Gifted Body

Oh, my body, my body, my sweet 'girl'.  The relationship between my body and I was a rocky one almost all of my life, but it has been repaired after a long, hard climb.  When your body moves like beauty all judgment recedes. That's what I've discovered through S Factor movement. Love of, compassion for, pride in my body - something I never imagined I would evolve to.

One person who helped me see my body truly was my hub-man, Richard.  He didn't realize he was helping me but, as I practiced for the film Dancing at the Blue Iguana in his office, I would watch him watching me as I swung on the pole or hip circled the wall or frisked or cat pounced and I would see him experiencing visual nirvana. It was so fascinating. Then I began to notice his eyes watching me all the time... well, watching my body that is. I would be speaking to someone at a party and his eyes would follow my arms and hands as I gestured, describing some story. Then I began to notice men all over the place, out on the street, in the shopping mall, watching women with pure appreciation – and I mean ALL women.  Men would watch women of all sizes and shapes and ages, and there was something of awe in their expressions.  Of course, there was that little thing called lust in there, too, but beyond that, underneath it, was the eye of an art connoisseur. 

I remember in college hearing my dance teacher say, "Your body is your temple. Treat it that way," in an effort to get all of us dance majors to eat better. I didn't get it. I mean, I understood intellectually what she was saying but I didn't understand it viscerally or emotionally. I never implemented it 'cause I don't own a temple and wouldn't know what to do with one if I did.  A temple?  It's too austere, non-breathing, immobile.  How can you feel for a temple?  How can you nurture a temple?  How can a temple breathe and move and, most importantly, dance? So I stuck with my Snickers and Coke for lunch through college (the thought of it now makes me kinda woozy). What I needed was an analogy that moved me.

As I grew up and eventually started teaching S Factor, I saw each and every one of my student's bodies breathtakingly emerge into the great creatures they were meant to be. I was awestruck. Their bodies were so sweet and beautiful. Each body seemed to breathe on her own, seemed to feel on her own, and seemed to have her own personality separate from that of the woman who lived in her.  It was then that I began to see my students' bodies as their gifted children. I grew fiercely protective of their bodies and became their advocate.  The great gift I received through the accumulation of S Factor, my students and my hub-man's eyes was that I, too, began to see my own body as a gifted child and my entire relationship with her changed. I stopped saying crappy things about her and even tried to stop thinking bad things about her. I saw the vulnerability of her and grew protective of her instead of hard on her. I listened to my body when she was tired and let her rest instead of push her too hard.

I encourage you to give it a try, to consciously see your body like your very own child.  Treat her the way you would your own flesh and blood. (After all, she is!) The change in your behavior might be subtle and almost unnoticeable or it might be earthshakingly eye-opening, which it was for me. Either way, it will affect you.

Forget your bank account, your house, your jewelry. Your body is your greatest asset.  She's your girl, your confidante, your best friend, your baby, your lover, your nurturer and your slave.  She does things for you that you don't even think about or necessarily appreciate.  She houses you, gives you a home on this planet, tastes your food, cries your tears, breathes for you, pumps your blood, hears the good and bad news, smiles for you, communicates for you -- she's vulnerable, your body.  She only wants to make you happy. She only wants to keep you alive. She will do anything you tell her to do within her range.  She only wants to make you love her.  She only wants to make you proud of her.
 
And what do we do for her in return?  I know one thing, we criticize her and we judge her. We stare at her in the mirror after a shower and think how big our bellies are getting or how ugly our cellulite is or how jiggly our butts are. Have you ever done this one? Someone pays you a compliment like "You've got great legs," and you say "Oh no, they're too thick," instead of a simple thank you and a proud touch to the leg. We sometimes keep food from her or shove too much in her, depending on our mood. I know I certainly did. We put things in her mouth to make us feel good when we're having a bad day because we didn't get the promotion at work that we wanted so badly.  However, it is those things (doughnuts, coffee, Snickers bars, cigarettes, potato chips, etc.) that ultimately make us feel bad.  Worse than that, those things hurt your 'girl.'  If you're pissed off about something, deal with it head on, don't take it out on your body. It's the person who didn't give you the promotion that you should be shoving the cookies at, not your precious body. 

Before you feed her, before you judge her or criticize her, ask yourself, "Would I do this or say this to my child?"  And if you did call her "fat" or "ugly" or "too skinny" or "too jiggly", consider how it would affect a child.  She'd grow up feeling pretty bad about herself, wouldn't she?  It's a form of body abuse.  Kind of a sobering thought, huh?

Pick your least favorite part of your body. Quick, don’t think, just go. For me, it has always been my belly, scarred from various surgeries (don’t ask), stretched from here to there and back again twice (two kids). My belly is a beautiful battlefield of my life - and hey, I am alive, as are two other people because of her. Miracle? I think so. Now go ahead and choose, what is your least favorite part of your body? Then place your hand there. Feel the life under your palm. Recognize the value and work that part of your body does for you and your loved ones. Maybe it’s your thigh that you’re touching. What good is your upper leg, you might be asking yourself? Could you imagine not having it? Your legs and their extraordinary muscles carry you through your day and through your life. They run you and they walk you. They squat you. They climb stairs. When I allow myself to think this way… when I take the time to think this way, I realize how in awe of my body I am. Now it’s your turn to do the same.

Kristin Mason
Orange County Instructor

Kristin Mason is known for her incredibly warm teaching style – and for inspiring a large number of women at Sheila Kelley's S Factor Orange County.  She grew up in Alta Loma, California and studied Microbiology and Anatomy at Riverside City College.  Kristin has been passionate about movement since she started dance classes at the tender age of three.  She studied jazz, ballet and tap, but fell most in love with lyrical jazz since it was not focused on perfection like ballet is.  In fact, this same attribute is one of the reasons why she loves Sheila Kelley's
S Factor so much.

Kristin's study of dance spans more than decade, and includes six years at the famous Los Angeles dance studio, The Edge.  She was a member of a Hip Hop team called Chaos from ages 16-18, for which she competed at different colleges and events, and was also a member of The Pulse, a jazz team with which she performed at halftime shows during college sports events.

Having always been involved with some form of movement, Kristin finds it to be an integral part of her life.  "For me, dance and any type of movement is emotional and cathartic," she says.  "I think I am just naturally born to move – it's a release for me, and it's the way I express myself."   When Kristin first discovered Sheila Kelley's S Factor, she was experiencing a difficult period in her life, a time when felt that she was stripped of her dignity – her intuition told her she needed to try this movement.  It was her first Level 1 class that made her feel like she had a home... soon after the transformation within her began.  "Sheila Kelley's S Factor completely healed me and changed how I viewed my body," she says. "It gave me this confidence that I never knew existed in women." Coming to the 'S' gave her a natural high to which she became addicted and she realized this was something she needed to share with other women.

Kristin absolutely loves teaching, as it helps her to continue the journey and to build strength within herself, both physically and emotionally.  "I love the support that we get from this community of women that we have created," she says.  "It's like a protective nook where women get to be sexy and confident, while feeling safe and nurtured.  It's not just a fitness class. It's a place of surrender, release, and personal growth."

Kristin currently lives in Irvine and loves cooking and wine tasting.  She would love to go to culinary school to become an expert in her hobby.

Dear Sheila,

This is April French from Sheila Kelley's S Factor Encino.  I am currently taking Level 2 with Dara McGarry and having the best time!  Dara is the most wonderful teacher!  She is warm, patient and, best of all, funny.

I came to S Factor a lover of dance, with a body unwilling to work with my passion.  I am the queen of uncoordinated, you see, but I have a spirit that loves to move.  Dara's positive attitude and kindness, along with the movement itself, have prevented me from giving up.  Thank you for helping me find my moves!

With Love,
April
 
P.S.  The Encino Studio is looking great.  Oh, and I love the fancy new website!

Employment Opportunity

Sheila Kelley’s S Factor is seeking a stellar individual to fill the position of Assistant for our General Manager and Chief Operating Officer at the Los Angeles Corporate Office. This is an excellent opportunity for anyone who is bright, hard-working, outgoing, energetic, and passionate about Sheila Kelley’s S Factor. We promote from within and the advancement opportunities are boundless as we are a rapidly expanding company. The ideal candidate will be excellent with computers (especially Excel), organized, self-motivated, terrific with people, project-oriented, discreet and well-spoken. The full-time position will include special projects and back-up to the studio Ambassadors. Sheila Kelley’s S Factor is a fun and exciting place to work. Please forward your resume to kathleenc@sfactor.com if you are interested.

Sheila Kelley’s S Factor corporate offices in Los Angeles is seeking an assertive Marketing Manager who will be responsible for the creation, development and implementation of grass roots marketing strategies, as well as refining and further developing brand strategy for Sheila Kelley’s S Factor. The successful candidate will have excellent writing and communications skills, a proven track record in effectively marketing a company or product with measurable results, strong leadership skills, and the ability to motivate a team to implement marketing plans. The ideal candidate will have a minimum of five years of marketing experience, a four-year degree (preferably in Marketing), excellent management and leadership skills, familiarity with public relations and computer proficiency in Microsoft Office, as well as Adobe Photoshop. If interested, please send resumes to cschiffbooker@sfactor.com.

Sheila Kelley’s S Factor Encino is seeking Ambassadors who are passionate about the ‘S’. We are looking for individuals who are professional, outgoing, great on the phone, sales-oriented, computer savvy, organized, and hard-working. We have both full-time and part-time positions available, which will include weekends and nights. There is excellent advancement potential within our rapidly growing company. Come be a part of our family! Please forward your resume to srice@sfactor.com if you interested.