By Trisha Hatfield Graves

In early 2007, I received an email from the owner of a learning and wellness retreat center, The Cascina Papaveri in Italy.  They were interested in having me serve as the Featured International Pilates Instructor for two weeks in June. I was quite honored because this retreat only features what they feel are the “best of the best” in international Pilates instructors.  Most of their featured instructors can boast of having DVDs, books and TV spots…and “a following”.  I simply owned The Pilates Center of Olympia, a small local studio.  My ‘followers’ consisted of my studio’s clientele.  The Pole Dancing facet, however, really intrigued the Cascina’s owners, and the philosophies around providing women with an avenue through which to connect with their sensuality seemed like something their guests might enjoy.

Movement of any kind helps keep our bodies “lubricated” and energized. Similar to a vehicle, our bodies need fluids to help make smooth, supported movements. Motion keeps fluid moving in our joints, back bones, and circulatory system. Healthy movement keeps us hydrated.

Do you wake up stiff and sore? Do you find that it takes a few hours to get going?

A lot of this is due to us “drying out” while sleeping. Our joints and especially the discs between our vertebrae lose fluid during rest. As we move around fluid rehydrates and provides a supportive cushion to reduce pressure.

There is a private exercise studio in the South Sound that allows you to exercise 15 minutes 2 times a week and get amazing results. Tamra Marlowe has been exercising using this technique for over 3 years and she feels in the best shape that she has ever experienced. Tamra says, “I feel empowered, healthy and strong. It works with my schedule and I don’t have to dress down to participate.”

They say that our intuition can save our lives. For Nancy Flores, this statement rings true. Though she was diligent about getting her yearly mammograms, she just felt there was something wrong and she listened to her intuition. She asked her doctor if he would order a mammogram and ultrasound if it was warranted. He agreed and that was the beginning of her journey. During the biopsy, the doctors were very doubtful that it was cancer. But in June 1999, Nancy was diagnosed with breast cancer.

A Discussion With Dr. Bennett Of South Sound Radiology

Breast cancer is a serious health problem in the United States and is the leading cause of cancer deaths in women. The incidence of breast cancer has more than doubled in the past 30 years: In 1964, the lifetime risk was 1 in 20. Today, it is 1 in 8. More than 180,000 women in the United States are diagnosed with breast cancer every year! It has touched so many lives in the South Sound.

Early detection is imperative in saving lives. Mammograms are the standard for detecting breast cancer. The American Cancer Society recommends that women ages 20 and older perform monthly breast self-examinations and receive a physical examination every three years, and that women age 40 and older receive an annual mammogram and physical examination. Mammography is still touted as the single most effective method of screening, but it fails to detect as many as 20 percent of breast cancer cases in women over age 50, and as many as 50 percent in younger women