Moving Toward Autumn

Image from Pinterest. NYC does not look like this yet, but it shall.

By: Gabriela Yareliz

It’s officially autumn. The express train is weirdly emptier than usual, though I spot some of my regular commuting buddies.

It was a warm last week, and temperatures are dropping again into the sixties. Bliss.

I have yet to get to seasonal cleaning, but I will. This week, I am feeling the darker mornings and moodier weather, and reflecting it with a lot more eyeliner.

I am more than halfway through my fitness challenge for fall. It has been so good. If you have been thinking about exercise for a while but you haven’t taken the next step, this is your PSA to do it. Work on weights, your grip, your posture, your core.

You know what they say— it’s not cold and flu season, it’s simply the season where we slack— we are inside more, eat more sugar and are more sedentary.

I am always doing some sort of routine. I have talked about workouts here before. The struggles of finding something that survives my need for novelty. I feel like I have tried almost every platform at least once. (Except Pvolve, Alo and Peloton). Here are some of my thoughts on the platforms I have tried in the past five years. Note that this is my opinion. Everyone is different— so try what you want to try! That is what 14-day trials are for!

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Evlo: This is a platform by a doctor. There is a big emphasis on weights. I found it to be boring. The workouts tend to be on the longer side. If you are someone who really needs variety— this was just not it for me. If I remember correctly, there were many exercises that required a chair or spacious wall (which is hard in NYC apartments). Nice site design, though. It lacked personality for me. (Subscription)

Sculpt Society: I know a lot of people who use it and get great results. It feels like a knockoff of Tracy Anderson Method. The question here is whether you mesh with the vibe and energy of the instructor. I do not. I found myself avoiding this one. They just rebranded. Wish them well. (Subscription; I used the free trial)

Melissa Wood Health: Speaking of vibes— I love Melissa’s energy. She now has other instructors on the app, which adds variety. Neeti’s yoga classes are some of my favorites. They have a great selection of shorter workouts (10-20 min) you can squeeze in, stack or do on the go. Been using her for years. Almost a decade, on and off. The off years are when I feel a plateau. I feel my body stops responding to these workouts after a while. (Subscription)

BtheMethod: Lia, the founder, is a great follow on IG. I like that her classes have some discussion where you can ask questions about form or modifications. This workout uses her weighted ball. If you are a fan of routine, this is a good one. I sometimes get bored, but when I am in it, I am in it! I have learned a lot from her form discussions. (Subscription)

Form: Speaking of form— I am a big fan of their recipes and additions to their app. The Samis (the founders, both named Samantha) have good energy. This is great for strength building and circuits. Good music. They just added some new instructors (Grace is awesome). I come and go from this one. (Subscription)

Bruno Strong: I love Bruno’s app. The focus is on strength training and weights. It’s simple; you get a video demo, and then, there is a timer for the reps. The only downside is that you need gym equipment to take full advantage of the app. I don’t have a bench or other items, so I improvise. Unlike others, this one is one you buy lifetime access to, and it’s worth it. (Lifetime access)

Femme Nativa: This is a neat workout program. Probably one of the most effective I have ever tried. Rachael Attard is a genius. You can either buy a membership or buy lifetime access. I have lifetime access. Before you start on Femme Nativa, you take a quiz that shows you your body type, and then, you do the workouts for that specific body composition. They have many types of programs— a Busy Girl Program, ones for core, and their most popular, Lean Legs. There are many testimonials. The pictures are dramatic, and they don’t lie. When I want sure results and feel off— this is the one I start with. The workouts are often set up in 8-week challenges. Love a challenge. (Lifetime access)

Yoga with Adrienne: I love her calm demeanor. I did her YouTube and app workouts during the pandemic. They are calming and great for pain in certain parts of the body (neck, lower back, etc.) Her dog Benji is a cutie. This never made me ripped, but it did make me calm and flexible. (Free on YouTube)

Pilates by Bryony: This is one I have had for four years. It’s a classical Pilates app. I really love it and love the branding, too. It’s effective and very pretty. My favorite part is they do monthly challenges. I always crave variety and a challenge, so this works with my brain structure. (Subscription)

T-F Studio by Tasha Franken: This is a simple Pilates app with great shorter workouts. It definitely feels like you are witnessing the growth of something new and less established. Her branding is very cool. A great option for Pilates without breaking the bank. (Subscription)

Tracy Anderson Method: This one is a time and money commitment. (But so far, worth it). There are some long classes but also some shorter ones (30-40 min). This one is pricier than the others, but Tracy is basically a body scientist, and she choreographs each week’s routine. You get one routine you work on per week. This is the workout of choice for JLo and Gwyneth Paltrow. I like Tracy’s energy and her philosophy. I love her “chats” where she discusses form and mind-body connection. Hers is a somatic workout that is more lifestyle than just workout. You can do it live, if you live in a studio city, or do the online studio (I do online). (Subscription)

Obé: I tried it briefly and was not my thing. Felt similar to Evlo and the Alo catalogue. (Subscription, but I used a voucher trial)

Image via Pinterest

There are so many options. There is so much that is free on YouTube and Instagram. Walking and running are free. Buying weights and building a routine is low-cost. There are magazines and websites with diagrams and workout routines. There are DVDs. (Remember those?) I have tried a lot but have not tried it all. Do you have a favorite workout platform?

Whatever you love— make sure that as the days get darker and shorter, you stay moving.

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Open Road

By: Gabriela Yareliz

I fell in love with this country from the backseat of a car.

The Smokies making my ears pop and the blur of orange stone. The small stores in the middle of nowhere where you can find a good Moon Pie.

Fields of green with the fog lifting at snail’s pace. Tiny houses up on a mountain; twinkling windows in the dark. Dirt roads, trees lining the winding roads, dark roads with no street lights, high bridges that make your heart jump, “Welcome to ________” state signs.

Swamps that smell like melting paper, and hilly roads with miles of neat rows of farm. Rivers and lakes with no end in sight. One turn and a beach that emerges from nowhere.

The open road always beckons. Once you know it; you will always miss it. The changing scenery changes you. It stays forever like a movie on loop.

The Woman in White

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By: Gabriela Yareliz

There was a woman on the train holding her toddler. She was sitting in a double seat bench, wearing all white and a white hat. She had long dark braids with metal hoops braided into her hair.

She was incredibly polished, and at the same time, simple. It was already 8pm, but she still looked pristine. It caught my eye because you often don’t see many people brave enough to wear all white on these disgusting trains, much less sit on the seat bench, which is often covered in jellies, old gum, pen scribbles, droplets of spilled coffee and God knows what other substances.

I still remember details of how this woman looked. As someone who often looks as tired as I am, it was a reminder that we make the time to take care of ourselves. And intentionality can be quite memorable.

How can you take care of yourself today? How can you cultivate beauty today?

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Gift of Life

“You still have life. A choice as to how you will live this precious day.” Sarah Ban Breathnach

By: Gabriela Yareliz

The week felt eternal, and yet, the month has flown by.

It’s been one of those weeks where I wake up and feel like I didn’t sleep a wink. There has been a lot of grief and troubling headlines. A lot of work. A lot of survival matcha.

I am on the train with the Backstreet Boy gone wrong— that man who leaves his house with the wildest and thickest eyebrows and goatee drawn on and his 90s haircut. It’s like he took a marker and drew on his face trying to look like Kevin Richardson. Despite his unique lewk, he dresses corporate. I wonder how that works for him. Intriguing…

Anyway— back to reflection— one thing that I try to keep front and center is how each day is a gift. Truly. Even when we drag ourselves through the day. When we see the gift, perspective shifts. How will you live your precious day today?

When time flies, it reminds us that we need more presence. Each gifted day does not require perfection but consistency in our build. It deserves our reverence. Our gratitude. Our relentless pursuit of our dreams.

Every day, we get to observe where we are not free, and every day, we get the chance to begin again.

An Overlooked Blessing

“I’m grateful that Heaven operates on a ‘need to know’ basis. It’s one of life’s most overlooked blessings.” Sarah Ban Breathnach

By: Gabriela Yareliz

When life squeezes us and wrings us like an old cleaning rag, we often wish we could have seen whatever we are going through ahead of time. Usually, our wish to have a glimpse into the future only relates to the difficult or hard moments. We wonder if we would be more prepared or act differently. And listen, sometimes, we wish we knew the good times ahead, too.

I was talking about this with someone close to me, recently. This idea of ‘what if we knew what was coming?’ Maybe, knowing would make us wish we didn’t know. Maybe it would be too difficult. We often feel overwhelmed by a snapshot moment— imagine having the whole panoramic view?! Yikes. At times, we are given the strength to endure and overcome when we meet the moment.

Erwin McManus recently spoke on James 1:2-4; the idea that a trial is when God meets us in our moment.

We are given our daily bread— we are fed and given provision for the moment. I think Sarah Ban Breathnach is right. Our limited information as we go along, if we look at it closely, is often deep grace for our finite weary little souls. “One of life’s most overlooked blessings,” indeed.

The Seasonal Shift

“We put all this pressure on ourselves after watching movies where a girl moves to New York at the age of twenty-three and somehow has a job that you could only get if you have fifteen years of work experience. She lives in an apartment you could only get if you were a literal millionaire.” Tinx

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By: Gabriela Yareliz

The pressure we put on ourselves is real. Timeline pressures; all kinds of pressures. We are so silly to, at times, focus on what we haven’t achieved yet versus taking the time to celebrate what we have achieved thus far, all that we have built. I am reflecting a lot on my own journey as I am reaching a decade out of law school.

September is one of my favorite coaching months because the focus is on creating a ‘house of joy.’ This focus has me reflecting a lot on gratitude.

It’s a time of seasonal cleaning and reflection on how to create a space of connection and warmth. A space of gratitude.

Little by little, as we walk forward in gratitude, every morning, we are grateful for what we have, even if it’s not exactly what our unrealistic childhood timeline had projected.

The warm bed we wake up in. The little corner of the couch where our spouse likes to sit. The small window by the table. Our stack of books by the bed.

Don’t minimize the ordinary and the things you already have. They are not ordinary at all.

What are you grateful for? How will you create a ‘house of joy’ this season?

Tunnel to Towers

Image of Stephen Siller

By: Gabriela Yareliz

When you see an officer on the news who is injured or killed in line of duty, or soldiers/veterans come back with amputations— what you often don’t hear about is that Tunnel to Towers steps in and provides a mortgage free home for our first responders and heroes. For disabled veterans and first responders, they have provided smart homes that help with mobility and everyday life. For the families left after a hero’s death, they provide a home and support.

Today, I write asking you to support my fifth 5K with the Tunnel to Towers Foundation by donating here.

“Born from the tragedy of 9/11, the Tunnel to Towers Foundation carries forward a legacy of courage and heroism. Built upon the mantra, ‘While we have time, LET US DO GOOD,’ the Foundation supports our nation’s fallen and catastrophically injured first responders, military heroes and their families.” (Source: Tunnel to Towers website)

The T2T 5K is an emotional day where we trace Stephen Siller’s steps. Siller, a firefighter FDNY Squad 1, saw what was happening the morning of 9/11 from Red Hook, Brooklyn, and he put on his gear. There was no way into Manhattan except through the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel. He ran through the tunnel to ground zero, where he gave his life. Tunnel to Towers honors those who see disaster and run toward it— the heroes.

Help us honor our heroes and those who continue to run into harms way doing good.

“Please help me support the Tunnel to Towers Foundation and America’s heroes by making a donation through my page. The process is fast, easy and secure. Thank you for your support, and please don’t forget to send this page to anyone who may be interested in donating!”

If you are moved to donate and want to be a part of this ongoing mission— donate here.