Another added to my favorites list; the use of our Movement ball in between barre sets, where we engage in super familiar choreography but THIS time do it with a ball gripped behind our knee was the best fire. I was challenged to try moves in all-four with a dancing leg but hands on barre rather than on floor; I will keep working on stable and squared hips because I wasn’t quite there during this first attempt. The warmup had my attention and kept my focus to get it right, and I was also needing to keep my attention sliding the ball under the top of my foot of my back leg in lunge position at the barre. I used the regular movement ball under foot at the barre and behind my lower back for floor abs, and the smaller ball behind my knee. All of the form guidance and the generous sprinklings of “what if you did?” and “yes you can” were helpful and encouraging.

Agreed that this felt meditative and while it was steady and intentionally paced (not fast and furious) the intention of breath to brace my core and lift my leg (with ankle weights) without shifting my hips and having other muscles try to ‘group project’ the movement kept me present (and some deep exhales and cuss words but also yes felt so good to complete). The meditation words at the end were beautiful as well. We use one hand weight (I went with 5 lb) and optional ankle weights that can be there from warm up to cool down (not jumpy at all, just our bouncy wake-and-shakes at the beginning).

Another class added to my Favorites list in the M/BODY app! During standing arm work my arm muscles were shaking. During standing barre work my legs were shaking. As class was closing I was feeling so powerful, strong, and calm. The barre choreography with one dancing leg and one stabilizing leg (with movement ball under foot and then working to movement ball squeezed behind one knee) did some SERIOUS hamstring and calf and booty work! I enjoyed picking up weights while laying tummy skyward on the mat for weighted crunches and arm movements while keeping hips still. This 45 felt super full body and I look forward to doing this again in the catalog as the changes came quickly and I forgot to add the movement ball in between my thighs for the brief P&P set (also push-ups with fingers facing away from body while elbows hug inward was new and different for me!).

Happy almost Marnieversary, Becca!