Today I am thrilled to introduce you to my friend and studio owner, Carly Farmer. Carly owns an adorable boutique studio in Newport Beach called Villa Pilates & Yoga. Carly embraces the Beach Babe mentality by daily immersing herself in a life of healthy, happy living. She has found her fitness niche in Pilates and Yoga. I am so excited to share her fitness tips with you.... Thanks for your inspiring words Carly!
Introduce yourself:
Motivation to stay in shape?
I was lucky enough to be born and raised in Southern California. I grew up with a passion for dance, and found healing and happiness in moving my body to music. At age 11, my ballet teacher recommended I try Pilates. At this time, Pilates was not a trend, nobody really knew what it was. Group reformer classes were not really happening, and there were only a couple Pilates studios around the area. I immediately fell in love with the way it made me feel. My posture improved, I became more flexible, and I became a lot stronger.
If you asked me what I was doing 3 ½ years ago when I opened Villa, I'm not quite sure what I would have said. Since then Villa has become my little sanctuary, and my happy place. It's a place that makes me happy when I'm sad, inspired when I'm not, balanced when I'm lost, and fulfilled when I'm empty.
While the classes are top notch, it's the people and instructors who give Villa so much soul. I feel so lucky to be surrounded by some of the most amazing people I've ever met everyday. Going to "work" still excites me, and when I'm not there, I miss it.
Why Pilates and yoga?
Yoga gives me that high that dance used to give me. There is no other feeling like it. It moves me, it makes me more sensitive to the world, and it makes me feel good and centered. As for the physical benefits, Yoga will literally make your cells healthier and will create space in the body, the mind, and the soul. I will be doing yoga for the rest of my life.
Pilates keeps me long and lean, but more importantly, keeps my body strong and safe. What I love most about Pilates is that it has remained an authentic and traditional method, while staying current by including modern principles of exercise science and rehabilitation. Pilates helps people find proper alignment, and it's so fun to see peoples body's transform. It is a work out that can be personalized to many different needs - whether that is an hour of full body toning or an hour spent on strengthening the knee.
Pilates keeps me long and lean, but more importantly, keeps my body strong and safe. What I love most about Pilates is that it has remained an authentic and traditional method, while staying current by including modern principles of exercise science and rehabilitation. Pilates helps people find proper alignment, and it's so fun to see peoples body's transform. It is a work out that can be personalized to many different needs - whether that is an hour of full body toning or an hour spent on strengthening the knee.
What's your favorite exercise that we can try at home?
Inversions! There is something very liberating about going upside down, and reversing the blood flow is amazing for circulation. Start by laying on your back, with your legs up against the wall.
What's an ideal weekly work out schedule?
I'm a huge believer in mixing it up. Our bodies are meant to move, but there is such a thing as overdoing it. Sometimes we become too attached to our "workouts" and that is not necessarily healthy. With that being said, my motto is - Try to MOVE in someway EVERYDAY, and be sure to sweat while you're at it!
A typical week for me:
Monday: WALK to YOGA. SWEAT in the infrared sauna.
Tuesday: evening MUSIC flow YOGA class.
Wednesday: Katie's COREPLAY inspired REFORMER class followed by Nicolette's Vinyasa Flow YOGA class
Thursday: Yoga & SWEAT in the INFRARED sauna
Friday: BIKE to Villa: PILATES reformer class + VINYASA Flow Yoga class.
Saturday: Bike to Andrea's MUSIC Flow yoga class. HIKE El Morro.
Sunday: Sunday should be SPONTANEOUS and spent outdoors.
Favorite go - to healthy food or snack?
Green smoothie. It's the best way to start the day. To Make:
Green smoothie. It's the best way to start the day. To Make:
- 4 kale leaves
- 1 cup hemp milk (or almond milk)
- ½ banana
- 2 spoonfuls of hemp protein powder ( or 1 scoop raw almond butter)
- 1 spoonful of bee pollen
- 1 cup ice
- **can also add chia seeds
Motivation to stay in shape?
Learn to focus on the internal, not just the external, because you'll never be satisfied if that's all it's about. Listen to your body & know that being in shape & being healthy is a combination of a lot of things. Be happy, eat your kale, drink your water, get sleep, let loose, find a way to be creative, enjoy the sunshine, swim in the ocean, connect with people, and most importantly, stop thinking too much about yourself.
Words to live by?
Your spirit is your spark, your brilliance, and your very best. It's the part of your soul that you give to the world. Anticipate the good that is all around you, look for a chance to be delighted, and discover that when you are true to yourself, the whole world is full of possibility. - M. H Clark
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