Barre Burn

Hello there 🙂

This edition is a deeply personal and romantic ode to barre.

If you're new to it, barre is a workout technique inspired by elements from ballet, yoga, and Pilates. 

Two years ago, I was desperately trying everything to get myself out of a funk, and that’s when I stumbled upon barre. And I’m so grateful that I did!

I'm a dancer, it's a dance-inspired workout – we matched instantly. ✨

Apart from getting me to move, barre spoke to my emotions and lifted my overall state of mind. 

Image by freepik

Shifted the state of my mind

No matter how I felt before the workout, it never failed to elevate my spirits. 

When anything I touched was turning into anxiety, and hope was in short supply, barre drew me to the studio and cleansed my mind of all despair.

I walked into the studio feeling overweight, dull, ambitionless, and alone. Yet, at the end of every session, I looked at myself in the mirror with a smile and a sense of pride. And that’s precious!

The studio was my sanctuary where my worries would melt away. I found respite in the gentle burn of micro muscles I didn’t even know I had. And the most deliciously exhilarating reward was – sweat. Sweating in Sweden was no joke. You had to earn it. The only way to earn it was to push your limits and let your muscles scream for dear life. 

Gratitude

I found appreciation for my wonderful body, which showed up every day for me, and for my mind, which remained resolute when I told it, 'just a bit more'. The unparalleled joy I got when I saw progress. I didn’t need to be a world-class ballerina to find fulfillment. I was soaking in the burn, working on my posture and moving with awareness. Not pushing out of brute force, but rather, by doing repetitive motions in each posture. Like building fierce resilience.

The targeted part of my body woke up, came alive, got excited and burned as if ON FIRE. ❤️‍🔥

Two years later, I’m still hung up on barre and finding ways to keep in touch with it, though it’s not as popular in India. Beyond the studio, barre has created positive ripple effects in my life. It lit a fire in my heart to pursue dance with passion. It gave me the clarity to make pivotal decisions. It helped me regain faith in myself to work towards my dreams. 

If there’s anything in your life that makes you experience any of the emotions I spoke about – hold tight to it and work on it with everything you’ve got. It will leave a ripple that improves every part of your life 🌼

Stay inspired 🍀

Akhila