Participants meditate during a class offered at Embody Movement Studio and Lifestyle Boutique.
Attendees participate in a class at the Embody Movement Studio in Centralia.
People participate in a class at Embody Movement Studio and Lifestyle Boutique.
Embody Movement Studio and Lifestyle Boutique has kicked off its New Years Challenge which provides participants with several way to compete for prizes through classes and nutrition.
Attendees participate in a class at the Embody Movement Studio in Centralia.
For those who are still looking to start off the New Year on the right foot, Embody Movement Studio and Lifestyle Boutique in downtown Centralia is offering a holistic health challenge.
Owner Christina Wolf doesn’t like to think of the challenge as a New Year’s resolution, but instead said it allows participants to establish healthy habits early on that will carry them throughout the rest of the year in a positive way.
“This time of year it’s just the natural time when people are reflecting on what changes they want to make in their life, and what I know is that most of us benefit from having some sort of accountability, encouragement and inspiration,” she said. “The idea really, the goal and the intent behind the challenge, is to provide support for people when they are already excited about making changes in their lives, but also to support them in a way that helps them establish healthy habits over the first three months of the year.”
Embody runs two different challenges to kick off the year. They work in tandem, or can be done separately, Wolf said.
The 90-day health challenge runs from Jan. 1 to March 31, but it’s not too late for people to get involved and find a holistic approach to wellness.
Participants receive a 30-day passport that allows them to earn points for the amount of classes they attend. Then each week, there is a holistic lifestyle challenge that allows the person to reflect. Sometimes it can be a gratitude journal, or other weeks it can focus on meditation for five minutes at least five times a week.
The earlier a person signs up, the more opportunities they have to win prizes. The deadline to sign up is March 1.
“There are benefits to joining early,” Wolf said, adding the weekly prizes are donated by members of the wellness coalition. This year there are over $2,000 in prizes up for grabs.
The studio also runs a nutrition challenge inspired by the Whole30 Program.
“What this includes is 30 days of recipes, shopping lists, and a day-by-day guide on how to move through 30 days to essentially detox the body and recreate a relationship with food,” Wolf said.
The nutrition component was added last year, and was a hit with clients.
For Embody member Lucy Page, this is the third time she’s participated in the challenge. The program has been successful in helping her lose 85 pounds, but she said the benefits reach much further.
“I like that it gives me a focus at the start of the year just to set a really great pattern for the year,” she said. “It’s been very successful for weight loss, but I also feel more fit than I ever have. I feel strong, I feel healthy, and I feel like I’m really taking care of my body all the way around. It’s not just with nutrition and exercise.”
The holistic approach is what Page loves about the program. It focuses on a person as a whole, allowing them to find balance in their life and provides the opportunity to nourish the body emotionally, physically and mentally, she said.
“It’s great how it’s a holistic approach to be a well human,” Page said. “After the holidays, it’s good to get back into a routine, reset my focus and really work toward maintaining that healthy lifestyle throughout the year and having that longer challenge time by the end of three months, it just keeps going. It’s already in your habits and your system.”
Page also said being surrounded by like-minded people makes the process go smoothly and provides added support.
Wolf said the program is unique because of its multi-pronged approach. It doesn’t just count the amount of classes a person decides to take, although that’s OK, too.
“The biggest thing is what’s encompassed in it is more robust,” she said. “It covers more aspects of wellness. You can earn points and participate in many other ways besides attending more classes.”
Those interested in participating in the challenge have until March 1 to sign up. Wolf said several packages are available, so there’s a right fit for everyone.
To learn more, go online to embodycentralia.com, check out their Facebook page, call 360-330-2639, or swing by the studio at 115 S. Tower Ave., Centralia.
