Oct. 3, 2013, Vol. 11, Issue 20

It may be breast cancer awareness month, but it’s also time to be planning those heart health events for February 2014 and beyond.  I don’t think anything does the job of getting the message across — whether it’s for breast health, heart health, or any wellness initiative — than a good story, from someone who’s walked the plank. Lots of times, it just takes one little thing — a class, a comment, or a tool, like a hula hoop . . . to move a person to step into a practice that leads to better health.

 

Theresa Rose

Hoopin’ It Up

Theresa Rose was like many women who put everyone else ahead of herself. She was stuck. She was an overweight girl who shopped in the husky section of the clothing store, hiding herself with as many layers as possible. Her relationship with her body had always been adversarial, and she took pains to avoid exercise at all costs. Thanks to a lifetime of emotional overeating and chronic aversion to working out, she eventually graduated into an obese wife and mother, clocking in at almost 200 pounds on her 5’3” frame. Because her body was her enemy, she operated as one big head, thinking her way through life instead of living it. She was stressed out, unhealthy, and overwhelmed.

In 2009, all of that changed. In 2009, she discovered the hula-hoop.

Thanks to this humble plaything, Theresa has transformed her life, both inside and out. Not only has she lost fifty pounds and kept them off, she has also healed long-standing wounds of self-worth and body acceptance. She has discovered that joyful movement is the key to making truly sustainable lifestyle changes which in turn promote weight management, heart health and stress reduction.Today she brings that experience and message into her motivational speaking.

Despite her self-described forty-something mom-curviness, Theresa boasts some serious moves with her hoop both on and off stage. At home in Minneapolis, her favorite pastime is to spin her hoop on the banks of Lake Harriet, one of the most beautiful lakes in the city.  As you can imagine, she gets quite a few comments from onlookers ranging from “That looks like fun!” to “That must be great exercise!” to “Wow! How did you learn how to do that?”

Now you need to understand that Theresa may not just be hooping around her waist as these passers-by are catching the action. She has learned to do fancy stuff like hooping around her chest and legs or tossing the hoop high in the air. Better be careful, you might be asked to join her: she often has extra hoops with her just so people can join in on the fun. (That’s true at events, too!)

While Theresa is an accomplished businesswoman with an enviable resumé– former senior manager of marketing and product development for a Fortune 100 company, management consultant, alternative healing professional, award-winning author and successful entrepreneur — she loves nothing more than working with women to help them move into their BIGNESS.  She believes that women have the capacity to blow the doors off of their potential, and she uses her hoop as a metaphor on how to engage, empower and expand into their magnificence. In her keynotes, she shares some hilarious “hoopisms” to help deliver her message in a fun, visually compelling way. (“Dropping the hoop is encouraged” is one of her favorites.) In fact, she has given herself her own superhero name: Hoop Woman!

In 2012, Theresa had the great honor of presenting a TEDTalk at a TEDx event in Sarasota, Florida.  What was her one idea that was worth spreading? The hoop, of course! Sharing her passion about the transformative power of joyful movement, she created a TEDTalk called “The Hoop Revolution” where she hula hoops through most of the talk. There are lots of great speakers out there who speak about health and wellness, but there aren’t too many that I know who can do it while hula hooping! Take the time to watch her performance on our website. I think you’ll enjoy it.

Theresa is all about energy, and her electrifying performances attest to that. The stage is Theresa’s natural habitat, and her sparkly hoop is her co-facilitator. Clients and audience members see her more as a fun girlfriend than as a speaker.  She has a way of sharing the struggles that we all have while presenting tangible, real-world solutions to help women move out of smallness and into their magnificence. She lights up the stage, both literally and figuratively (she’s got a light-up hoop too!).

I invite you to learn more about Theresa and check her availability. Give me a call at 503-699-5031, or visit her page on our website,

The First Time

I think it takes a lot of courage to step out and try something new. First, there’s Awareness — I need to make a change, do something new. Then comes Exploration — finding it, whatever and wherever it might be. Then Anticipation — which can include excitement, fear, and dread. Then Showing up — in a state of excitement, fear, and possibly dread, all at the same time. And finally, Satisfaction — I did it, I tried something new — and whether I liked it or not, I stepped out of my comfort zone. In my book, that’s worth applauding.  But chances are that I’m on my way to a new habit, at least that’s how it usually works with me.

I’m writing this after my Tuesday evening Nia class. We just started a new session, so there were several people who had never done Nia before, and I could see a bit of trepidation on their faces — What will this be like? Can I do it?  Will I like it?  For those who may not know what Nia is, it’s a mind-body-spirit workout done in bare feet, and it’s just plain different than any other exercise. When the music starts, my body melts, and my psyche says, “I’m home — let’s dance!”

I remember my first time; it was such a powerful experience for me. I had been a hard core Jazzerciser for years. My friend Winalee Zeeb had posted notices for Nia classes at our church. At that time, it was also called Non-Impact Aerobics. I couldn’t imagine that could be a good workout. Boy, was I wrong. I went to a free Sunday night session — with all of the trepidation that the new women in my class Tuesday were feeling — and that was it. I was hooked! I immediately signed up for the summer session at the local community college.

If you’re at all intrigued about Nia, you can watch a short video here, and you can find out where classes are in your area here. I should warn you, however, that the life-altering affects of Nia went far beyond exercise for me. The openings and discoveries I made through learning to listen to my body and my intuition were integral to my moving across the country and starting this business.

After last night’s class, the buzz was electric as the newbies chatted about the music and the moves, and compared Nia to other exercise classes they’d taken. “Nothing like it,” they agreed. I wonder where it will lead them . . . ?

Until next time, think about trying something new — maybe hooping or a class you’ve never dared to try — and then do it. Take care of yourself for your well being and those you love.

Yours truly,

Barbara
For Your Well Being is published bi-weekly. We bring you insider speaker reports, exclusive stories about special events around the country, meeting planner tips, and fun stuff from the worlds of health and well being. Be well and be in the know!

The Speak Well Being Group is a specialized speakers bureau, focusing on speakers for hospital-sponsored community events, healthcare organizations, nurses, conferences and women’s groups. Our speakers are hand-selected. They are not only experts in their fields, they connect with their audiences while bringing them life-changing information, smiles of recognition and ultimately a sense of well being and hope.

Finding the perfect keynote speaker for your special event or conference is my personal passion, not just once, but year after year. It brings me great joy to know that your audience was delighted and moved by the speaker we selected together. I’m committed to making the process easy, pleasant and fun.