Tell us a little about yourself.(family, work, etc)

I feel like I am leading a blessed life at the moment! I have a gorgeous two year old son, a beautiful partner, and two Barre Body studios. We seem to have created a pretty wonderful life, where I’m lucky enough to truly love what I do.

Tell us about your business Barre Body and what it’s about?

Barre Body is a fusion of yoga, pilates and ballet. It’s a total body toning exercise system that gets some pretty amazing results in a short time. I started incorporating ballet barre work into my yoga practice after Xavier was born and I got the most amazing results very quickly (body in better shape than before pregnancy!) so I decided to develop Barre Body and here we are! We have two gorgeous studios in Melbourne, with a Sydney studio coming very soon (but I can’t tell you much more than that at this stage).

What are some of the things you value most in life?

My family, freedom, travel, gratitude, friendship, living a healthy lifestyle with food and exercise, the beach, Barre Body.

What is your favourite quote?

“After the darkest night comes the brightest day”

This is a beautiful quote that gives hope during times of sadness and struggle. It’s a reminder that life is full of rich experiences and challenges and being able to make it through the hardest times gives you an appreciation that you wouldn’t necessarily have otherwise had, of the beauty and positive things in life that follow these times.

What are your tips to staying happy and healthy?

Eat well and mindfully.

Exercise almost every day in a way that brings you pleasure so you want to keep doing it.

Give more love and energy to your family than work.

Devote time to your self development.

Do more of the things that bring you joy.

Do you find time to nurture yourself? What does this involve?

Not as much as I’d like, but I am working on this right now! I would like to find more time for my yoga practice and more time to bake and more time to read books that expand my consciousness.

What does healthy eating mean for you?

I subscribe to Michael Pollan’s food philosophy. “Eat food. Mostly plants. Not too much”, which basically says, eat a wholefoods as close to their natural state as possible and don’t overeat.

What are 5 of your kitchen pantry essentials?

Quinoa, raw cacao, spinach, berries, coconut oil.

What do you indulge in?

Healthy baking! I love to bake healthy sweet treats.

What do you and your family like to do on the weekend?

Xavier is 2, so we have lots of little family adventures; to the zoo, to the park, to the beach, for bike rides. I just love spending time with my family and we devote pretty much the whole weekend to hanging out together.

Would you like to share one of your favourite healthy recipes?

My Famous Healthy Chocolate Brownie

1 cup wholemeal plain or spelt flour

1/2 cup raw caca

o 1/2 cup almond meal or LSA

1/2 cup coconut

1/2 cup sultanas

1/2 cup coconut oil

1/2 cup honey

1/2 cup milk of your choice

Mix dry ingredients and then add wet ingredients, except the raspberries. Spoon into a baking paper lined square baking tin and then press raspberries into the top.

Bake for 30 mins at 180 (fan forced).

I hope you enjoyed this interview. You can connect with Emma here:

www.barrebody.com.au

www.facebook.com/barrebody

www.vimeo.com.au/barrebody

www.instagram.com/barrebody

When a friend recently suggested Rachel as an inpirational mum to interview for my Mumday Monday blog, I jumped at the chance to see where this fabulous woman was at now!

Tell us a little about yourself.

Hi, my name is Rachel and  I’m 42years old. I have 2 kids,  Remy 9 years old and Essie 6 years old.

I was a professional dancer for 15 years between the ages of 19 – 34years  and  I also danced at the Moulin Rouge in Paris.

I have  choreographed many TVC, musicals as well as the opening ceremony for the Paralympic in 2000.

I have taught pilates for over 10 years and am now the Pilates Director at Elixr Health Clubs.

Not many mums can say they danced at the Moulin Rouge in Paris! Can you tell us what this was like plus a bit about your life during this period?

It was a truly amazing but incredibly exhausting time of life !! Two show every night 6 days a week.  We always went out after the show, so bed was usually 5am.  Wake up around 1pm.  Completely different to my life now!

I have such fond memories and life long friends from the year I was there.

You are clearly passionate about Pilates. Can you tell us about some benefits of Pilates you have experienced?

I have so many,  it is such a rewarding job.  I have had many clients with serious disc injuries, hip replacements, shoulder reconstructions, knee injuries, torn muscles who are now pain free.

Has fitness always been important to you?

Absolutely and always will be.  I can’t imagine ever having a job where I sit at a desk all day.  I am fortunate that my job is all about exercise.

What does healthy eating mean for you?

Eating 3 meals a day.

Never skipping meals.

Eat whole foods like fresh fruit and vegetables and meat.

What are 5 of your kitchen pantry essentials?

– Oats (for porridge)

– Pasta

–  Rice

– Raw nuts

– Tinned tuna

What do you indulge in?

Chocolate! There is nothing else that competes in my eyes : )

What are some of the things you value most in life?

Definitely my health and happiness.

What is your favourite quote?

You catch more flies with honey than you do with vinegar!

 Do you find time to nurture yourself? What does this involve?

I need to be outdoors with nature.

Walking in a park or along the beach by myself.

This is my mediation.

What are your tips to staying happy and healthy?

– Listen to your body.

– Don’t over eat.

– Get enough sleep.

– Drink plenty of water.

– Enjoy a glass of wine at the end of the day.

What do you and your kids like to do on the weekend?

We spend the weekend running around doing sports.  Then we all love to settle down in the afternoon to watch a movie.

Would you like to share one of your favourite healthy recipes?

Simply a fresh salmon fillet on the BBQ with a healthy rocket salad is one of my favourites.