MARIN, CA
For all you Marinites who want to put a little more S in your Summer, we’re heading to the Marin Bay Club with two extra-specialized S Factor workshops that will give your body what she craves the most! The one-day Pole Emphasis class on Saturday, August 11 will take you through the toning, strengthening movements of the S Factor Signature Workout you all love, and then teach you two gorgeous pole tricks. In the one-day Routine Emphasis class on Sunday, August 12, after your immersion into the indulgent Signature S Factor workout, you will learn how all the delicious moves flow together in the beginning S Factor routine. As always, space is limited, so reserve your spot now... or sign up for both to double your fun! Register online, call 415.440.6420 or email
tedrat_at_sfactor.com


August 11 & 12
Marin Bay Club
220 Corte Madera Town Center
Corte Madera, CA 94123
415.945.3000





As always, Sheila Kelley’s S Factor is everywhere in the news right now! We’ve been a true hot topic on the entertainment news show circuit, garnering mentions on hipster faves Access Hollywood, Entertainment Tonight and E! News. If you didn’t get to see Sheila’s appearance on the July 4 broadcast of MTV’s Super Made, as she led an amazing young cancer survivor, Diem Brown, through some S moves, you can still visit the MTV website to watch the video.



Sheila Kelley’s S Factor also received some special attention as a great way to get your body beautifully Summer ready, in the July issues of Allure, Fitness and Beep Magazine. Speaking of beautiful, check out the August 6 issue of OK! Magazine to read Sheila’s praise of our lovely S student Kate Hudson! You can find it in the “A-List Address Book” feature section.



You also won’t want to miss a spectacular profile of Sheila and S Factor on TheSavvyGal.com, the most informative, comprehensive on-line guide a girl can find to help her live a fabulous life, with news and tips on everything from health to beauty to finance! Check out their glowing words about S Factor by clicking here.



You can check out the great coverage of S Factor in the current issue of the trend-watching, cultural arts-supporting GenArt newsletter. Did all our Dallas S girls catch Sheila’s return appearance on ABC affiliate WFFA’s Good Morning Texas on July 23? A great time was had by all, as Sheila led hosts Amy and Brenda through some lovely S moves. It was a hit! As was Sheila’s recent appearance on E! Entertainment’s satellite radio show YO on E! She had all the guys in the booth hip-circling and wishing they could take class.



Coming up on August 16 at 6 pm EST, Sheila’s set to appear on The Candace Bushnell Show on Sirius Satellite radio channel 102 for an in-depth, hour-long interview. With the creators of both S Factor and “Sex and the City”, you KNOW it will be a rockin’ conversation you won’t want to miss! East Coast S girls, did you all see S Factor featured in the July issues of New York Absolute, Long Island Pulse and Westchester magazines? And Chicago House Girls, be sure to read all about S in StyleChicago.com and Sheckys.com, two of the hottest on-line sources to find out what’s new and hip in town.

Coming up for Sheila Kelley’s S Factor are features on Lifescript.com, Caesars Player, the Just Kids Family Guide, Texas’ Paper City magazine, Washington’s Finest, Chelsea Now, CenterStageChicago.com
...and much more. Keep checking the “When to Watch” section of our website to make sure you don’t miss a thing!



Q. Do I need to be in shape to take class at Sheila Kelley’s S Factor?

A. Sheila Kelley’s S Factor is a gentle yet strenuous workout that can be tailored to women of all ages and levels of fitness. There is nothing about the S Factor regimen that precludes participation by women of any weight, shape or size. Each student does what she can at the pace that works for her, sometimes repeating Level 1 several times until her strength and fitness level rises to the demands of moving to the next level. The absence of judgment and the presence of full support and encouragement are here at Sheila Kelley’s S Factor for anyone who feels uncomfortable about her body. That uncomfortable feeling will change through the S Factor journey, as students grow comfortable in their own skin and learn to love their curves.

Sometimes a woman’s just got to go, to hit the open road and ride until the noise stops and all you can hear are the bumps and sizzle of the tires on the asphalt. It’s a mesmerizing sound, like a mind purr, and it gives a great calmness of mind. I’ve got to go, got to hit that road and hit it hard. Don’t know where I’m going and don’t really care, just have to get the body moving through space and into another place. I’ve got to feel the air of another town on my skin, smell the scents of another region, hear the sounds of something other than what my life is every day.

This happens to me once, sometimes twice a year. Something comes over me. Call it an instinct or a primitive feeling, but I don’t question it, I don’t negate it and, most of all, I don’t ignore it or chalk it up to a childish urge. You know the whole, “Well, I’m a wife, mom, and a professional business woman. I can’t just go on a whim like I used to” kind-of-crap.

I will always have something wild inside of me. It is who I am as a woman. I am far from tame or domesticated. And that ungovernable thing is not just for the “me” I was in college. As a matter of fact, I’m more prepared now for the wild thing in me than I was when I was 20. Honoring this stormy nature keeps me thriving and alive. It is the whole nature of the primal feminine. I trust it and know that, within two weeks of getting this itch to travel, I have to make it happen. The spirit of a wild woman rumbles inside each of us. It needs to be there. This wild-ass woman sometimes has got to go and feel the edge of life on the brink of the world. Yes, I mean you too. You have her, you may not have felt her urge to move, but, listen hard somewhere deep inside, she may be calling out to you. The signs are obvious: you may be feeling claustrophobic in your home, having a hard time catching your breath, or have an itch you can’t seem to scratch. You may be snapping at those you love or dreading each impending moment of the day... these are signs that you need to get a move on it. This is what I call my “down-and-dirty-get-the-hell-out-of-dodge” travel philosophy. It is my favorite way to travel and the one I’m about to embark on.

Where am I going? Don’t know. Don’t really want to know. That’s part of the mystery for me. I get a general direction or gut feeling and either grab a map at the gas station down the street or, if where I want to go is in another state, I’ll book a plane reservation and that’s it. I’ll find my way. Sometimes I’ll have an ache to see or breathe the same air that I breathed as a kid. Well, I live about 3000 miles from the Jersey shore, so I’m just going to fly into Philly, find my way into Jersey and have at it from there. Yes, it is a scary and out of control way to explore but that is what is so vivid about it. Life is not planned in this universe but unfolds minute by minute with daily decisions. Do I take a left or a right at this intersection? Do I stop in this town to eat or the next one? You can actually go so far as to not know where you are going to sleep at night. Trust that you will find a bed in a motel/hotel, bed and breakfast, or with a friend. Not knowing where you are going to end up on any given day and finding yourself in the middle of a place you could not have even imagined is the greatest lesson I’ve ever had in trust and the flow of life. Knowing that I have control over nothing is a sweet gift.

This happened so vividly with me once. I drove across the country from New York to Los Angeles via the Southern route. My car blew up in a little town called Flagstaff, Arizona. I was stranded for three days waiting for a part. When tooling around in a little rental, I found myself gaping into the most unfathomable sight I could have ever happened upon. I was sitting at the edge of the Grand Canyon, gazing down at the magnificence of God, Allah, Jah, the Goddess. I had no preconceived ideas in my mind of what the Grand Canyon was because I had not built up any expectations. Imagine the visceral impact... breathtakingly beautiful, immense and spirit-rattling.

When you need to, just go. Trust that what you will find is peace of mind. Listen to your wild child inside... know when to go and make it happen, even if it’s just for a day. If you have kids, bring them. Let them taste the flavor of adventure. Stir it up, sister, let her loose... have a vision quest in the mountains, shack up in a motel an hour’s drive from your home, camp beside a raging river, curl up into a warm cozy bed and breakfast in a town you’ve heard about for years but never visited. If you can’t drive, open the front door and walk. Walk until you can’t walk any further. You will come back to your life with freshness of sight and perspective. Things that seemed like such a big deal will no longer carry the weight that they did. The things that are important will emerge and make themselves known. Living life on this edge is inspiring, sometimes even transforming... it will let you come back to your world and create the life you want to live.

With a big, fat, luscious hug!






We’ve all heard of “creative visualization,” right? It's the school of thought that embraces the power of positive thinking, and that channeling your mental focus on whatever you wish to be, have or accomplish will help your ability to turn dreams into reality. Positive thinking may not help you conjure up the winning numbers for next week’s Lotto, but it certainly beats holding onto negative thoughts that keep you stymied - or worse, set you back. Even if circumstances keep you from being able to move forward with certain tangible goals, keep your eye – and mind – on the prize! We S girls all know how delicious the Moving Meditation is, giving ourselves over to our body and letting her flow organically within the music. Why not try a Mental Moving Meditation? Give yourself over to your mind so it can take its own organic flow within whatever your goals may be. Be a mental traveler! When you’re at home, take your S to new heights. Use music to really guide your flow and give you the feeling of something new and different as you luxuriate through your S Factor workout. If you dream of visiting Italy, put on a Verdi CD and mentally wander through the cobbled streets of Florence or the ruins of Rome as you stretch through your Inverted Spine Circles and move through your warmup and into your Moving Meditation. If you lust after that dream job, pop in a CD that makes you feel powerful, close your eyes and watch yourself in that corner office or on that Broadway stage wowing everyone with your skills as you revel in your movement. If you hunger for the perfect new home, take a mental walk through “Casa You”, visualizing every last detail right down to the color of the flowers lining the walkway. Being a mental traveler will not only keep you charged and focused, it will also keep you believing that all good things are possible, and that you deserve them. They are...and you do!






It’s the time of year when people everywhere are vacation-bound, ready to unwind in some faraway tropical paradise, trek through the mountains or people-watch the days away in a quaint European café. For some of us, however, life may not allow for any time off right now – maybe it’s a new job or a new baby or work responsibilities that stand in the way of a getaway. Do not fret, because that much-needed respite is easier to reach than you imagine. Speaking of which, imagination is the first step and main component in creating a vacation in your own home. Whether it’s a day or entire weekend or even just an evening, the goal is to devote some time to luxuriate and escape the day-to-day activities that drain us over the long-term. Grab your best friend or your lover or simply indulge yourself - the key is to be creative and do something in the vein of your dream vacation. If you always dreamed of going to Greece, then have a day of Greek festivities, from eating Greek foods to taking a Grecian bath and a viewing of The Greek Tycoon. If it’s Hawaii you’re dreaming of, treat you and your loved ones to a luau in your own back yard. Buy some inexpensive hula skirts, leis, loads of pineapple, a CD filled with sounds of the islands, a ukulele if you’re feeling daring, and roast a pig on a spit over a bonfire. If you fancy a trip to the Orient, then order some Thai takeout and hire a Thai masseuse to come over and bend you in ways you never dreamed of. If it’s Europe you’re craving, then grab a fancy cappuccino, some baguettes with brie, rent Roman Holiday and watch it from a gloriously frothy bubble bath. Enjoy!




Megan Salisbury is an Instructor at Sheila Kelley’s S Factor Orange County, where she is cherished for her gentle, yet thorough teaching style and beautiful lines of movement. She grew up in Walnut Creek, California, yet moved down South to attend California State University at Long Beach, where she majored in Human Development. The beautiful beaches and sunny weather kept her in Southern California after graduation.

Megan’s passion for dance and movement started early, as she took ballet, jazz and tap as a toddler and continued through high school, where she was a cheerleader as well. She was on the dance team in college, which won a national championship in 2001.

Prior to becoming an S Factor Instructor, Megan had taught Pilates for five years. In search of a way to satisfy her craving for movement, she signed up for an Intro class at the Los Angeles studio and, when she was watching the demo, realized the immense beauty in the instructors’ movement and loved how confident they were about their bodies. “I was a dancer all these years and never learned how to move like that,” says Megan. “I just had to try and learn how to move that way.”

While taking class, Megan felt more confident in her body and realized she wanted to share it with others. “It’s a kind of escape, something fun to do for yourself, yet it also brings about so many positive changes in your life,” says Megan. “When I found out they were opening an Orange County studio, I knew it was my chance to help other women experience this amazing movement.”

Megan’s favorite part about teaching Sheila Kelley’s S Factor is watching all the wonderful changes in her students. “Not only do my students experience physical changes, but their confidence levels increase,” she says. “They become emotionally stronger and more powerful in their everyday lives.”

Megan currently lives in Long Beach. When she’s not teaching S Factor, she teaches Pilates and likes to shop, go to the beach with her boyfriend, watch movies, and relax at home. In addition to S Factor, Megan enjoys running and weight lifting.




Hi Sheila,
As I rode home on the train back to Philadelphia on Saturday, I couldn’t stop thinking about my experience of the S Factor Intro class that morning and of being in the presence of such beautiful and passionate women. To have been afforded the opportunity to be taught by you, in particular, was such an honor. Your personality, sensuality, and presence all truly inspired me. I noticed myself several times during class becoming quite emotional, with my tears representing amazement, wonder, and aspiration. The way I felt emotionally that morning was something that I haven’t felt deep down in such a long time. I felt beauty, sensuality, hope, and complete awareness of each moment, each movement, each breath. I felt so completely alive on Saturday - more alive and aware than I have ever been (even in my years of studying dance, movement, and music). I just want to thank you for opening my eyes to more than even sensuality, femininity, beauty, and movement. You opened my eyes to my soul, to some inner part of me that needed to be found. Thank you for inspiring me and helping me in more ways than you may realize and to all the incredible women who I was in the presence of that morning. That experience is something that I will cherish forever.

Sincerely,
Michael-Ann

Scoop XLong Tank! - AGAIN!

Ladies, we're giving you another chance to get the hottest new S Factor tank! Perfect for those hot summer days on the road, our adorable scoop-neck, extra-long, white tank features a series of your favorite S Factor pole trick silhouettes in contrasting black. This shirt is a super-soft, three-by-one rib knit (which means it is extra stretchy and comfortable), with a sweet lettuce-edged hem, made of 100% cotton. It retails for $24. Click here to see the other delicious designs and colors available, including S Factor’s signature color purple!


Born to Run and Thunder Road
by Bruce Springsteen



When a song is written from a guy’s POV, I sometimes change the pronouns and names and make the song about my trip through this life. I become the hero in the song instead of who the song is being written about. These two are perfect songs for making that transition. Both of these babies just make me want to “go”. From Thunder Road: “Show a little faith, there’s magic in the night” and “Well, the night’s busting open. These two lanes will take us anywhere. We got one last chance to make it real.” From Born to Run: “I’ll love you with all the madness in my soul. Some day, boy (I changed girl to boy), I don’t know when we’re going to get to that place where we really want to go and we’ll walk in the sun but ‘til then, tramps like us, baby, we were born to run.” They're romantic visions of carefree, irresponsible passion and possibility... but it’s the vision I want to experience through my whole life.

Thelma & Louise


I worship this film. I watch it every year and it has become a ritual to which I am addicted. Thelma and Louise is a devastatingly powerful film about two women on the run. Director Ridley Scott, who I worked with and adore, portrays a gender reversal of women victimized by the men in their lives, resulting in a film that tweaked gender politics like none other. This is a movie that made history and continues to do so, every time it is watched.

When best friends Thelma (Geena Davis) and Louise (Susan Sarandon) embark on a girls’ weekend away, the two inadvertently find themselves on a liberating adventure that changes their lives forever. Louise, a 30-something waitress with attitude, needs some time away from her musician boyfriend, Jimmy, while naïve housewife Thelma just needs a little escape from her controlling, emotionally abusive husband, Darryl. They head off to a cabin in the woods for an innocent fishing trip, but stop at a roadside bar to have a drink and a little fun along the way. Thelma drinks shots and dances with Harlan, a guy who seems to be very sweet, but she drinks too much and he tries to rape her in the parking lot. Louise arrives in time to stop the rape, but ends up shooting and killing the man. Certain that the police would not believe their story, since many witnesses in the bar saw Thelma and Harlan dancing cheek-to-cheek, the women go on the run. From there, chaos ensues and the two find themselves on the adventure of a lifetime, complete with a major crime spree, a hot fling with a cowboy played by none other than Brad Pitt (in the role that made him famous overnight), and one of the best police car chases of all time. Best of all, it’s the women who take control of this wild rollercoaster ride. While there is some male-bashing directed towards some very deserving subjects, men are also represented quite positively by Louise’s boyfriend Jimmy (Michael Madsen) and FBI agent Hal (Harvey Keitel), who does his best to try and protect these women though he knows the situation is spiraling out of control.
Both of these women are phenomenal in this movie – they are vividly alive and effervescent from their adventures and newfound strength. The acting is brilliant and there is never, ever a dull second in this film. Watch this movie and you will be inspired to grab your best friend, rent a convertible, and get your road trip on!


1,000 Places to See Before You Die: A Traveler's Life List


Just browsing through this book is a vacation in itself. 1,000 Places to See Before You Die: A Traveler's Life List is a well of inspiration, filled with ideas of where to go next, things to do and what to see. Whether you prefer a luxury getaway or a cultural journey or a respite in nature, there is something for everyone in this book. Flipping through it is incendiary, as you will find 50 things you want to do or places to visit in this lifetime, ranging from a Nile Cruise to the Bourbon Trail in Kentucky to a Polar Bear Safari. It will also help you recapture memories of places you’ve already been, with author Patricia Schultz' beautifully written, concise descriptions of each place. Her passion for travel comes through in her writing and is utterly contagious. Before long, you’ll be booking that trip to Count Dracula’s Castle on your way to the Romantic Road in Bavaria, after your Thai Massage in Mae Hong Song. For those of you who do not wish to leave North America, there’s 1,000 Places to See Before You Die: A Traveler's Life List (USA and Canada). To purchase, click here.


Origins - On The Spot Relief



If you need to travel somewhere far, far away from the chaos and stress of life, but there are no vacation plans on the horizon, Origins Sensory Therapy line of products is the perfect compromise to help get you through your day. Our favorite is Peace of Mind On The Spot Relief, a botanical-based formula that will clear your mind when you dab it on the back of your neck, temples and earlobes. Close your eyes, breathe deeply and inhale the delicious aroma of basil, peppermint and eucalyptus essential oils. You’ll feel a tingling sensation as the scent travels upwards through the receptors of your nose to the area of your brain that influences your heartbeat, appetite and sleep cycle. You will feel more relaxed and de-stressed, both physically and emotionally, as the tension melts away. It is the perfect way to disengage. The Peace of Mind formula is also available in Relaxing Massage Oil and Tension Releasing Vapor Bath. Visit www.origins.com for more information.