Labarre Saved My Life – Response by Carleigh Burdine

About a week ago, I wrote a story about how labarre had saved my life… not only once, but twice.  That blog can be found right HERE.  As the owner and founder of the nearly five-year-old studio I knew all too well that starting a small business in California was as risky a challenge as I could ever face.  I hunkered down with the help of some incredible people and put my heart and soul into it succeeding and never lost sight of the goal.  That goal was to build an oasis for the mind, body and spirit of all who stepped through the front door.  Little did I know that labarre would have residual benefits that were exponentially greater than what I intended it to achieve…

This incredible story is in response to the post I created.  Overly grateful for Carleigh Burdine and hope you will read her story as well.

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Labarre Studios saved my postpartum body, and got me through state-to-state commuting with a nine month old, and a move. I wish I could’ve taken the studios with me to Washington State.

I am a barre Instructor now, because of Lisa Alberino, her vision, and the incredible souls who’ve followed her. My second son was a large baby with a large head, and I went from running 5Ks, half-marathons, doing high-impact Hip Hop, and 12-hour night shifts high risk OB to limping on a long walk. There is not an option to not take your toddler to the park, or not baby-wear your 9 lb. newborn. You simply must solider-on.

So, I was limping down the Alameda with my double-stroller, after a particularly grueling barre class at another popular chain, when I met Lisa. She was warm, exuberant, intense, and authentic. And she saw my hurt.
 
Everything hurt.
 
And all they would tell me was that I had 2 babies in 2 years. And I needed time to recover.
I did not have time to wait. I needed to be a mom, a nurse, a wife, and a human today. Even though, I had already been doing barre for 4 years by then, Lisa brought a humanity to her practice, that helped me heal.

I cried at the end of my first class knowing my babies were in loving hands. And someone gave a sh*t about me from the inside out. They encouraged me to heal that way. “Focus on yourself, your breath, and taking this time. The rest will come.” And they were right.

I tear up just thinking about it. The move to Washington State did not save our family or my marriage. But teaching barre has. And now, I get to tell my clients to take that moment of gratitude for their bodies, their breath, and their life.
 
What a gift, Lisa, words will never suffice.