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:
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.
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. Consider blooming a bit this season by joining me in my aerial silks class. Absolutely no experience is needed for the Wednesday class 6:45-8 pm. DM me for details!
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."
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.💜🧚♀️💪🦄🌟🎉
A Guided Meditation for a New Season of Awakening & Growth: Spring Equinox Guided Meditation. Enjoy🙏
What I Am Excited About
❤️My Interval Training Fitness class has a new home at Noble Dance ~ Dr. Popp sold his practice, so we are headed to a new location, and honestly, I am so stoked to be welcomed by Noble Dance (kiddycorner and southwest from the Kalispell Center Mall).🩰This month-long series of interval training and magic is intended to awaken the inner athlete and honor what your body is craving!💪
➡️Mondays / Wednesdays at 6:40-7:40 am.
➡️Classes start Wednesday, April 2nd!
One full month for only $99, or $15 drop-in, but I would love for you to try the first class free to see if it's a good fit for you. Drop me a DM anytime, and I will save a spot for you. Springtime fitness, let's go!🧚♀️💪🦄🌟🎉
Not one, not two, but THREE incredible events in April:
❤️Tickle My Fancy ~ I am honored to be invited as the guest aerialist to Missoula’s King Bee Creation's "Once Upon Your Fairytale" spring edition of Tickle My Fancy (TMF.) This is a massive two-night art event celebrating the human experience, promoting body positivity, while building a culture of inclusion and a blossoming community of creators. Be enchanted by extreme body painting, music and other special performances, this pure celebration of art is a takeover of The Badlander in Missoula April 4th and 5th. Doors Open at 8 pm, tickets are $25 at the door.
❤️Kalispell Women's Fair ~ has invited us to perform at their event at the Flathead Couny Fairgrounds. Women are invited to indulge in the very best the Flathead Valley has to offer in shopping, fashion, food, entertainment, cosmetics, home, health, and so much more. Admission is free. Elevated Aerial will be performing choreographed acts 1-1:20 pm.
❤️Valicity's Princess Ball ~ Catch the Elevated Fitness Team performing aerial acrobatics and stiltwalking at Valicity's Princess Ball April 12th, 2025 at the Red Lion Inn. The ball is a magical night of dancing, tiaras, and tuxes held in memory of four-year old Valicity who lost her battle with Leukemia in 2010. Benefits from this year's ball will support Angel Flight West, 406 For Kids, Ronald McDonald House Charities, and the Montana Hope Project; all charities that help children in need. The event begins at 7 pm, aerial acts start at 8:30 and go until we turn into pumpkins!
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!
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.
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