Every day seems like madness. I have to take the kids to school at 7:30 in the morning. Before that, I have to wake them, feed them and get them to dress themselves. The eleven-year-old is okay with that. The five-year-old, being female (and very female at that), is still holding onto the idea that I need to hold her clothes out so she can ‘step' into her clothes daily. After dropping the kids at school, I have a doctor's appointment at 8:30 in downtown L.A. – nothing dangerous, just a basic checkup and maintenance. At 10 am, I have my first class of the day, teaching the magnificent ‘S' to a roomful of amazing women who are also trying desperately to balance their lives. At noon, I have my first meeting out of three – and that's a light day. Someone is showing me a new product, maybe a lingerie line that she's hoping we might want to carry at the boutique. This meeting ends and another begins, say, at around 1pm. Some guy has a terrific idea for another reality show and they want to base it on the ‘S'. His idea is to have Pamela Anderson, Tommy Lee and Angelyne be the judges in the same vein as American Idol. Then he would recruit Maxim and FHM magazine models to compete in ‘S Factor' empowerment classes with a ‘strip and pole off' competition where all three judges weigh in and critique their ‘performances'. I have to tell them that we're already doing a reality show with a very cool company. I tell him that it will be about empowerment and body celebration and how S Factor helps change women from the inside out and no, there won't be any ‘strip off'. His eyes dull over at the mention of empowerment.

This meeting is interrupted at 1:23 pm by an emergency phone call from my son's school. Some kind of altercation has taken place and he has to go home for the day. I race out of the office and down to his school, which is about 30 minutes away, and bring him back to the studio. As I'm trying to discipline him and figure out why he snipped off a piece of Emily Bernsteins's braid in art class, I get an important phone call from Atlanta. There is a big wig businesswoman who wants to open an S Factor studio there and would love to talk to me about it. This is something I am dying to do as I get an enormous amount of email from Atlanta. I've done pretty well with my time today, even though I have yet to breathe, but now comes a choice. Do I leave my kid and take the call… or do I finish trying to help formulate a good, respectful human being? Balance. Choices. What the hell to do? I, of course, opt for my child's well-being and have Laurie, my assistant, take their number.

It's 2:38 now and I'm eight minutes late for my meeting in Studio B. I'm being taught by three brand-spanking-new teachers as their final training. I leave my son in my office, run into studio B and take a class for an hour. I have a lot to say after the hour but need to run out to pick my daughter up at school, so I tell them I will give them notes tomorrow at 1 pm. I call hub-man to see if he could possibly pick Ruby up and he tells me she has gymnastics/tap and Mary Ann's mom is picking her up today. I have an hour-and-a-half reprieve. I go back into my office, where my son sits sullenly in the corner, all peeved looking, and I start to try and talk to him. My phone call return list is 15 people deep. Some are important calls that I need to return today, some I mark ‘important but can wait until tomorrow' and then I get on my computer and check my email. 240 emails since last night. Son in the corner sulking, daughter being dropped off at home in an hour now… what's for dinner? Richard is where today? Is he shooting the last episode of the West Wing? Will he be home for dinner? Is my nephew coming for dinner tonight or is it next week? One of the messages on my desk is from a student who needs to talk about her last class and the song that she moved so beautifully to. I'm dying to call her now and hear her great story, but that one will have to wait ‘til tomorrow.

I need to breathe and haven't eaten anything since 7 am. My son and I walk over to La Brea Bakery and sit for five minutes. He seems a bit low. Really didn't mean any harm with the snip of a millimeter of hair, he claims. I have an image in my mind of the Norman Rockwell painting of the boy dipping the girl's braid in black ink. Normal American boy or serial killer in the making? Does every mother have these thoughts? Back at the office I start to dig into my emails one at a time. I move through 100 by the end of the hour and then, just before running out the door to try and beat my daughter home, hub man calls to say he'll be home to meet her. The list of phone calls I need to return is growing, the emails keep coming in, my son has a science project that he needs help with and I haven't seen my husband in 10 days and counting…you get my drift. Life can be all-consuming. Where does a woman find balance? As you can see from the never-ending list that I've just recounted for you, the bottom line is ‘choices'. I have to make choices every day. Which is most important at any given moment and to what do I focus my attention on? Balance. Ever-elusive. Here's what I've come down to. Sometimes you have to say no. Sometimes you have to say, "I can't today," or "I'll get back to it when I can breathe calmly again." The demands have not lessened with time like I thought they would. They've increased.

I look for balance. I prioritize. Number one: children. Sorry, no wiggle room on this one. Number two: husband, although these days he would beg to differ. Number three: my sanity, lose it daily and by the end of my S Factor class, I get it back. Then there's my baby, the S Factor and all the amazing women that are a part of it. And my friends, who are my life blood, they keep me in touch with my girl. They also understand that sometimes friendship is based on history and trust, not the hours logged together.

Whether you're a single mother or a career gal or a cramming college student or a retired-but-very-committed social creature, life will sometimes threaten to overwhelm and swallow you. Don't let it. Our job is to keep ourselves in check. Find that one moment in a crazy week that you can call your time. Make it substantial, make it count. Whether it's a hot bath with wonderful smelling salts or an hour-and-a-half with your S Factor DVD, or a long walk in nature all by yourself. Remember, sometimes you have to say, "no", or "later" or "tomorrow" or "call me back" or "I can't". Make choices that matter. Make choices that, years from now, you can live with. And always remember make choices that will feed your soul.

All my love and respect,

A foot massage is one of the most amazing gifts you can give to your own two feet or those of a friend or lover! It's visceral, relaxing and sensual, as well as a great stress reliever. The best way to start is to soak those babies in warm water with something stimulating such as peppermint or eucalyptus oil, with a little lavender added in for the relaxing benefits. Another option is to dissolve a cup of Epsom salts or baby oil into the water before you start. After soaking, dry thoroughly, and position yourself or your recipient very comfortably (position is key!). Put a pillow in your lap and rest your foot on it or, if you are working on someone else, have their knee and foot supported while you work. A recliner chair with the foot rest up is the ideal scenario.

1. Start by gently massaging a rich cream into the whole foot, from the toes to the ankle. Move from the top systematically down, applying pressure. Stay in each area for 15 seconds to get the blood circulating.

2. Grab the heel with one hand, and the top of the foot with the other. Rotate the ankle to open up the joints, while working the sole with your thumb. Put both hands around the foot with your fingers on the bottom and your thumbs on the top. Move your thumbs between the tendons smoothly and firmly, from your ankle toward your toes using long, luxurious strokes. Work with firm but gentle pressure.

3. Now work on the soles of your feet. Using your thumbs, make circular motions that cover the entire surface of the bottom of your foot, moving from the base of your toes toward your heel. Use steady and even pressure, with a bit more firmness on your heels as the skin there is tougher. Increase the pressure just a little bit as you go back over the entire surface of the sole.

4. Gently rub the toes in circular motions, stretching them slightly as you massage. Next, twist the foot by rotating both hands around it, each going in opposite directions. Use extra cream to keep it feeling indulgent.

5. Repeat the whole ritual on the other foot.

After the massage, wipe the soles of your feet with a towel to prevent your feet from being slippery. Slip into some luscious cotton socks or your favorite slippers. Heaven!

Balance In Your Body.

Since this month's theme is finding balance in your life, how about an exercise in finding balance in your body? Something easy that can be done anywhere, anytime. The next time you're standing in line at the post office, grocery store, pharmacy, wherever… stand firmly with your feet parallel to each other, shoulder width apart. Breathe deeply and simply shift all your weight to one side of your body. Literally balance on one side for as long as you can, breathing slowly and deeply, concentrating on where your weight is. Relax and notice how that physical balance affects your emotional and mental balance. As you breathe, notice how it ties together your emotions and spirit. It's as if your breath is balancing every part of your body, your psyche, and your mind. Everything is tightly connected and this exercise really makes you feel it. Switch to the other side and do it as often as you can, slowly increasing your time until you reach one minute on each side.

Last month's 'All About Your Workout' Poll &
This months 'Let's talk about Men' Poll
Men… those unique creatures who makes us crazy with every emotion possible. There's things we love about them, and things that we don't love so much. This month, we want to hear what it how you really feel about men, what types you like, don't like, and so on.
Click here and Shout it out, my sistahs!

On to last month's poll. Let's see how you ladies worked those beautiful 'S' bodies to the core.

I workout…
11.16% - Once a Week
13.49% - Twice a Week
57.67% - Three or more times a week
10.7% - Every single day, baby!
6.05% - Never! :(

In addition to the 'S', I…
6.51% - Train with weights
5.58% - Do cardio at the gym
3.72% - Run
14.42% - Walk
4.65% - Do Yoga
3.72% - Do Pilates
49.77% - Do a mixture of exercise
9.77% - The 'S' is all the workout I need

You like working out…
46.35% - Alone, I need the solitude
6.98% - In a group
19.53% - In a class
10.7% - With a trainer
13.02% - With a partner
2.33% - I don't work out

What do you wear when you workout?
23.26% - T-shirt and shorts
15.35% - Tank top and boy shorts
14.42% - Sweats
37.21% - Yoga or Pilates Gear
6.51% - Something cute and trendy
1.86% - Nothing

How do you feel after working out?
11.63% - Tired, just want to go home and crash
8.37% - Hungry
2.79% - The same as before I worked out
60.93% - Energized and ready for anything!
14.88% - Like I'm the hottest thing around!

I started working out...
13.95% - As a child
0% - In my teen years
33.49% - Early adult years
12.09% - When I turned 30
5.58% - After childbirth
3.26% - When the kids left the house


Don't forget to participate in this month's 'Let's Talk About Men' Poll.

Dear Sheila,
I can't believe it has taken me to Level 5 to write to you. Since we were so spoiled back in Level 1 by you popping in and out of class to help, I think I've waited to run into you ever since. So yes, I have continued, and I cannot begin to tell you how important S factor has become to me. It became all the more clear when I was ready to mow people down on Wilshire as I sped to class on Saturday morning, not wanting to miss one minute of the warm-up. I couldn't believe how much I craved returning to class after the hiatus. The remodeled Studio A looks sensational, and I look forward to checking out studio C, too. So here's a much belated thanks to you for S Factor, for a place, an experience, and a community that continues to enrich my life well beyond the two-hour-a-week window. S factor's gifts are manifold and continue to reveal themselves in many different facets of my life.

Warmest wishes,

Judy Minor

In the News
March was an exciting month for Sheila Kelley's S Factor! We are featured in the April 10th edition of OK! Weekly magazine, so pick it up at the news stand.

S Factor was also in Celebrity Living magazine and on the Starting Over television show during the past couple weeks, and we've stirred up a ton of news items that will be coming out in the next few months.

Sheila was interviewed by reporters from the Associated Press, E! Entertainment, and InStyle magazine, as well as by IFILM.com, who came to our L.A. Open House and shot our fabulous instructors during a breathtaking demonstration of S Factor moves and pole tricks.

Stay tuned to IFILM.com's Adrenaline channel, which will be airing the footage any day ‘cause it will absolutely blow your mind!

We were also mentioned on the Marie Claire website – you probably saw the article in last month's magazine… yes, it was Sheila Kelley's S Factor that they were talking about.To see the blurb, visit: http://magazines.ivillage.com/marieclaire/mind.

Univision, a Spanish speaking station, came to S Factor NY to see what kind of Latin flair our Spanish-speaking NY instructor, Alex Torres, could inspire (and if you know Alex, you know she made it sizzling hot).

Last but not least, Sheila appeared on The Sopranos, episode #2 of the new season. She played a hottie who had a brief romantic encounter with none other than Tony Soprano himself!