Welcome

Welcome to The Blissful Blondie, I'm so happy you found my site. This is where my love of movement, fitness, mindfulness, Ayurveda, nutrition and self-care (with a bit of travel thrown in for fun) converge. I started my own massage business in 2011, and a wellness blog followed quickly. Over the years, my focus and offerings have grown and evolved massively, just as I have as a teacher and student.

It's my desire to provide a resource for like-minded people and a way to form connections through our community. I hope you enjoy what you find here.

With gratitude,

Christen

lets connect

This week brings us to our 4th Pilates Principle: B R E A T H
Deep breathing is an essential part of Pilates. Not just a big inhale, but also making a conscious effort to exhale fully, getting rid of every bit of stale air, allowing fresh, invigorating air to rush in. Joseph Pilates was adamant about deep breathing.
In Pilates, the breath leads the movement and gives it power (as demonstrated in the image above -- Brooke uses a deep exhale breath to lift both her torso and her legs up -- a beautiful expression of an advanced classical Pilates exercise, Teaser)

Don't be shy about breathing fully in Pilates class. That is what Joseph Pilates intended and it is completely true to the work.

Packed house for afternoon Yoga at @austinboulderingproject 🤸🏼‍♀️Lots of sweaty side crow fun was had.
After class, three separate students approached me to give feedback that certain cues I gave throughout class 'clicked' and helped them to open their shoulders more, find increased stability in the pose, and/or access a pose they've never done before...all of the feedback and comments I received today filled my heart and me oh so happy. Seeing students excited, gaining a deeper understanding of the asana practice and increased body awareness is why I do what I do. Grateful to share my experience with others. 💙

Dip at Barton Springs last night in celebration of the Summer solstice, the longest day of the year, filled with the most light ✨
Solstice is a time of celebration, honoring the light, our connection to the sun and the Earth. Every culture has festivals to honor this day.
Our ancestors built huge bonfires on this day to celebrate their tangible connection to the vital power of the immense burning star that keeps our planet bright, warm and alive. It's a good time to remember that we, like the sun, contain the power to nurture and sustain, and that we have a responsibility to burn as brightly as we can.
This is a time to invite fire into our lives, fire to burn away all that we have outgrown and all that no longer serves us; fire that makes the wild things grow in us, for which our inner selves have longed. ✨

"When you've exhausted all possibilities, remember this: You haven't." - Thomas Edison 🤸🏼‍♀️ Whether it's Yoga or Pilates your body is craving, I've got you covered all week. 7 opportunities to expand what you think you can do. Yoga @ @austinboulderingproject and Pilates @alignaustin Come play.

Follow Your Bliss

"I believe in following your bliss. The things that shake you and move you beyond the depths of your bones. Bliss offers opportunity. It offers more light. It carves new, knowing roads. But I also bask in the shadow. I dive into the grit. I sit in the discomfort and I let go. I let go. I let go.

You cannot feel the expansiveness of the air if your feet haven't sunk into dirt and ground. Don't dismiss your own darkness. Remember soil is a beautiful thing. The ground is what develops the dream." - Victoria Erickson

“Chris’ energy, enthusiasm, and true passion for what she does are some of the first qualities that stood out to me. I’ve been practicing with her for over three years, both in group and private settings. I love that she continues to further her education, allowing her to create unique and interesting Pilates and Yoga infused classes. Her extensive background in massage therapy has also been incredibly useful to help me understand the source of muscle tightness and restriction that I experience in my body during certain movements; she’s helped me gain more flexibility and move in a safe way for my body. I’ve referred many of my friends to Chris, and often bring them along to her group classes and Duet sessions, which have all been well received and reviewed. I would absolutely recommend Chris to anyone hoping to increase mobility and core strength, while also learning new movements and exercises that will tone your entire body. ”

— Korin L., Pilates & Yoga Client

“I started working with Chris after my second baby and was immediately impressed with her ability to tailor her approach to my individual needs and skill level. Each session was different, which kept the workouts interesting and challenging. Chris is super approachable and kept me laughing through the tough workouts. Her knowledge in massage therapy is also very useful when tailoring workouts for specific injuries. Chris is an excellent trainer/teacher, and I highly recommend her to any Austinites looking to channel their inner athlete or bounce back from an injury!”

— Melissa S, Pilates Client

“I’m a rugby player that also over-works himself and have found Chris to give me exactly what I need. She has consistently helped me unwrap the tension I have in my upper back, not to mention lessen the lifespan of longer term rugby injuries I’ve developed.”

— Elliot B., Massage Client

“I have lived in Austin for the past 7 years and have been to at least 15 different massage therapists over that time spam. All were pretty good, but nothing memorable. A friend referred me to Chris, and I seriously received the best massage of my life. Like most people, I sit at a desk all day, staring at my computer. Years of this has caused extreme tension in my shoulders and lower back. I can easily say she was able to relieve the knots in my back after a single session!
I constantly refer people to Chris because it’s actual therapy, not just something that feels good during the duration of the appointment; the results last far after the massage. ”

— Shay I., Massage Client

“Chris is awesome!! I have been practicing Pilates for a few years, and wanted to mix in a little circuit training to help strengthen and build muscle. Her use of the TRX and other functional strength training has greatly improved my core strength, shoulder strength and overall balance. I challenge any man who thinks Pilates is for “girls” to do a workout with Chris and see if you’re not sore all over the next day! Plus her expansive knowledge of Yoga, Massage and human Anatomy will help you pinpoint specific muscle groups that you’d like to specifically strengthen or stretch. Chris rules!”

— Howard C., Pilates & Yoga Client

“Chris is one of the best massage therapists I’ve seen in Austin. She listens to my needs, and focuses her massage on areas I’ve mentioned are troubling me. She has strong hands and gives me an extremely firm and deep massage, when needed. Her massages are effective at loosening up tight muscles and tendons.
Chris is friendly and you can tell she loves her job; she puts real effort into her massage and isn’t just going through the motions. I see measurable improvements in my running performance after a session with Chris. I recommend her to anyone who wants to stay injury free while training hard.”

— Chris K., 2008 Olympic Trials Marathon Qualifier & Massage Client

Pilates

Pilates is a system of over 500 exercises that engage the mind and condition the entire body. It is a balanced blend of strength and flexibility training , that improves posture, reduces stress and creates long, lean muscles. Pilates works the entire body through smooth, continuous motion, with a particular emphasis on the intrinsic core support of breath for the body's "powerhouse" - abdomen, back and pelvic girdle region.

Pilates is distinct from most fitness regimes because it's low impact and addresses the body as whole. Pilates takes a balanced approach so that no muscles group is overworked and the body works as an efficient, holistic system in sport and daily activity. The emphasis is on quality of movement, rather than quantity, which makes one feel invigorated, rather than depleted after a session. Pilates is perfect for any age, body type or fitness level.

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Yoga

Yoga's history has many places of obscurity and uncertainty due to it's oral transmission of sacred texts and the secretive nature of it's teachings. It's roots can be traced back to 5,000 years ago, although some researchers think Yoga may be up to 10,000 years old. The Classical period of Yoga is defined by Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, the first systematic presentation of Yoga. Written sometime in the second century this these texts describe the path of Raja Yoga, often called 'classical Yoga'. Patanjali organized the practice of Yoga into an eight limbed path, containing the steps and stages towards obtaining Samadhi or enlightenment. Patanjali is often considered the father of Yoga and his Yoga Sutras still strongly influence most styles of modern Yoga.

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TRX

The TRX Suspension Trainer is the original, best-in-class workout system that leverages gravity and your bodyweight to perform hundreds of exercises. You're in control of how much you want to challenge yourself on each exercise - because you can simply adjust your body position to add or decrease resistance.

Training with the TRX, you'll experience the physical benefits of improved mobility and flexibility, more lean muscle mass, and functional strength. Because the TRX Suspension Trainer requires you to engage your core with every exercise, you get a total-body workout every time you train.

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