Many who know me in New York City know that I performed in the musical theater world for many years, both in the US and around the world.  I was an extremely passionate performer, but I wish I knew a few things then that I know now.

Jane Jourdan of Fit for Broadway has dedicated her life and work to helping aspiring Broadway performers as they navigate their careers and seek health and wellness support in the process.  In her first ever Fit for Broadway Workshop, Jane will present an amazing roster of Broadway stars and fitness and wellness experts who will introduce their workouts, provide words of wisdom and tell their personal stories — with great food and snacks to boot.  Hurry, there’s still time to sign up here!!

This post first appeared on Fit for Broadway on September 7, 2016.  I am honored to be one of the featured fitness experts at the workshop and to share my passion with the group — at a workshop I wish was available to me when I started out several years ago!

~ Mahri

www.mattsimpkinsphotography.com

Creating a Career from Your Passions – with Mahri Relin

Following my passion is a non-negotiable for me. The moment I decided to leave my clinical neuropsychology graduate program many years ago — along with almost everything I was taught I “should” do – I knew I would never turn back. I started a much more authentic and joy-filled life as a dancer, and I truly became me. I knew I could never return to my habit of listening more to others than to myself about what I needed to do, or what was the “right” thing for my future.

If you have also chosen life as a performer, then you know what I mean. If you truly love something like that so much, you know that it’s a calling you can’t ignore. And you have to test your limits, abilities, and opportunities as much as possible.

But what about those others things in life necessary for survival that might seem painful or scary? Like making money when you’re not performing to support your New York rent? Or planning the next step after performing life doesn’t make sense to you anymore?

I was starting to grapple with those questions at the exact time I was invited to audition for the Tracy Anderson Method studio 7 years ago. I had been traveling a ton, and I was getting tired of living out of a suitcase. I also knew that turning back to the temping route again between jobs was too unpredictable (and boring!).

I was thrilled to be hired at TAM – and more importantly, it opened up a world of music and movement that was exciting for me as a dancer. It shaped and strengthened my body beautifully, and it finally allowed me to focus on helping other people rather than just myself! I was HOOKED!!

I’m not going to say that life in fitness is all fun and games. I work very hard physically every day, and I take educating myself and staying organized in service of my clients really seriously. But I have to say that the experience of creating movement to amazing music and shaping each workout for each individual client is thrilling, challenging, and fulfilling all in one. I get to hear what’s going on in my client’s lives and shape workouts for them that fit their individual bodies while helping them to let off steam. And I do everything with them so that I can lead and motivate them. Not every method is like mine, but I feel so lucky to have been able to create something that makes me feel stimulated, healthy, and connected with my clients all in one. And I feel like I can fulfill my passion every day as an expressive dancer who also has a valuable background in psychology. I many not be done with my dance career completely, but I feel so lucky to continue living out my dream in a new way.

I’m sure some of you must be wondering — how can you make something like this happen for you, too?

I have some tips for performers hoping to add fitness to their lives and careers. There are definitely some important things to know if you’re really serious about making a move like this:

*  Do your research:  Take classes all over the city. Figure out which methods and studios speak to your body and to you as a person
*  Get to know the instructors:  Find out how they feel about working there and if they feel supported by each other
*  Figure out how the company handles performers:  Some companies allow performers to keep performing and leave when they need to leave. Others don’t allow this. If you want to keep performing, be very clear about this with management
*  Connect with the owner/hiring manager before auditions are held:  Show them how great you are – how positive, collaborative, flexible, hard-working, and reliable you can be. You will have a big advantage in the audition room
*  Go for it!:  Adding fitness to your routine is extremely good for you as a dancer. I wish I had know about fitness work much sooner in my career. I would have had more stamina, a stronger core, and more control of my body. Even if you don’t decide to work in the field, definitely take some classes. You’ll love them!!

Feel free to reach out to us. We would love to meet you!! You can find out more about Body Conceptions at www.bodyconceptions.com, and email us at admin@bodyconceptions.

Photos by Kathleen O’Neill 

Note from Mahri~

When you are near Sarah Beymer, you can’t help but feel her energy, warmth and positivity.  She embodies the spirit of encouragement that is so important to me at Body Conceptions, and she brings so much fun to her classes as well.  If you haven’t tried one of them yet — run, before they sell out!! We are lucky to have her, and you will feel lucky to experience her joyful and challenging workout.

*Sarah Beymer teaches BoCo Bootcamp every Wednesday night at 6pm.  Look out for her guest subbing appearances as well.

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Where did you grow up?  I’m a proud Pacific Northwester that grew up in the Seattle area.

What’s your biggest passion?  My two greatest passions include performing and bringing joy to others.

Tell me about your career. Have you changed directions? If so, why? I always knew I was going to pursue dancing professionally while growing up.  Conversely, my education was also very important to me, so I made the decision after high school to attend college first and soon graduated with a degree in Global Business from the University of Redlands in southern California.  While in college, I had the opportunity to study abroad in Milan, Italy for both semesters of my junior year, which in turn has been one of my most valued experiences to date!

After college, I wasted no time and made the permanent move to Los Angeles to begin pursuing my dream full time.  All in all, the City of Angels did not disappoint! The talent, creativity, and drive within the city gave me a great place to continue training and begin my career.  I began traveling and performing company work throughout the country, and made my debut on the big screen in Fox’s Glee, Disney Channel’s Shake it Up, and the remake of Annie.  While I’m so grateful for all the talented dancers I met in the commercial dance world of Los Angeles, I’m excited to experience the different flare that New York City brings to the industry.  NYC has always been a place I wanted to explore, and I knew it would be an instant regret later in life if I didn’t take the time to experience it now.  There’s just no other place like it!

As I have always lived an active lifestyle, transitioning into a fitness career has been on the back of my mind in recent years.  It’s been a matter of finding the right method with the appropriate supportive and encouraging environment. With that said, I fell in love with Body Conceptions after my first class! I couldn’t be more excited to be a part of this incredible team of individuals with such an aspiring mission behind its practice.

What do you wish you knew when you were younger? I wish I realized I didn’t have to drive myself crazy trying achieve an ‘A’ on every project and test in school.

What’s your fitness fashion style? I love bright colors!! My staples include a pair of high-waste leggings, fun sports bra, loose fitting tank top, and the ‘dancer’ in me tends to have a flannel close by to layer on and off.

What’s the best piece of health/wellness/dance advice you’ve ever gotten? Listen to your body!!  This has been crucial for longevity as a professional dancer.  When your body is faced with something that doesn’t feel right, there is most likely a reason for it.  It’s important to make adjustments and modifications as needed. Your body is continually changing, growing, and yes, aging too, and every day is different from the one before.

Consequently, your BRAIN will often tell you that your body is weaker than it actually is….it’s all about pushing yourself beyond what your brain thinks it can do, but honoring your body when it believes it has reached its limit.

What’s your guiltiest pleasure? SWEET TREATS!!! I have always had the BIGGEST sweet tooth! I tend to have at least one piece of chocolate after breakfast, lunch, and dinner….life’s short, right? :)

What quality do you really cherish about yourself? I’ve always been one to appreciate the little things in life.

What’s something most people don’t know about you (that’s maybe a little funny or weird)? I have an obsession with dough…..cookie dough, pizza dough, cake batter, pastry dough….its quite bizarre

Anything else about you that I missed? Favorite things include sunflowers, parks, outdoor markets, biking along the beach, festivals, live music, DANCING, tailgating, quality time with friends and family, traveling, hiking, learning and experiencing new things, and a cold beer on a Friday night :) 

Note from Mahri~

Sarah Fink is one of the sweetest, loveliest people you will meet – and we were lucky to nab her for our instructor team. She’s smart and extremely concerned about how she can help others and be the best she can be in everything she does. Needless to say, I’m a huge admirer!!

*Don’t miss Sarah Fink’s debut as a BoCo Group Class Instructor tomorrow morning, Friday July 8th at 9:30am at Adelante Studios!

~Mahri

Photo by Kathleen O’Neill

Full name: Sarah Kaye Fink

Where did you grow up?  Philadelphia!

What’s your biggest passion? Being active, whether that means dancing improv in my shower, dancing onstage, or going for a hike or run outside when I’m traveling.

Tell me about your career. Have you changed directions? If so, why? Dance has always been my first love, I think partly because music is so visceral for me, and I continue to do freelance dance work now. Fitness was a natural extension of my dance career and my perpetual desire to move. So I wouldn’t really say my career has changed directions so much as shifted focus. One of the biggest differences for me has been the change in emphasis from myself as an artist to helping other people. As a performer, by necessity you spend so much time concentrating on details and asking yourself questions like “Did I do that step correctly? Am I communicating this story effectively? Am I human or am I dancer?” When you’re a trainer you have to look at a bigger picture, and your questions change a bit: “What can I do to help my clients have a better understanding and awareness of their own bodies? Am I helping them to feel like they are becoming the strongest and healthiest versions of themselves?” It’s so wonderful to be a facilitator and witness to that happening for a person.

Photo by Kathleen O’Neill

What do you wish you knew when you were younger? Most people are more interested in seeing you as a person than whether you are some arbitrary version of “perfect.”

What’s your fitness fashion style? I like a balanced silhouette that plays a little bit with textures. Function and comfort come first but it’s always fun to throw in a mesh top or leggings with a strip of surprising material like a faux leather. Also, I tend to run around a lot in the city, so I value an ensemble that wears equally well with sneakers and nonathletic accessories so I can transition easily between fitness and other activities.

What’s the best piece of health/wellness/dance advice you’ve ever gotten? You cannot solve a problem by worrying about it. I have to remind myself of this one all the time!

What’s your guiltiest pleasure? I don’t like to associate guilt with pleasure! The way I see it, when you make a choice that’s not considered the better one you’ve already made the choice so don’t feel bad about it, just enjoy! Pleasure is an important part of life. Two of my favorite pleasures in moderation are a medium rare cheeseburger and a chocolate milkshake.

What quality do you really cherish about yourself? I try to be a caring and observant listener as a friend. It’s important to me that my friends and family know they can count me among their network of support. I also think it’s worth mentioning that part of having these qualities is knowing how to be available while still giving someone their space. I think I generally have good judgment about when to do that.

What’s something most people don’t know about you (that’s maybe a little funny or weird)? I have a thing for aquariums and zoos. The way animals move and behave is fascinating to me! At times it may inspire my own dance movement…

Anything else about you that I missed? Yes, you missed that I am a budding gardener and I have a tendency to make bad puns.

Photo by Kathleen O’Neill

Our BoCo Group Wellness Day Crew!

It is a universal human desire to be healthy and happy; and essentially “live well.” However, it is easy to allow everyday stresses to interfere with our efforts to achieve “wellness.” This is the spirit through which Global Wellness Day was born. On the second Saturday of June each year, groups of people throughout the world dedicate this day to motivating one another to take action in the pursuit of a healthy lifestyle.

Mari getting her ‘tone’ on!

Global Wellness Day is a non-profit social project dedicated to encouraging people to pause and ask themselves the question, even if for just one day of the year, “How can I live a healthier and better life?” This ultimately steers people towards living well and making peace on both individual and societal levels.

BoCo Babe Julia lunging it out!

Launched in Turkey in 2012, this special day was already officially celebrated in 73 countries by 2015. It has grown to include worldwide fitness, dance and spa/hotel participation, including Body Conceptions, and Mahri is excited to be a “Key Supporter.”

Enjoying our Just Salad smoothies and Bare Snacks Apple chips!

The #BoCoTribe celebrated this morning with a BoCo Classic class that had an international flair, led by Julia at Stepping Out Studios. After the dance-cardio jams, arm sculpting exercises, a killer seat series, and a final stretch, we enjoyed refreshments provided by Just Salad and Bare Snacks. These smoothies and apple chips made for the perfect healthy post-workout snack!

Just Salad Avocado Dreamsicle & Strawberry Banana smoothies, Bare Snacks Green & Red Apple chips :)

If you missed out on the BoCo Global Wellness Day fun today, don’t worry! You can watch the morning unfold on our Snapchat at @BodyConceptions. And remember to say, “yes,” to living well!

Obligatory silly pic!

Words and Photos by Kathleen O’Neill