Health Expert Series 5

Welcome to the 5th edition of my Health Series! I am sure many of you know this months Health Expert! This month we will hear from our fabulous Clare Marie!

Clare is the owner of Clare Marie Pilates & Wellness offering a variety of yoga and Pilates classes AND my boxing classes!! She also regularly organised workshops, all about health and wellness. Check out her schedule here: www.claremariepilates.com

All I can say is: ENJOY:

Name, age, occupation: Clare Marie Trono, 32, Pilates Instructor/Singing Teacher/Vocal Coach

What does health mean to you?

As the saying goes “Health is Wealth”. It contributes to us being able to live life to its fullest and contributes to our overall happiness. But for me health is not just about eating all the right foods all the time and following a strict exercise regime, it’s about balance and having enough love and respect for yourself to nurture not only your body but your mind too. I am a great believer in giving the body and the mind time to rest, not only to just chill out and calm the body but also to give yourself time and space to integrate what you have been learning, whether it is a meditation practice, running, Pilates, singing or any regular practice that you do.

How do you achieve this level of healthy?

Well, I can’t say that I have mastered this level of healthy completely but I try my best to stay active, eat a balanced diet and most of all reduce stress by doing things that I love such as singing, seeing friends, strolling along the beach and trying to meditate regularly. It’s the combination of all these factors that contribute to achieving a more “holistic approach” to being healthy. I believe that I am also a VERY POSITIVE and resilient person, not to say that I haven’t had my failures and major life lessons. But instead of focusing on the negative aspects of these so-called BIG mistakes, I prefer to see them as Life lessons (not saying that sometimes this takes some time to let go). But all these experiences contribute to making me the person I am today and for that I am very grateful.

Why is it important to be and live healthily?

To enable yourself to live life to the fullest, whatever that may be for you – to be happy and to be free from pain, restrictions and discomfort in both body and mind.

Why are you an expert?

I have been working as a Pilates instructor for over 4 years now. I have taught many types of people from very healthy to people living in constant pain. What this has taught me is that we should be focused on preventative measures to reduce illness and disease through self care and self love. We need to be kind to ourselves as well as others. Taking time to recharge is not selfish in a negative way, it’s self love – as the saying goes “one cannot pour from an empty cup”.

I can’t say that making time for myself used to come so naturally, and it has taken time for me to make sure that I schedule in some down time for myself to keep my mind and my body healthy – really focusing on the Work/Life Balance. When running your own business it’s very easy to work 24/7 so making time for myself is essential.

But the main thing is my personal experience and my lifestyle as I try and live as mindfully and consciously as possible. This applies to all aspects of my life from work, to relationships, to self-care and self love.

What is your top health tip?

Strong is the new skinny – developing a strong mind and a strong body, with a huge dollop of love and kindness, letting go of judgements and expectations will help you to live a more positive, healthy and happy life. Focus on making your body strong, take time to rest and nurture yourself in all aspects of your life.

AMAZING right? What do you think? Do you agree? Let us know in the comments below!