Adrienne Ruzic
Teaches: Kaiut Method Yoga, occasional specialty workshops, and offers therapeutic bodywork.
About:
I’ve always loved the quote by George Bernard Shaw that goes, “Life isn’t about finding yourself, it’s about creating yourself.”
When I was in high school I was always most proud when I had the opportunity to share that I had been to more countries than states. Yet as I got older, I wasn’t seeing the world as much as I wanted to. Falling into a traditional young professional lifestyle kept me from exploring the world more. But normal people didn’t do that, they worked their 50 weeks a year, BBQ’d in the backyard on holidays and slept in on Sunday. It’s a nice life, but the depression I was experiencing was telling me that it wasn’t for me.
It wasn’t until I was 27 when I came to learn that I was allergic to stress. No, really. I was. I didn’t know it, but I had been experiencing this allergy my whole life. Overwhelmed by college finals? Sure, develop some strange, agonizing, shoulder pain that morphine and MRI’s couldn’t touch. Working 7 days a week in a new job? Why not have weirdo digestive, head, and body troubles for months on end. I swear as a kid I got the flu every year before the school year started. What I now know, is this is called stress-related illness. It’s the body’s reaction to sustained stress over a long period of time. You probably have a touch of it too, heck living in America it’s almost a requirement.
So after I was diagnosed with stress-related illness and my physician instructed me to “take a look at my life, because something wasn’t working for me” I did just that. A week later, I quit my high stress job and started teaching group fitness classes and working at Lowe's selling appliances. Whaddaya know? No pain! No more digestive woes! Wait, was the depression lifting? Within a year I was running my own business, and from there I was called to go to massage school so I could help others with their stress. I fell in love with massage and started a business that had other therapists and healing practitioners. 9 years down that road, and BAM! Stress-related issues reared their ugly head again. It was the lifestyle. Hustling to get the client, saying yes when I should have said no, work acting as both my job and my hobby. Eventually I sold the business so I could slow down, get healthy, regroup.
The missing piece of the puzzle started showing up when I was 34 and took my first cross country road trip one March. Finally, MORE STATES, YAY!!!! I was instantly hooked. The following year I spent 3 weeks out west. When I wasn’t running the massage business, it grew to 5 weeks, then 9. To support this travel habit, my fella and I acquired an adventure van we affectionately called ‘Jean Claude Tan Van”. After 9 years with Jean toting us away from blustry New York winters, we bought land in Moab and built a home here.
Now my life is filled with all the things I love, that keep me healthy, grounded, vibrant and joyful while keeping my negative stress level to a minimum (for the most part). I also get to be a contributing member to society, pay taxes and save for retirement – aka adulting 3.0. My business is teaching yoga, offering therapeutic bodywork, and a side of financial management. But my business is also taking exquisite care of myself, making time for conversations with friends, crafting delicious meals, playing guitar, mountain biking my butt off, crafting mildly useful things in the pottery studio, doing a little day reading in the sunshine. It all counts.
Over the years, I’ve added more tools to my stress management tool box, from herbal medicine, to life coaching to Functional Medicine health coaching to leadership training. Coaching has been the biggest asset to continually ask me “what is it that I want to create for myself?” and giving me to confidence and skills to get it, in a relaxed and organic way, of course.
My toolbox sets me up beautifully to help others create their own experience of vibrant health and connection to all the things that matter in their life. Yours doesn’t have to look like mine, it’s not about finding yourself in my life. What life do you want to create for yourself? I know I’m in my element when I hear myself saying to someone, “can you cancel that obligation? It doesn’t seem to light you up.” “Where are you taking care of yourself in all this?” “How might slowing down actually help you to get more done?” “What does wellbeing look like to you?”
I love being the creator and vision holder for Health Not Hustle - School for Wellbeing. Aren’t we all in the process of learning something new? About the world around us, the world within us, and perhaps how we can tend to both of those things with a little more tenderness and intention with a little less effort?
Anne Howe
Teaches: Slow Flow/Beginner GYROKINESIS®, Intermediate GYROKINESIS®, Happy Feet, and occasional specialty workshops
About:
I have lived most of my life on the front range of CO growing up in Boulder county. I now call Moab my home as I feel most rejuvenated and inspired surrounded by the beautiful red rock desert. I am an avid outdoor person hiking, backpacking, cycling and backpacking. I enjoy wandering and roaming desert canyons for rock art and archeology as well as discovering the infinite beauty and awe I find in these amazing and expansive spaces.
I have been a professional Massage Therapist for 29 years graduating from the Boulder College of Massage therapy with an advanced certificate in sports & orthopedic massage techniques. I am also a certified athletic trainer. I strive to help guide my clients in their health journeys.
I am always looking for new and innovative ways to move and exercise. A client mentioned the GYROTONIC® Method to me and in my curiosity I checked out the website. I fell in love instantly! I could see the potential of the exercises and equipment to help balance, stretch, strengthen and heal the body. Subsequently I jumped feet first into a training course and was immediately hooked by the fluid, flowing sequences. When I arrived home after that initial course I jumped on my bike and couldn’t believe the internal core strength and balance I could feel.
Seven years and 19 courses later I am a certified GYROTONIC® & GYROKINESIS® trainer. I love the never ending layering build of intrinsic strength from the Gyrotonic and Gyrokinesis exercise. These movements and exercises are an amazing compliment and enhance any sport.The impact on my body after just one course was immediate and showed me just how powerful and transformative these exercise techniques can be. My background in sports and orthopedic massage and athletic training gives me a solid understanding of body biomechanics, which makes the Gyrotonic and Gyrokinesis exercise even more exciting for me as it deepens my own connection to the movement. This deep dedication to my own well-being allows me to support others on their health, fitness and healing journeys.
GYROTONIC® and GYROKINESIS® are registered trademarks of Gyrotonic Sales Corp and are used with their permission.