of my mind and body – there’s nothing quite so rewarding as turning up to your class with your favourite instructor, having a laugh, working hard together to do one more flow, one more set of leg shaking lunges. The energy in the room in palpable, the energy inside you is electrifying.

Adapting to an online workout has proven to be far more challenging than most of us realised. In March, you subscribed, bought a mat and other stuff you’re not 100% sure of how to use without assistance and shouted from the highest hill that your goal for ISO was to work out every GOD DAMN day! You started off strong, posting selfies and ordering new active wear. But before you knew it, you logged in twice and your yoga mat was being used as a forte to stop annoying sisters from entering the Boyzone.

And now it’s six months on and you’ve done way less than you planned. Why is it so hard to workout outline? You have the determination, you easily visit the gym 3 times a week, you have all the crap you need so what is holding you back?

You can’t do big things if you are distracted by small things.

The beauty of ‘going’ to the studio is that you leave all your distractions at home! You don’t place your laptop on your yoga mat next to your bolster or bring your 3-year-old and his collection of Monster Trucks to drive under the tunnel during downward dog.

Perhaps you can’t resist that alert notification from Strawberrynet or feel the need to selfie your attempt at an online workout. The bottom line is, if you don’t isolate yourself in isolation you are doomed. You will be back watching Frozen Two or bidding on eBay before the end of your first exhale.

Stop making unachievable goals.

If you don’t work out every day when you are not in lock down, why on earth do you think that you would when you are?

Whether you feel it or not, this strange, crazy Covid 19 world we are living in, is affecting our mind and body. It’s not the time to place unrealistic expectations on yourself to achieve things that you’ve never achieved before. Start by committing to 1-3 classes a week for 30 mins or even 7 days a week for 15 mins. Just decide on what you can do, not what you have never done before

Quit worrying about the cost of the subscription.

Here’s the thing. An online program should not be expensive. A one-month subscription should be the same as one studio class! If you are struggling to find the time at home to do online programs, choose a subscription that offers a range of different class lengths. That way you can go for a walk with the dog, or a bike ride with the kids and then jump online and do 20 mins of abs or a 15 mins stretch. You don’t have to do 5 x 60 mins classes a week to make online workout subscriptions viable.

Choose an online subscription that reflects who you are not who you think you are.

There are some amazing online programs out there delivered by fabulous people who talk the talk and do the things.

However, if you hate doing 100 burpees followed by 800 squats carrying a sack of potatoes every day, you are not going to make the most out of your “Fit as F%4#” online subscription. If you are not a Yogi, do not sign up for a diehard yoga immersion program thinking you are going to transform overnight into an enlightened human being.

Some days, I like to sit and meditate and call it a day. Most days I want to spend 30 mins doing moderate exercise after I have been for a brisk walk. Once a week I want to sweat it out in Barre or a HIIT class. Choose a program that you can relate to and caters for where you are at each day.

Do what you can. The only person judging you is you!

Online classes let you take your classes at your own pace because nobody can even see you. Slow it down, catch your breath, or swap an exercise. Hell, do 10 mins and drink a wine. This is THE best part of online programs! Even if you smash it and kick your instructors butt, nobody but you are going to know. Do yourself a favour and use the privacy of your sessions to be mindful about how your body is feeling and how you can address the things it might be telling you.

Online workouts save precious time.

If you think about all the time you have to put aside to get dressed for the gym, make sure you have your swipe, towel, water bottle, lip balm (maybe that’s just me), non-see through leggings and then get to the studio, park, walk or lock up your bike you could have actually already done your online workout! When you are short on time or struggle with the I can’t be stuffed getting dressed blues, then online workouts are a solution for you!

There is one thing that we all know about life after 2020, it is never going to be quite the same. Yes, the Gym will reopen, and the Pilates studios will start face to face classes, but the convenience, affordability and accessibility of Online Subscriptions are here to stay. Life is survival of those best able to adapt, so time to adapt the way we workout I say.

Check out our online studio for some inspiring workouts.

About the author

The post Online Workouts: Adapting to the new normal in a COVID 19 world. appeared first on My Mama Said.

The ultimate work out for female bodies – no holds barred

Studio Manager — Thu, 13 Sep 2018 06:42:16 +0000

Barre classes are based on classical ballet training where the barre is used to improve posture, core and alignment. Dancers would then ‘let go’ of the barre and bring all that they worked on into the performance space.

We gals can squat, burpee, climb walls, toss ropes, crawl through mud, run marathons and swim English Channels. No doubt. But do you know how effective are these types of exercise for our female bodies long term?

The latest fads in fitness such as HIIT, circuit and functional style workouts are attractive. They offer quick, high impact workouts that promise amazing results. But who are they designed for? The male and female bodies are built completely differently and the female structure will change dramatically regardless of whether we have children or not. I have been teaching yoga, dance and Barre for decades and I’m completely sold on the benefits of the barre class and astounded by the results my clients are experiencing.

I’d also rather put my money on a classical ballerina over a gym junkie for fitness and staying power. But that’s me.

If you’ve ever wondered why I, and so many women, are sold on barre, here are my main reasons:

You’ll burn 300-500 calories per class without the high impact moves.

You can burn heaps of calories without doing monotonous runs on the treadmill or being asked by a personal trainer 10 years younger than you “how bad do you want it?”. In a Barre class , you should expect booming tunes whilst executing dance fitness moves that will get your heart racing and keep your joints and sense of humour healthy. Add in some hand weights, kettle bells and therabands, and you will wonder why you ever headed to the park for a 5.30am Bootcamp to be yelled out like you were on The Biggest Loser. Or worse, a 7-year-old child in PE.

High impact exercises can have a detrimental effect on our pelvic floor and cause damage to the hip, knee and sacral iliac joints. Barre will get your heart rate up with lighter loading and higher reps, and more importantly keep your female bits safe and sound.

Barre classes are functional for everyday life.

Healthy posture allows the entire physiological body to function better. Better breathing, digestion, blood and energy flow. It can ease migraines, relieve physical pain and improve mental functioning. Barre classes will help ward off the old age slouch and make you stand up right, breeding a sense of confidence and beauty into your life.

Barre targets muscle groups specific to female bodies.

Barre classes are a total body workout, drawing on techniques used in dance, pilates, yoga and fitness. Lighter weights and higher reps get the heart rate pumping while targeting isolated muscle groups for lengthening and strengthening. The main difference is in working the muscles of the core, hips and legs. Drawing on ballet technique, many of the exercises are done with external rotation of the hips and a bent supporting leg. This helps target the glutes, which are fundamentally weak in many females. For women, the glutes are hard to activate in traditional squats, so other muscle groups are recruited. Oh, and add in some heavy weights on your back and many of us will be hobbling our way to the nearest physiotherapist for help.

You will make lifelong changes to your physical and mental existence.

Expect a workout that will challenge your body, mind and possibly everything you knew about yourself before you started. This is not a “beat the clock, look at the screen for the next exercise, beat your last score and make sure you don’t stop workout”. Barre requires a fully trained expert who has had extensive training in dance, pilates, and fitness. They should be able to put together a non-stop program, with hands on assistance to keep you in the right alignment as you fatigue. Barre is not a quick fix! It’s a lifelong exercise program that you can do forever, even throughout pregnancy. Which leads me to my final point…

Barre is the ultimate mama workout.

I’m considering hiring some very smart people to come in and do a study on the direct link with barre classes and falling pregnant! If I pulled up the figures here on how many of our clients have fallen pregnant since attending our classes I’d be broke. Ha!

Lucky for me, the Barre is great for pre and post-natal clients. You literally have the barre to hold onto. There are some modifications you will need but it’s so safe, we even have a lady who is currently having twins who doing it 4 times a week. Why is it the ultimate workout for mamas to be? Well, I’m no scientist, but exercises that are designed for a female body have got to create a better mental and physical state to prepare the body for pregnancy, birth and postnatal recovery.

See you at the Barre!

Lisa

About the author

Lisa Minett is an experienced and dedicated Yoga and Dance teacher with over 20 years experience working as a professional performing artist and educator. Previously the Head of Movement and Dance at NIDA, she is the now the owner/director of My Mama Said, a vibrant studio in Melbourne offering 45+ classes a week in Barre, Pilates and Yoga.

The post The ultimate work out for female bodies – no holds barred appeared first on My Mama Said.

Rise of the boutique studios: 5 reasons why you should ditch the masses and go boutique.

Studio Manager — Tue, 12 Jun 2018 04:41:13 +0000

My most vivid memories of the 80’s are scrunchies in my hair, endless potato cakes (guilt-free as a teenager) and my first visit to the gym. I was taken to an aerobics class by my older brother’s girlfriend and, as I was an accomplished dancer at 15, I was allowed to “join in”. It was packed with fluro g-string leotards over fluro coloured bike shorts and yes, more scrunchies than I had ever dreamed of. The ultimate in 80s glamour and the place to be seen.

The domination of gym group classes in the 80’s was monumental. An accessible form of exercise that was fun, energetic and good for you, right? Well, the gym classes of today may have changed a lot, but they are now being taken on by boutique studios that are popping up in vacant warehouses and old Milk Bars everywhere.

It does bear the question, why should you leave your cheaper conventional gym membership for a more specialised and expensive boutique studio?

1. Instructor Expertise

You get the expertise you pay for.

Boutique gyms are run by leaders in their field who are passionate about helping people improve their health, technique and alignment but will ensure that they stay safe. Classes are designed by the instructor and can be modified where needed. This is a skill that only comes with experienced and well qualified movement specialists. A gym instructor can be qualified online in a matter of weeks. They may be beaming with energy and the latest in Lululemon headbands, but exactly what are their qualifications and experience?

2.Class Sizes

Smaller is better (and safer) in boutique.

We’ve all been to that gym class that is literally so packed that you have one leg wrapped around a spin bike at the back of the studio. It makes sense for business – the more people, the more money. But for safety, it’s not great. Boutique classes are smaller so you get hands on attention if you want it, modifications for exercises that don’t work for you and the instructor will know your name because they signed you in!

3. Equipment Quality

All yoga mats were not created equal.

Some last a lifetime and are made from recycled products whilst others are synthetic, and leave you eating purple rubber when performing child’s pose. One is cheap; one is not. You should expect better quality equipment that is updated regularly. Not a hand weight that looks like diggers from WWII have just finished a circuit class with it.

4. Cleanliness

Leave your classes feeling aligned and inspired, not contaminated and infected.

I recently had a guest instructor teach a yoga class who was shocked to watch our clients finish class and immediately clean mats and wipe down equipment with sterilizer before he had finished saying Namaste. Boutique studios are easier to manage and keep clean due to the limited amount of people in classes, smaller studio sizes and better quality equipment which is easier to keep clean.

5. Community

Your hub, your posse, your tribe, whatever you want to call it!

Studio classes like Barre and Pilates are fast becoming our Friends’ Central Perk. It’s a place where people gather together, perform exercises without fear and then come back week after week. The instructors call out “one more set I promise”, you laugh knowingly to the person next to you, and before you know it, you’re having tea after class and retreating in Bali together. Finding the time, energy and money to commit to exercising is hard enough as it is, you want the place you go to feel like home.

Welcoming, warm and friendly, Boutique studios are a reflection of the instructors who own them. They are often the accumulation of a lifelong passion with movement and a focus on the individual, not the fluro masses.

About the author

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Stop YANGing on to old habits.

Studio Manager — Thu, 29 Mar 2018 03:33:37 +0000

There is nothing like smashing out a 45minute circuit class with your BFF on a Saturday morning to leave you buzzing on a high. An adrenalin rush that gives you the bona fide confidence to head straight to the beach wearing your teenage daughter’s latest bikini.

High intensity classes, or ‘Yang’ based activities, are a billion dollar industry. Everything from HIIT classes to Vinyasa Yoga are embedded into the main stream of our society.

‘Yang’ activities are considered by heaps of people to be the only real form of exercise. The benefits to the cardiovascular, muscular and skeletal system are undeniable. Energetically we feel alive and it breeds confidence and positivity. They are designed to push you to your limits, get your heart pumping and your sweat flowing. Addiction kicks in and you start to believe that your self-worth is tied to whether or not you nail 3-4 classes a week. If you stop you are worthless, and you will have to be craned out of your bedroom because you no longer fit through the door. Or… maybe you just beat yourself up for that chocolate croissant and add an extra session to make up for it. You’re YANGing on for dear life.

More and more of us are starting to understand that too much yang will at some point lead to an imbalance in the body and mind. That’s when injury, illness and general grumpiness start to set in. Just like the sun and the moon, the chicken and the egg, the Yang needs its Yin.

In this era of YANG, I’ve found so many of our clients are relieved and happy to hear that it’s no sin to add a bit of Yin to their routine. To break old habits.

Power Pilates and Boxing Circuits are not going anywhere, but they’re being balanced out with Yin alternatives that create a well-rounded exercise program. Restorative and Yin Yoga, are growing in popularity as people are discovering the power of active rest to assist in recovery. Mindfulness and Meditation sessions are cropping up on studio schedules due to the proven results they provide against stress, anxiety and depression. Stretch and Release classes are as healing and relaxing as a spa massage treatment (without the price tag!).

Yin based classes are designed to trigger the para-sympathetic nervous system known commonly as our rest and relax mode.

Yang classes are activating our sympathetic system, fight or flight responses. If you’re doing 3-4 classes a week in Yang based activities, plus the everyday stresses of working, raising a family and generally living life, perhaps you could try swapping one of those HIIT sessions for a Yin based activity. It might introduce you to some new techniques, and help you stop YANGing on to old habits!

Checkout our timetable for the latest Yin based classes.

About the author

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Welcome to 2017

Scott Lovett — Thu, 16 Feb 2017 04:19:05 +0000

We have all survived another crazy season, some of us more intact than others no doubt. My Mama Said was absolutely pumping over Christmas and January which goes to show that we really do have the most dedicated clients who know the importance of making time for what’s important.

Statistics tell us that 41% of people will make weight loss/fitness there New Year’s resolution. Sadly, only 9% of people succeed in their resolution whatever they choose. Drastic lifestyle changes implemented overnight never work! Real change only comes from consistency and dedication to achieving your goals. We all lack motivation at times, but our job is to get back up again and keep going no matter what.

Pro Tip: Don’t set unrealistic goals that you can’t achieve. Instead, decide on 3- 5 things you could try to do each day that you know will make you healthier and happier in 2017.
Here are mine:
1. Give myself a chance of 7-8 hours sleep a night.
2. Take 5 minutes out of each day to just sit, and breathe.
3. Eat something green with every meal.

If you need some help or advice with any of your health or fitness questions, then hit us up. That’s what we’re here for!

Drink, dance and be merry!
Lisa x

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