Why are your classes so hard?

Barre classes test our limits. We learn to breathe through discomfort and to challenge our bodies and minds to new ways of moving.

But what barre classes also do, is helps us better manage our nervous system and regulate our reactions to stressors. Through various techniques such as breathing, body awareness, and physical postures, we can activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for the "rest and digest" response in the body.

This response can counteract the effects of the sympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for the "fight or flight" response (the action/reaction). Our fight/ flight system is amazing and required, but it’s helpful to be able to manage it.

The better we learn to regulate our nervous system under pressure, the less easily we will react in ways that don’t serve us. By regularly practising barre and yoga, we can train our nervous systems to respond more effectively to stressors. We can become more aware of our physical sensations and emotions, and learn to regulate them through breathing and relaxation techniques. This can help us reduce feelings of anxiety, fear, and frustration, and increase our ability to stay calm and focused — even in challenging situations.

When you get a difficult email land in your inbox, it might not shift your mood like it once did.

When you’re more regulated, things roll off your back with more ease. Perspective can be easier to seek out.

Barre Base offers a supportive space for you to explore your limits and to see what you’re truly capable of. You’ll never know how far-reaching this can be in everyday life.

Barre classes are tough. But so are you!