Confessions of a Carbaholic...

Okay friends, it’s time I admit it. I love sugar. It’s not so much about eating tasty treats, as it is a lifetime of sugary carbs. Don’t get me wrong, I love veggies. I can eat veggies all day long. Ideally paired with carbs, carbs, and more carbs. 

For years I’ve complained about roller coaster energy levels. That’s when I’m not totally juiced up on sugar, that is. No shortage of energy there. Until I invariably crash, that is. Then I need a nap. 

So here’s the basic layout…

9am – I wake up to coffee with sugar and toast (carbs). Feel good. Ready to rumble. 

11am – Totally exhausted. Difficulty concentrating, unmotivated, basically wondering how I’m going to make it to bedtime without a nap. 

12pm – Nap. 

2pm – Realization of where my day went. Better get working. Maybe a low fat granola bar (sugar & carbs) to carry along the energy. 

4pm – Starving. Ravished. So very hungry. No chance of making it to dinner without a snack. Already had a granola bar and want to be mindful of weight. What to eat?!? Out and about with petty tasks and errands and on the lookout for food stuffs. Aha! Jimmy Johns. They have some tasty vegetarian treats to eat. Veggie sub, no mayo, no cheese. (Mostly sugar & carbs.)

7pm – Ready for dinner. Famished. Didn’t have time to hit up the grocery store with that afternoon nap, so probably best to just order Chinese. After all, I love veggies! 

I think you get the idea. So here it is folks, a new leaf. It’s time. My body is crying out for nutrient dense food. I’m ready to get off this ride. 

The plan…less carbs! Scientific, isn’t it? More protein and more fat in my diet, and saving my carbs for dinner. Turns out, it’s just that simple! 

So what do you say, join me for a sweet potato smothered in coconut oil and paprika for breakfast?  

Do we create our own reality?

As a yoga studio owner, I have the good fortune to encounter a number of holistic workers. Most agree that we create our own reality. But how? That always sounded kind of butterflies and rainbows to me. So I leaned in a bit and started paying attention. Time and time again, I’ve witnessed people create their own reality. It’s kind of like race car driving, drivers are cautioned not to look at the wall or they will drive right into it. Why is that? It seems as though we create what we anticipate – or manifest. It is the law of attraction and is being cited all around the world. Perhaps we are entering an Age of Enlightenment? I’d like to think so. We can do better, first though our thoughts, followed by our acts and deeds. When we project into the future, we change our frequency, if you will. We attract those on said frequency and begin to interact on that level. If the frequency is high, the interaction will be of high quality. If it is low, the interaction will be of low quality. Each day, we make the choice of what frequency we choose to operate on. String enough days together and soon you’ll see how you are the master of your own destiny. So my friends, begin to vibrate on higher level. Engage in conversations and thoughts worthy of your time. If we want to change the world, we need to look no further than within.

Michelle Rae Sobi

Owner, Power Edge Yoga

RYT 500, RYS 200, PRYS 200

Website

Glancer Magazine Picked Me!

Ten Fitness Influencers to Know by Glancer Magazine…

The Full Interview with Michelle Rae Sobi

1. Where is your studio located? I have two in Naperville. One is on the South side of Naperville on 87th & Modaff and the other is on the North side of Naperville on Ogden and Wright. Both are about five to ten minutes from downtown Naperville.

2. When did you first discover your passion for fitness? In junior high school. My best friend and I would go to the gym after school nearly every day. We thought we were so cool to hang out at the gym when everyone else was at McDonalds. We are still friends to this day.

3. If you had to pick one, do you prefer cardio or strength training and why? Tough question! But if I had to pick, cardio due to its stress relieving qualities. I feel people are pent up with stress and that manifests itself as ailments within the body.

4. Who or what inspired your love for fitness? My Uncle Nels. When I was growing up, he was always going to the gym and in such a good mood. I wanted to know what it was all about. He also taught me quite a bit about being a small business owner. He has since instilled these values in his children. He is still in great shape and in a good mood to this day!

5. What is your personal favorite nutritious meal or snack to make and why? Steel cut oatmeal. I really enjoy starting my day off with my overnight oats. I fill mason jars each week with nuggets such as dried cranberries, coconut, a bit of turmeric, etc. The breakfast of champions! My son had oatmeal every morning since the second grade and still has it to this day. He’s been a great example of commitment to wellness.

6. What is the one body part of yours that is your nemesis and your all-time favorite exercise to combat that area? Arms! I love nothing more than nice toned guns in a sun dress. When I put on a few extra pounds, that’s where it goes! I love my Barre Yoga class to tone and slim my guns.

7. What does being a fitness influencer and fitness role model for other people mean to you – what message do you like to convey to others about being fit and healthy? Being a fitness professional is a tremendous responsibility. You have to be mindful that students are coming for all different reasons. If you can find out what each student really wants to accomplish and target that, you’re ready to do your job. That’s a lot more effective than putting your own personal goals upon them.

8. You hold many certifications – which one of you most proud of and why? My Fitness Instructor certificate from College of DuPage. It is a very rigorous program but my knowledge of kinesiology is at the core of my craft. I’m currently in the middle of earning my RYT 500 Hour Yoga Teacher Training at Essencia Yoga. I’m a student before I am a teacher.

9 Can you please share a bit about your family – single, married, children, pets, etc.. I am married and we are quickly becoming empty nesters. We have two little dogs we rescued that rescue us every day! We are both business owners, so we work quite a bit, but also enjoy freedom from a conventional schedule. We recently bought a house just around the corner from my newest Power Edge Yoga studio. I’m pretty excited about riding my fat tire bicycle to work every day.

10. Where do you like to get new ideas to keep it fresh for clients and yourself so fitness does not become boring? Training workshops! I love to take my Edge Yoga School teacher trainees workshops, and see what they know. I learn so much from them!

11. What awards or accolades have you earned in the fitness or nutrition arena? My Yoga Teacher Training program was nominated Best Program at the SCW Fitness Mania Conference last year. It was so exciting!

12. What are your personal hobbies outside of fitness and nutrition? I absolutely love to paint. I started going to the wine and sip paint parties at Pinot Palette and must admit that I’ve gotten pretty good. Sometimes I donate them to local senior housing.

13. Since we can’t always be healthy 100% of the time – What is your guilty pleasure? Snickers bars. Whenever I think about eating something unhealthy I qualify it against how many snickers bars I could have for that. I haven’t had sour cream in three years! You can have half a snickers bar for one serving of sour cream.

14. Please feel free to share anything else you would like the community to know about your love for an overall healthy lifestyle and how to make living healthy fun. There is no short cut to health. I try to encourage my students to live in a healthy way through yoga and meditation, and the body will reflect that. Almost any fad diet can work short term. The idea is to embrace health and treat the body as the temple it is. Eating is for nourishment, not entertainment.

A bit about Michelle...

About a decade ago I was in a debilitating accident and was told I would live the remainder of my days with limited mobility. Not willing to accept defeat, I began taking yoga classes. My love for yoga grew into becoming a yoga instructor, subsequently opening a yoga studio, and ultimately opening a yoga teacher training school, Edge Yoga School. I offer the most affordable yoga classes and teacher training in town because I want to make it accessible to all. I feel that yoga can still be a but elitist and want to offer a friendlier kind of yoga that most people can do. Needless to say, the doctors were wrong. I made a full recovery by taking charge of my health through yoga. Learn more here!

Ahimsa and Animal Rights

There is a principal in yoga called ahimsa, it means to do no harm. The idea is to do no harm to any living thing. Most yogis do their best to honor ahimsa when it comes to the people in their life, but what about our furry friends, the animals? Some yogis choose to be vegetarian or vegan because of the way animals are treated at factory farms. Some believe negative energy transfers from the moment of death from the animal to them, and therefore choose not to eat meat. Ahimsa doesn’t stop at not eating meat, it also involves animal testing. One subject that is very near to my heart. Let me tell you my story about animal testing.

When I was seventeen years old and had just graduated from high school, I took a job selling perfume door to door. It was an experience to be sure. In a nutshell, we schlepped our box of “merch” all over town. Sometimes we had to get creative in gaining entry to the employees that had the no solicitation signs. Knowing this, I made my way to an industrial park, just down the street from where I grew up. Most of the doors were locked, but every now and then we would luck out and find a bored employee willing to let us in. On this day, most of the doors were locked, so I decided to get creative and go around back to the service entrance. One of the doors was unlocked and I walked in. ​I entered the building, rather amused by my ingenuity.

I stopped dead in my tracks. I was overwhelmed by a pungent smell. There it was, a rack, not unlike a rack you might see at a bakery full of tasty donuts and croissants.  There were no pastries on this rack, it was full of bunnies. They were being used for animal testing. The rack was pushed off to the side much like you might find a patient left in the hallway waiting for a hospital room. My gaze met one of these bunnies in their eyes. There was sheer terror in his eyes. My heart raced as I quickly darted out of there. The image of that rack of bunnies is as clear now as it was over thirty years ago. This is the reality of animal testing. These helpless souls living in a rack while being subjected to terror, day after day. When I arrived home, my family consoled me and explained that’s just the way it was. That’s what animals are for. They don’t feel pain or they are too stupid to know what is happening. I knew at that moment that it was wrong. Just because something has always been, does not mean it should be.

How can we as people be so compassionate and at the same time so very cruel? As an adult, I choose to buy products that do not test on animals. It can be inconvenient at sometimes. After all, ignorance is bliss. It is easier to not know, just to look away. That doesn’t change the wrong that is being done.
We vote with our dollar. Consider supporting companies that do not test on animals with your patronage. A new awareness has risen. Try to give it some thought the next time you choose between two comparable products. Choose ahimsa. 

READ ORIGINAL BLOG HERE

Why I love Facebook

Why do I love Facebook? Peeps are often hating on Facebook, so I thought I would take a moment to share why I love Facebook. It is kinda like life, but on a much smaller scale. The people you spend time on will spend time on you. 

Relationships I’ve made with friends that live far away have flourished. I now have vacation spots all over the country. I can reconnect with people that were previously in my life and fell away. It is a great social tool to arrange in person plans and parties. I can watch my nieces and nephews grow up, no matter how far away they live. I can show interest in interesting people. 

Facebook is kinda like a really fun cocktail party. It is not the place to unload all of your troubles. Facebook peeps are not therapists. Those who need to connect on a deeper level with their peeps may benefit from sending a private message, rather than a public post. Would you just suddenly shout out your woes at a cocktail party? Probably not. 

Like anything in life, it is up to you to create the world you want to live in. Want upbeat, positive peeps in your life? Look at your friends list. Do they add joy to your life or drain you with negativity? Choose wisely. Unfollow the haters. Comment on those who inspire you. Inspire someone else. It will all find its way back to you. You receive the energy you put out there. Vibrate at a higher level and you’ll soon surround yourself with those who do, too. ? 

Namaste

A little about Michelle...

Power Edge Yoga Makes Yoga Friendly And Accessible
By S. Mathur

Most yoga teachers believe in its healing power. Michelle Rae Sobi, Owner of Power Edge Yoga, has seen it in action in her own life, after she was in a serious accident. Doctors did not expect her to regain full mobility , but she proved them wrong. She began taking yoga classes and made a complete recovery, to the doctors’ amazement.

The other lesson Sobi learned from her experience is that yoga should be accessible. When she first began yoga, she found herself in an advanced class with all kinds of twists and postures that were impossible for her.

“During mediation, it occurred to me that if I knew more yoga I could practice at my own pace,” Sobi said. “This later would become the reason I opened my studio. I wanted to offer a friendlier type of yoga, something that would be accessible to students of all levels.”

The atmosphere at the studio is friendly, and that’s the most important thing, according to Sobi. “Hands down, the most common compliment I receive about our studio is the sense of community we offer. Students encourage one another to keep them accountable when they otherwise might skip. It’s a beautiful thing to witness.”

The yoga classes are affordable and the schedules are flexible to make it easier for students to keep up the practice. Classes include barre yoga, candlelight yoga, Hatha, restorative, Vinyasa and Yin yoga as well as flow-and-sculpt yoga. In addition to the classes, there are workshops based on Ayurveda principles, helping students to deepen their practice and to learn the philosophy of yoga.

An important workshop offered at Power Edge Yoga is the Transformation Living Workshop by Niko Ana Burkhardt.

“She specializes in EFT, the Emotional Freedom Technique also known as ‘tapping’,”Sobi said of Burhardt. “The premise for the practice it to free yourself of stress and anxiety through this method of tapping on the meridian points. It is a very old practice, and in my opinion, a very effective one.”

Workshops can be combined with the teacher training program, Edge Yoga School®. Like the classes, the teacher training program is affordable. This is part of Sobi’s effort to make yoga more accessible to all those who need it. Yoga saved her life, she says, and she hopes that it will be her legacy.

Students value the closeness offered by the smaller studio space, as well as the knowledge and skills of the teachers. Likewise, those who have taken the training course find that it gives them a solid foundation of knowledge and skills to share with their own students.