From Coast to Coast

SO..... it was a whirl wind in August. The DCAC convention in Alexandria VA. was a big success. June, Lawrence and I taught to a packed house and all the session were so well received. Slowly but surely, one by one, we are gaining new “Beamers”.

Then it was off to IDEA World. . It was our 1st show where we were officially with SPRI Products. We could not have had a better location. When you walked into the expo hall the 1st booth you saw was SPRI. And the first person you saw was a Beamfit™ trainer in a Beamfit™ shirt holding a Beamfit™ Beam!!! We had such GREAT exposure THANKS TO SPRI!!!

In case you have not heard, June Kahn won instructor of the year and Debbie Pillarella won Business Person of the year. Linda, Fred, Lawrence, Nancy, Josie, Joy, Ken, Stacey. Kari, Laura, Norma and a host of other Beamfit™ trainers joined me and a packed auditorium in the celebration. It was very emotional (for me on a personal level) as June and I have been friends for 20 years - and not just friends……like brother and sister. The emotions ran further as Debbie took the stage to accept her award...... See, Back in 1990, Debbie invited me to her club in Indiana to give a Step workshop to her staff……it was THE VERY 1st time I had given any workshop in my life!!! Needless to say I go way back with these 2 well deserving ladies – CONGRATS TO YOU BOTH!!!

June and I taught 3 session at the show and all were filled with interested and intrigued faces. Among those faces were our trainers who were there…..THANK YOU for coming to the sessions and supporting our efforts!!!Lawrence came on stage in my last session and did the “rejuvenate and reframe” segment – showing his talent and providing the participants with a sneak peak of his program Sole-ful Soul-ful Synergy. Linda pitched in with an excellent wrap up statement that really hit home with the participants. Gin Miller ( The Creator of Step) and Tamilee Webb ( Buns of Steel) came and took the Foundational session on Sunday at 8am – and according to Gin “David…you have a winner here…..this IS the next big thing!” Tamilee added “"It's about time there is a program designed for all levels and one that will teach the fundamentals of body alignment. Strengthen your muscles, increase flexibility and relax your mind while you have fun trying to stay on the BEAM, and if you fall off it's only a few inches, no helmets and knee pads needed." In fact - Tamilee kept coming back to the booth over and over……bringing people and giving them mini-demo’s of what I did in class. And if that wasn’t enough Kathy Smith came by to congratulate us and say that she REALLY likes the Beam and thinks Beamfit™ will make an important contribution in the industry. Donna Cyrus from Crunch came with several of her regional managers to see what Beaming™ is all about – I gave them a demo and had them all on Beams…….We will be launching Beaming™ at Crunch in NYC this coming January!!!

It was the 20th anniversary of STEP and there was a special class. Gin Miller gave a brief speech and then called all of us (from the original team) to stand at her side and take a “bow” to a standing ovation. WOW 20 years ago…….I can’t believe that!!!

I went and took INDOROW with June by my side……Stacey was there in the row in front of us – you should have seen her go!!! The class was really GREAT!!! Josh Crosby (the creator) and Jay Blahnik taught and it was just a great presentation…………………..and THEN……there was Jakari over at Reebok (I probably spelled it wrong). It’s a new Reebok “program” which utilizes a swinging devise - a la Cirque. It was like a combination of TRK Suspension Training and swinging from rings in gymnastics. The instructor (Sarah) was as cute and YOUNG as she could be. There were June and I……swinging and swirling around……hanging on for dear life. Just like Beaming™ - it is something you need to experience – I just can’t describe it in words!!! – I hope that NOONE has photos or video of me doing this……BLACKMAIL for sure!!!!

Then there was the terrific cocktail party on Saturday night….dancing, socializing and great food!! ZUMBA had 2 amazing girls on stage rockin it out….and Stacey and I shook it up a bit and had a good laugh!!! OH and did I mention that Nancy and June had to give me a fashion show each night….”what shoes……what jewelry……..is this dress ok or should I wear jeans and this top……and it went on and on – I will send a bill for my consultation services!!!

I left this convention feeling like I was high. It was a year ago that we showed up at IDEA with our booth and our Beams……with our hopes and our dreams. It was a year ago that we stood there saying to the world The FUTURE of Fitness is here………...and well……… It is!!!

Happy New Year!! It's September!

It’s funny how we celebrate (as a nation) the beginning of the New Year every January 1st. In the Jewish religion, the New Year comes in September and is called Rosh Hashanah (Rosh meaning head and Shonnah year) and more happens in this month than in January to create the “feel” of a new beginning.
As the leaves begin to change color and dance in the air as they fall to the ground and the flowers slowly fade away we celebrate THE BEGINNING in many ways as a result of THE END of many things. Labor Day ends the summer yet starts a new season. Vacations end and school starts, and people have the sense that with the sadness of all the ENDINGS there is joy in all the BEGINNINGS – a perfect balance …and it is that balance that makes the month of September so meaning full. There is a “feel” to September not shared by her other 11 siblings. On a personal note, September has meaning to me in that it was 15 years ago I met Perry, 8 years ago 911 happened, 2 years ago June and I were at my pool discussing my “idea” about a beam and just last year all of you were here in Palm Springs .
AS you walk through this month…….ask yourself this…….What NEW beginnings have you experienced in your life that could not have been discovered without the ending of something else. It could be as superficial as a car….or as deeply emotional as a transformation in relationship status with a loved one.
The next time you mourn a loss or miss a “thing”……look at the bigger picture that all that happens has meaning in our lives…..and that without the sequential occurrence of events in our lives…the story cannot continue to be written. In the end……it’s a balancing act!

David

Report from the class room

So......I teach at "The Spa" here in Palm Springs California,. A wonderful benefit of teaching at "The Spa" is that.......I never know who may show up. Although there is a membership base - guest show up adding new dimensions to my regular class experience.

Yesterday at 7AM I taught Beaming with Strength - a class that combines the Beamfit Beam with weights and the Body Bar. A woman walked in ( Rose) and said "hi I am here visiting from New Haven ......what do I need for this class?" I assisted her , getting her a beam.....showing her where the weights are etc. I then introduced her to a member of the class....someone she could keep an eye on if she could not always see me.

I taught the class for the aloted time slot 7:00 - 8:30......glancing over at Rose quite often to see how she was doing......the look on her face - in an affort to keep a handle on how she was doing. I could not "read" her face. She was almost expressionless as she walked the beam - lifted the Body Bar and pushed the weights.

When it was all over she quietly walked over to me and said.......

"I have never seen this beam before....never taken a class like this before......I can't explain it. I have taken step, yoga, spinning......worked with weights ....taken stretch classes.......but I have never experienced anything like this. I can't explain how I feel. I feel like I worked out , I sweated and was challenged......but the feeling I have after your class....I have never felt before...it is almost as if I have been transformed. I feel taller - I feel stronger - but........well......I feel as though my attitude is different......... I feel like I took yoga "PLUS"...........

I smiled at her and simply said........."Rose......your BEAMING"!!! Her face lit up and she said "you know what.....that is the best way to describe it!" I smiled at her again , put my hand on her shoulder and said "I know."

Lesson from a loss

As I sat and watched the memorial for Michael Jackson - I felt a hole in my heart and yet joy in my soul. I saw who was speaking....I heard what they were saying....and I felt their words touch me deeply. I never knew this man personally and yet I felt a loss, a true

I never realized how much I really am linked to Michael.
As he grew up - I grew up.
As he sang - I sang along with him.
As he wrote the words to his many songs ...I internalized many of those messages.
And as he danced - I stood by and watched as we all have done all these years...... in amazement.

Michael reminded us that we should all ask ourselves.... "Have you seen my childhood?" remembering to capture the joy and innocence of our early years.

Let's celebrate Michael's life in a small way by liberating our own inner child.

I think among the many lessons from today is for all of us to really :
"LOOK" at the MAN IN THE MIRROR.......
See how he can , in some way help to HEAL THE WORLD -...
and remember that, together, we can overcome almost anything if we just set our minds to BEAT IT.

HERE "wEGO" to the gym!!!

Have you ever wondered what all of these Fitness activities are REALLY doing for us?? Is it really about strengthening our hearts and our bodies, maintaining weight and living in a flexible well balanced body full of endurance, power and agility? Or is there something else? .....something we don't dare admit to!

We Step, Spin and Dance...walk on Treadmills and climb Stair Climbing machines in the name of cardiovascular health - But - What if 1 calorie was not burned........would we still do it?

We lift weights and pull on rubber tubing in the name of muscular strength and endurance - but would we do it if our bodies did not tone and our muscles did not grow and show?

So I ask - If there was no OBVIOUS VISIBLE physical change to our bodies........would we even bother?

I have analyzed all of this “DEEPLY”, without emotion, but rather with logic. I have talked with people in the gym and bluntly asked them this very question… and have come to the conclusion that all of these Fitness activities are PRIMARILY providing us with a way of fueling, sustaining and stroking our EGO's
and have little to do with the health benefits associated with them.

YES .......there.....I said it.

Now, don't get me wrong, we are all thrilled to get the “health” benefits …. Keeping our hearts healthy, our minds clear and all of the other wonderful benefits exercising brings...............but at the end of the day it's all about what we look like to ourselves and how we look in comparison to others - YUP it’s the EGO!

And, when our efforts in the gym don’t quite satisfy the ego, we implant “things” , suck out “stuff” inject poison into our faces or in some other way see to it that the EGO is completely fueled, sustained and stroked!

· Breast implants - Chest implants - – Lipo-suction – Botox
· Teeth whitening, nail polish, make up, hair color
· Shaving – waxing – plucking
· Pedicures – manicures
· Even the clothes we buy and wear are linked to the EGO in some way - it’s about how we look to ourselves and how we compare ourselves with others……more importantly how we “feel” about ourselves based on all of this.

Of course we want to look and feel good. We want to “fit in”, be part of the “in crowd” – just remember this is all EGO based .I am not suggesting for one minute that we should just stop taking care of ourselves – but rather to be in check with the real psychological motivation behind it all.

See for yourself - Next time you are in the gym - watch people - closely watch them they are either peering at themselves in the mirror (some are even doing little muscle flexing poses) or they are checking out other people who are watching themselves. It’s one big EGO fest!!
“HOW DO I LOOK?”
“DO I LOOK BETTER THAN HIM or HER?”
“HOW MANY PEOPLE HERE ARE LOOKING AT ME OR ARE ATTRACTED TO ME?”

And after all of this – they walk out with the EGO whispering ….. “You’re not perfect enough”

Some of you reading may feel this is cynical…….some may relate on some level…….some are laughing because they have pondered the same question and have observed some of the behaviors I have described here.

I know for myself I struggle to suppress the ego every day and walk through my day doing things from my heart and soul and not out of complete self fulfillment – or EGO feeding. . I know that I want to look good “for me”, as we all say, and keep in mind all of the beautiful aspects of myself as a person – things that have nothing to do with “a six pack” or a waist measurement. I try to be mindful of WHO I am… ALL of me which is much greater than anything I can see in a mirror hanging on a wall.

If I can walk through my day and “show” people who I am rather than allowing them to “assume” who I am, as related to their perception based on what they see when they look at me ,then I have come closer to quieting the EGO and letting myself shine through.

How about YOU?

David

MY Pride and Joy

On Mon Wed and Fri nights I teach a class that incorporates The Beamfit Beam and the Stability ball........but The Friday night class is of special mention. It is 1 1/2 hours instead of 1 hour and we actually "BEAM" for 45 min to an hour ( the standing workout) THIS is my favorite class and my Pride and Joy.

This group has been with me for Years.... YEArs... YEARS .....

This group has followed the Beaming process from the day I began to speak about it . They have been the 1st to know everything about Beaming , but more importantly, the 1st people on this planet to actually participate in and reap the benefits of Beaming. Did I mention - THIS is my favorite class and my Pride and Joy.

It is a mixed group - some Gay some straight - some male some female - some closer to 18 than I have been in more than 18 years - and some closer to .......well you get the idea. They are an amazing group - a diverse group...and did I mention my Pride and Joy.

I have nurtured them along on the beam step by step - slowly teaching them and guiding them through the workout experience. The shining beacons of joy that emanate from each of them fills the room with an aura of positive energy and a sense of "ONE-NESS" that I can't describe with the written word. They not only fill the room but they fill my heart with PRIDE AND JOY!!!

How blessed am I to have this group of people to teach. How blessed am I to receive all that they give to me. As an instructor we often focus on what WE GIVE to them - never stopping to recognize what we get in return.

So I say thank you to the students in my Friday night class.........thank you for all of your support, encouragement, love and sincerity. You truly are MY Pride and Joy!!

"STEP" RIGHT UP

As a person who spent the majority of my career "STEPPING" across this nation I found myself in a situation I never thought I would - 18 months ago my ankle was SO bad, that in the in the middle of a Step Class - I had to just stop!!!

So for the last 18 months I have not "STEPPED" once. It was strange at 1st because at 1 point in time I was "STEPPING" 10 plus times a week. I was a Step Reebok Master trainer. I was "MR. STEP".

The key word there - "WAS" ......

Last night, I taught Step again for the 1st time in 18 months. I wrote out a routine - taught it and made it through just fine. My ankle held up and I will now be teaching Step every Wed eve at 6.

In many ways it was as it had always been - I found myself cuing and moving across the step as if I had been teaching it all along. But there was a difference last night.................I was not just teaching step to my class - I was teaching step to myself!!! My mind was operating a bit differently as I was not in the same frame of mind as I used to be. I was not as sure - I was not as intense - and it was nice.

I was able to teach and take the class simultaneously and it felt good. I was able to teach class and shed "WHAT WAS" and embrace "WHAT IS NOW"....and what is now is a DAVID who will be teaching Step with a new found appreciation and a new outlook. It's only once a week - NO PRESSSURE to come up with new material all the time. It's once a week - so I can look forward to working out WITH my class as opposed to just teaching them.

Perhaps the lesson here is that , at times, we need to STEP away from what is familiar and then return - embrassing it with a new outlook, a new appreciation and a new found love for an old friend.

Let's take a moment today and remember our friends

Many people will walk in and out of your life. But only true friends will leave footprints in your heart.

STOP .....for just a minute as you read this and "feel" some of the footprints on your heart....no,....no.....not the obvious ones from those who are close to you every day........but some of those who you may not see often.

In many cases....those are the deepest ones.

YES!!! YOU MAY!!!

May I?
Yes you May!

The word “May” is an interesting one in that it is the name of THIS month as well as a word which is used in everyday speech related to balance of action ……it eludes to both the asking…………… or taking of something …………….and the granting or giving of it.

Asking…… “May I have a cookie?” Granting ……. “Yes, you May!”

The word has power in that it Gives….and Takes.
As people, WE give and take.

Balance this out and you win every time.

“You have to spend money to make money”
“ It’s a give and take”

We hear these phrases all the time, phrases that suggested balance in the give and take of power or in creating fairness or some sense of equality. Take too much….you become over stuffed, heavy, and burdened. Give too much you become weak, exhausted, drained. We see in the news every day what TAKING too much leads to – greed and the role it played this financial crisis. We also see the starvation and suffering that results from not GIVING enough.

Join me this month “journaling” this month of “MAY”. Let’s explore our own ability to give and take…… ask for and grant. Are you the mom who always GIVES and takes little for herself? Are you the selfish child who always takes and does not share? Or are you balanced? As you journal and the pattern reveals itself….. Ask yourself …what can I do to make a shift in my own life to better balance the give and take. You “MAY” find a new way to conduct your life.

David

Celebrating the Beauty of Our Planet

Today is Earth day......

take a moment today.......

STOP......l

ook all around you......

see the beauty of the planet ....the blue sky.......or the rain.....the trees or perhaps a lone bird sitting in a budding tree.

Beamfit is a company focused on Balance......not just physical balance but Balance in the broader sense of the word.

Our Planet Earth exists and continues on because of the delicate balance that exists between the species, the climate the rising of the sun and the appearance and "pull" of the moon.So today let's celebrate the Planet Earth...her mighty majesty who's future depends on our actions and our deeds - our ability to help her remain in perfect Balance

David

Happy Easter to all!!!

If you have a chance.....................

1) Check out the Beamfit web site ( www.beamfit.com) it had a spring face lift

2) Check out http://www.marthastewart.com/article/fitness-tools?xsc=stf_MSLO-ARTICLE
you will See Beamfit there on the Martha Stewart Web site

3) Watch The Martha Stewart show Tomorrow Monday April 13th - she will be BEAMING....on the Beamfit beam..................and all of her studio audience members will receive a beam and a Foundational Bdeaming DVD

Plant good things .......and watch them grow

What
I find
in my mind
is what
I put there.
So, I
Put good
things
in there.

Congratulations.......to yourself

Although it may crown me Queen for a Day,
The world
cannot confer
the recognition that will make me feel fulfilled.
Only I can.

I will congratulate myself
upon
the completion
of each personal accomplishment

"Wear your shoes with PRIDE"

To stand your ground
Is…….
To stand on holy ground.

"It's a good thing....."

Today is a very special day in the world of Beamfit!

The weekend of Feb 26 - Mar 01, June Kahn and I were at the ECA convention in NYC. We were fortunate to have Martha Stewart's Personal Trainer as well as the Producer of The Martha show come and see June and I at the booth. We spent about an hour with them showing them the beam, the DVD's and providing them with a comprehensive demo ON the beam. In addition, they chose to participate in June's Beam-lates session. They were both VERY VERY impressed with all they experienced. I gave them 2 beams and both DVD's and off they went.

Wednesday March 4th I received an email from Martha's Trainer stating that she had been working with Martha on the beam every day..................and that Martha "really likes it". In fact, Martha likes it so much that she will be featuring it on The Martha Stewart Show!

So, TODAY Thursday March 12 , Martha and her trainer will be "BEAMING" on her show. The show will air April 13th. Beamfit is proud to have a place on the Martha show and is giving a FREE Beam to every audience member today.

I thought I was BEAMING before....................."THIS" is a wonderful beginning opportunity for Beamfit to get out to the consumer.

David:)

The Evolution of YOUR life

Winter leads to spring.
Spring becomes the summer.
Summer surrenders to autumn....
and autumn brings forth the winter.

Change is but an evolution which
Helps to recreate what was,
Shape what will be
And define what is right now.
It is the way we create our own reality.

Measurement

.....Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.......

Be Conscious of your actions

A Life lived by choice
is a life of conscious action.
A life lived by chance
is a life of unconscious reaction.

The whole point of life
is not to GET somewhere
but to pay close attention to where you are right now,
this moment…
and cherish that…
and experience it to its fullest

Today

Today ........
Already IS a great day.........
You don’t have to try to “make” it one.............
Just go HAVE ONE!!!