Septemenber 18th, 2007

What beautiful weather we have here...

As Southern Californians our experiences with "bad weather" are few and far between. However, compared to the extreme heat wave a few weeks ago, the weather lately has been nothing but beautiful! Enjoy this time of year by being outside as much as possible. Taking time out in nature tunes us into our own natural rhythms- the best way to know what our bodies need- i.e. more exercise, more rest, more water, less food, etc. Whatever it is that you need, we got it, or we would love your suggestions! Take a Gentle Yoga with Gong to relax, or a Body Burn Pilates to stretch, or Controlled Burn to strengthen, or Awesome 80's Dance Party for cardio....what is it that your body needs? Take a listen.

Simple Ways to Turn Your Health Around
Every Morning, Afternoon, and Night

Think you can put off taking care of yourself? Start thinking differently. "Only one-third of our health is determined by genetics. The rest is due to lifestyle choices," says Gary Small, MD, director of the Center on Aging at UCLA and author of The Longevity Bible. "It's easier to protect well-being than it is to repair damage," he says. To make a U-turn now and head down the road to good health, try these newly updated, very doable strategies.

EVERY MORNING: Stand When Getting Dressed
Sounds too simple to make a difference, but forcing your body to balance while you put on your pants or skirt strengthens your reflexes and core muscles. "This will protect against falls and broken bones, particularly as you get older," says Sherry Marts, PhD, vice president of scientific affairs at the Society for Women's Health Research in Washington, D.C. Stand on one leg, then on the other, while pulling on your jeans. Shifting your weight from foot to foot is what you want to get good at.

EVERY AFTERNOON: Have a Superlight Lunch
Yes, you need to eat regular meals, but could they be smaller? Certainly, says Christiaan Leeuwenburgh, PhD, a professor of aging and geriatric research at the University of Florida's College of Medicine in Gainesville. "You may find you have more energy if you eat lightly, because cells may work at their optimal level when they're not supersaturated with calories," he explains. What's more, consuming fewer calories over a life-span can reduce and even reverse age-related cell damage. You know what counts as light: a salad, half a sandwich, a cup of soup. But if you want to go even further, Leeuwenburgh suggests having an apple or other piece of fruit instead of lunch on days when breakfast is late or dinner will be early. If you have any medical conditions, check with your doctor first.

EVERY NIGHT: Head for Bed 10 Minutes Early
About a quarter of women get fewer than six hours of sleep a night (most of us need seven to eight hours). Recent studies link chronic deprivation to a weak immune system and an increased risk of diabetes and heart disease, among other dangers. "Refrain from taking a hot bath or shower within an hour of bedtime, since falling body temperatures can assist in the onset of sleep," says Nancy Collop, MD, medical director of the Johns Hopkins Hospital Sleep Disorders Center in Baltimore. And even though working out improves sleep quality, you shouldn't exercise within two hours of turning in. If you have insomnia, get out of bed rather than toss and turn, but whatever you do to relax, stay away from the computer - - the blue light is stimulating and will wake you up even more.

EVERY WEEK: Load Up on Healthy Groceries
"Having nothing healthy in the house is often our excuse for picking up something bad to eat on the way home from work," says Jacqueline Suk Danik, MD, a cardiologist and faculty member at Harvard Medical School. Stock up on vegetables, fruit, and whole wheat pasta and bread, as well as fish, turkey, and other lean meats. Prepare good-for-you dishes beforehand or learn to make basics -- such as steamed fish -- that take little prep time after you walk in the door. While shopping, you might also want to limit the processed foods in your cart, since, like restaurant take-out meals, they are apt to contain trans fats. In addition to their adverse effects on cholesterol levels, these fats were recently linked to increases in abdominal fat, which is associated with cardiovascular disease, says Lawrence Rudel, PhD, a professor of pathology and biochemistry at Wake Forest University School of Medicine in Winston- Salem, North Carolina.

EVERY 5 YEARS: See an Internist
"Young women often think they don't need one, because they're not worried about heart disease," says Paula Johnson, MD, a cardiologist and chief of the division of women's health at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. "But a gynecologist isn't likely to test your cholesterol, which is a must no matter what your age." An internist can also tell you if your levels are normal. (What's healthy depends on a number of factors, but across the board, HDL, the "good cholesterol," should be over 50 for women.) Once you know that your scores are within a healthy range, you should be good to go for the next five years.

AS OFTEN AS YOU CAN:
Avoid Smoky Places
"Even when you sit in nonsmoking areas, you're still breathing in toxins -- and there is no safe level of exposure," says David Coultas, MD, of the University of Texas Health Center at Tyler.

Skip the Cola
Women who down more than three servings a week have lower bone density (a marker for osteoporosis) than those who drink less. "The body draws out calcium to buffer the phosphoric acid in cola," explains Katherine Tucker, PhD, of Tufts University in Boston.

Take a Brisk 30-Minute Walk
A recent study confirmed that regular aerobic exercise (three hours a week) increases brain volume in older adults, which translates to better concentration and memory. "In younger people, this can help stave off mental decline, which starts in your 20s," says Arthur Kramer, PhD, of the University of Illinois at Urbana- Champaign.

Hold Hands
When it's with someone you're close to, like your partner, holding hands can decrease activity in the parts of the brain that release harmful stress hormones, says Jim Coan, PhD, of the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. Heck -- give 'em a hug!

Excerpt from Fitness Magazine.com

It's Official: New Salsa Workout Teacher
Jocelyn Lopez

After subbing for Maya for the past few months and unofficially taking over the class, it is now confirmed, our beloved Jocelyn Lopez will be taking over Maya's Salsa Workout class on Sundays at 1:00 PM. As Maya's obligations and life take her in another direction, we are thrilled to welcome Jocelyn on board as an official Heartbeat House faculty member, and we are sure all of you will be happy with this addition!

Jocelyn Lopez is a 24 year old Los Angeles native. She currently received a BS degree in Health Science Education from Cal State University of Long Beach. She loves every form of expressive art including spoken word, photography, music and dance. She has trained in Cuban Salsa, LA Salsa, Cumbia, Cha Cha, Merengue, West African, Hip Hop and House to name a few. She has performed in many LA venues with Versa-Style Ensemble and Contra-Tiempo Dance Company. She also toured in NY with Contra-Tiempo. She is one of the founding member of both Versa- Style and Contra-Tiempo. Her strong passion for dance lead her to become the founder of CSULB's Afro-Latin Dance Club in Fall 2006. In March 2007 she was invited by Royalty productions to teach salsa on a cruise to Baja Mexico. She is currently teaching at Ballys in North Hollywood, Crenshaw Yoga and Dance Studio, CSULB and now, Heartbeat House. She aspires to continue growing as a dance performer and giving back to her community!

Come take Salsa with Jocelyn on Sundays at 1:00 PM:
Salsa Workout is a high energy cardio class integrating simple salsa steps to fun latin music! No experience or partner needed, just bring yourself, a water bottle (you will sweat), and get ready to move and have fun with Jocelyn. The class will end with a short core workout.

FEATURED CLASS OF THE MONTH:
Controlled Burn- The Class

CONTROLLED BURN-THE CLASS is a unique dance/fitness class that is designed fo enhance your muscular control, gain more body awareness, improve your posture, and make you feel great! By integrating some of the worlds best body conditioning disciplines (pilates, yoga, ballet technique, technical jazz warm-up exercises, and Feldendrais) Melissa has designed an intense, one hour workout that will strengthen and stretch your body with no impact. This class is an excellent way to target some of the most stubborn exercise-resistant areas of the body (lower abs, buns, thighs, and core) a portion of the class will be dedicated to slow, controlled, intense core work. Controlled Burn-The Class is great for an absolute beginner yet can be challenging enough for a professional dancer who wants to focus on alignment and technique. There will be no choreography to learn, and no across the floor...unless you beg for it. This is an intense class...don't let the slow movements fool you...

YOU WILL SWEAT!
YOU WILL FEEL IT!
YOU WILL LOVE IT!

*BAREFOOT, BALLET SLIPPERS, OR SOCKS SUGGESTED...TENNIS SHOES AND SHOES WITH RUBBER SOLES NOT RECOMMENDED. *BRING A TOWEL TO WIPE OFF, AND SOME WATER TO REFRESH.

Tuesday and Thursday 10:30 AM
Wednesday 5:30 PM

ControlledBurnFitness.com

Guest Community Yoga Teacher
LeTania Kirkland 9/26, 9/28, 9/29

Community Yoga Fans- get ready for a new experience with a Vinyasa Flow guest teacher for three days only, Sept. 26th, Sept. 28th, and Sept. 29th. Her name is LeTania Kirkland and she is from New York:

LeTania Kirkland began studying yoga by way of modern dance and has never looked back. She received her certification from Laughing Lotus Yoga Center in New York City and began teaching straight away. Prior to moving to Los Angeles, she taught at various centers throughout NYC as well as provided yoga to individuals in corporate sttings. LeTania is deicated to sharing the traditional teachings of Yoga while providing an ecstatic creative flow with the breath as a means to discover the healing of movement and meditation.

LeTania's class is an invigorating Vinyasa Flow with close attention paid to alignment and detail of asanas. Students will be guided through a grounded warm-up follwed by an ecstatic flow of creative sun salutations and strengthening standing poses. The latter half of the class will focus on deeply held stretches, twists and inversions to purify the body and prepare the mind for meditation.

Wednesday 9/26 8:30 PM
Friday 9/28 9:00 AM
Saturday 9/29 9:15 AM

Community Events
Chakra Dance Workshop with Heather

Come join our Bellydance Fusion teacher, Heather Shoopman, as she guides you in a Chakra Dance workshop this Sunday, September 23rd from 7:30-9:30 PM.

In the beginning~~dance was used for the purpose of worship and healing~~ a way to connect with spirit~~your higher self~~and all of humanity. Join Heather as we experience an inner journey to promote spiritual awakening, mental clarity, physical stamina and emotional well-being. You will experience meditation in motion with breathwork, guided trance dance techniques, and partner exercises in a safe environment. You will leave feeling rejuvenated, inspired and loved!!

9/23 Sunday 7:30-9:30 PM $20

Schedule Updates
Cancellations, New Time, Subs, Coming Soon...

WE WILL BE CLOSED LABOR DAY WEEKEND, SEPTEMBER 1-3. CLASSES WILL RESUME TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 4TH.

NEW CLASSES:
Sassy Dance Workout with Alma on Mondays at 8:30 PM.

SUBSITUTES:
Sat. 9/22: Bollywood Dance at 1:00 PM will be taught by Jasmine
Mon. 9/24: Community Yoga at 9:00 AM will be taught by Andrew
Wed. 9/26, Fri. 9/28, Sat. 9/29: Community Yoga will be taught by LeTania.

UPCOMING:
Belly Dance Time Changes on Tuesdays starting October 2nd: Beg. Bellydance will be moved to 7:30 PM and Int/Adv Bellydance will be moved to 8:30 PM. Both classes will be an hour.

New Kids Ballet/Tap Class (for 5-7 yrs.) with Kristen will begin Thursday Oct.11 at 4:00 PM.

Volunteer Program
Work Exchange

Want to dance.... but low on funds? Come help us out at Heartbeat House in exchange for FREE dance classes. Every 4 hours you work, you will receive a 4 class card. Email us with your availability!

Promotions
New Students, Birthdays, and Referrals

SPREAD THE WORD AND TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE PROMOTIONS NOW!

New Student Promotion:
New Students can try any class they want their first week for only $5/class!

Birthday Promotion:
Come dance off that birthday cake with $5 classes the week of your birthday!

Referral Program:
Receive 20% off a 4 Class Package when you refer a new student who buys a Class Package.

Dance Events
Benefit Show for the Troops in Afghanistan
Barnsdall Art Park, Hollywood Blvd and Vermont in Los Feliz Village
Artists on the Brink:
Benefit Show for the Troops in Afghanistan choreography: THE (holy sight) mecca vazie and russian lover nina
7pm
$25 bucks

Saturday, September 22nd, 2007

Heartbeat House Photo
Salsa Dance Party

It's Ms. Mermaid Pinata from our Salsa Dance Party on Friday 9/7!