April and the Return of Spring!

Yes, I know. Spring officially returned a few weeks ago. I am just now getting around to really leaning into the celebration of the new season and I am bringing you along with! So, if you have been awaiting permission to go ahead and bloom right where you are planted, this is it! A person "blooming" is a metaphor to describe growth, transformation, and personal development. Here are some ways you could bloom this season:

1. Prioritize Well-being: I am a huge believer in weaving magic into life through fundamentals like movement medicine, a health-minded diet, and plentiful rest and restoration. Prioritizing well-being with these fundamentals is mandatory in order to bloom fully.

2. Pursue Passion and Purpose: For me, pursuing a passion of aerial arts gives me a deeper connection with my body and what it can do. While aerial is undeniably an incredible fitness practice, it’s much more than that. It’s a community, a lifestyle, and a way to infuse purpose and play into your workouts. I've dedicated myself to creating a curriculum that helps others experience all the unique benefits aerial arts has to offer.

3. Overcome Challenges: Life’s difficulties often provide the greatest opportunities for growth. You can bloom this season by pushing through adversity, learning from mistakes, and gaining strength and wisdom from those experiences. The opportunity to overcome challenges leads me into this month's mantra.

This Month's Mantra:

"Even when a situation is not what I had envisioned, I will keep going."

Photo by Jacq Guertin shortly after I sold the studio.

One of the goals of selling my former studio was to free up more time so I could focus on my aerial practice and improve as an aerialist for my biggest joy: performances. As a studio owner, aerial fitness had transformed from a love of the practice and building a community into the constant juggling of equipment maintenance, management, bills, budgets and spreadsheets. On top of that, the studio had grown so much that I was struggling to give my clients the attention they truly deserved, especially while also balancing with my full-time "muggle" job.

So, when a former student expressed interest in purchasing the studio, it seemed like a perfect solution. She agreed to let me stay on after the sale and continue teaching the high aerial classes, and I envisioned being able to keep pursuing my passions - empowering women and supporting the studio’s growth.

It is no secret that it turned out quite differently than I had envisioned, starting with the cessation of the high aerial classes a few months after the sale of the business. My high aerial students asked me to solve the low ceiling height problem for twenty months, which I was finally able to do last fall with the return of high aerial to Flathead Gymnastics. Unfortunately, I had to leave the studio I founded to make this happen.

This was incredibly heartbreaking for me, but ultimately, I get to decide how I view the situation: glass half-full or half-empty. Naturally, I choose to see it as half-full. When I put on my rose-tinted glasses, it's easy to see that I've achieved my original goals, and the world is my oyster for manifesting more.

Morale of the story? Even the best intentions and carefully laid plans can bring unexpected circumstances because you cannot control everything. Even when a situation is not what you had envisioned, keep going. Remember, you are the creator of your own story, and there is no one better equipped for this important task. I believe in you.💜🧚‍♀️💪🦄🌟🎉

Catherine Murray on the Aerial Hoop

A Guided Meditation for a New Season of Awakening & Growth: Spring Equinox Guided Meditation. Enjoy🙏

Wishing you an incredible April with many opportunities to bloom! XOXO, ~Mindy

Elevated Fitness began as blog dedicated to those on the quest for their best self. As the founder of Kalispell’s first aerial studio, I've always championed the transformative power of movement as a form of medicine. I believe movement is a key essential, along with a health-conscious diet and plentiful rest and restoration, to achieving your most empowered self.

In 2022, following the sale of the aerial studio I founded, I was met with enthusiasm from events and festivals I had previously collaborated with. They expressed a desire for me to continue enhancing their events with extraordinary aerial performances. This inspired the creation of Elevated Aerial; a collective uniting Flathead’s elite acrobats under one banner. Our mission is to transform events into extraordinary experiences, delivering unmatched energy, elegance, and professionalism. Thanks for following the Elevated Fitness story as it continues to blossom!

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Me, Mindy, at Woodland Park, spring of 2021.

Article by Mindy Cochran. Mindy is a practitioner, teacher, and performer of aerial silks, aerial hammock, and aerial hoop; as well as a health columnist for Montana Woman Magazine. Her column shares expertise for elevating health & wellness which she has acquired through her certifications as a personal trainer, nutrition coach, and life coach. To connect with Mindy on Instagram, please visit: www.instagram.com/aerial.mindy; or visit her Linktree here.