Studio Spotlight – Alycia
Studio team spotlight
This barre beauty has now been with us for one year and boy what a year it has been! Alycia Messenger has been such a blessing to our barre family. She brings so much to the table; she has unbelievable knowledge and opened our eyes, for our team and our clients. If you have not met Alycia, you must. She is real. She is who she is. She is strong. She is selfless. She is always willing and able to step up the challenge. She does more for others than herself. With her open heart, delve in and learn more about her eclectic background, style and experiences. You will see that her classes are the same way. She puts her whole self into her class, bringing her background and years of teaching to the table. I can remember this one day when one of clients who has stepped up and challenged herself to complete the mind over matter minute. We all have the strength but sometimes we need that extra encouragement. Alycia went out of her way, while taking a class as a student, to plank right next to her. The sound of joy of accomplishment from this client will forever stay clear in my head. We all know she is strong but Alycia went the extra mile to give her that one last push. Overall, Alycia has taught me so much about myself as an owner, manager, teacher and friend. Alycia, we love your Barre Fusion Friday (love Barre +Ball…hoping to bring that back) and only hearing rave reviews about the NEW Barre Fusion Flow on Wednesday evenings. Everyone is in love! For the past month, you have been giving giving and giving, and all of us, your barre family, want to let you know how much we love you. Enjoy your birthday month (yes her birthday is the end of the month!) and know that you are appreciated. We thank you for being an amazing member of our team, jumping in when we need it and know that our clients love you too! Thank you for all you do. Read about our Studio Spotlight Alycia!
When did you start teaching at Barre + Beyond?
I started teaching at Barre + Beyond in February 2017
What do you love about the barre workout?
I love that with consistency, in a relatively short time you see results. No matter your fitness level, it is always challenging yet accessible.
What’s your favorite class to teach?
My favorite class to teach is Barre Fusion. It combines yoga, strength training and cardio with classic barre exercises to create a challenging yet fun class.
What’s your most memorable day at the barre?
I think the most memorable day (most memorable for my students anyway) was on St. Patrick’s Day and I was teaching barre fusion; it happened to be a full class that morning. It was their first experience with a cardio mandala. I played Dropkick Murphy’s – Shipping Up to Boston, a 2 ½ minute Irish punk infused cardio goodness. They were not expecting it!
How has life at barre affected your life outside of barre?
I’m a full-time yoga teacher and barre has helped me to maintain strength and stamina in my personal yoga practice as well as expanding my teaching. I have more resources to pull from for creating a well-rounded yoga class. Also, the community at Barre + Beyond is incredibly welcoming and supportive. I moved from Chicago just over a year ago and starting over personally and professionally was challenging for me. It was difficult to balance teaching with my personal fitness. I also missed my yoga community. I met Rachel Lauer and Emma Glass, two instructors from Barre and Beyond, they encouraged me to enroll in the barre teacher training offered last January. I hadn’t taken a barre class before, so this was all new for me. I do love being a student though, and 2017 was a year of stepping out of my comfort zone so I went for it. I also traveled to Italy in August where I completed a 100hr yoga teacher training and I head to Greece this June to complete my 500hr yoga instructor certification.
If someone takes your class, what should they expect?
To sweat! Seriously though, expect to work hard and find new ways to align yourself in mind body and spirit.
What is your guilty pleasure?
Watching wacky conspiracy theory documentaries and ghost hunting shows. I lead crime tours in Chicago on weekends!
What do you do for fun?
I’m a nature freak so I’m outdoors a lot with my dogs. Happiness is a bonfire and mountains all around. I’m also a rock climber and photographer and love to travel.
