spirit – Cheryl Ilov International

Episode #39: The Golden Thread Of Life

Written by Cheryl on November 20, 2019. Posted in Femininja Podcast.

Meet Bryn Brown, a business coach who uses heartfelt connections along with spiritual wisdom to help people turn their deepest passions into a business that feeds their soul. She shares her own personal and professional journey and life path including how to seek self-fulfillment through self-observation, and how to avoid tears in your morning coffee. Bryn also explains the golden thread (or threads) that lead to different possibilities, and how to follow the threads to find your own true path. Download this to discover tips on finding your way, creating your own community, showing up in relationships, the delicate dance and balance of masculine and feminine energy, and much more. Bryn is a wealth of knowledge, information, and expertise! https://www.brynbrown.com/ https://www.facebook...

Hairless At Twenty-Five

Written by Cheryl on March 18, 2019. Posted in Cheryl's View.

Imagine a young woman waking up one morning, getting her coffee, having her breakfast, and then taking her shower. It’s just an average day in the life of a twenty-five year old. Until she gets out of the shower and begins drying her hair. She notices a small bald spot at the top of her head, and her boyfriend confirms what she sees. Instead of going to work she heads straight to the dermatologist. She is diagnosed with alopecia and told not to worry about it–it was probably a temporary situation, and isolated incident, and the hair would grow back. Five months later she was completely bald. Now imagine that young woman is you. You have just begun living a nightmare that just won’t end. You try every treatment that is recommended, no matter how painful and/or expensive....

Love Yourself With All Your Heart

Written by Cheryl on February 1, 2018. Posted in Fit Tips.

Love is in the air. It’s February, and Valentine’s Day is right around the corner. It’s the season of love. It’s also the time of year when it’s really difficult to keep up with our health and fitness goals. I can’t speak for anyone else, but the short days, cold weather, and lack of serious holidays to look forward to kind of wears me down. I would rather hunker down on the couch with a box of chocolates and wait for the spring thaw. However, that will certainly put me far behind the eight ball when swim suit season kicks in. So, instead of hiding under the covers or throwing in the towel, here are a few simple tips to keep yourself motivated, moving, and at the top of your game: 1). Love yourself with all your heart. Be kind to yourself. Speak softly and gently, and give yourself positive...

The Invisible Black Belt

Written by Cheryl on November 6, 2017. Posted in Ninja Notes.

A lot of people don’t know this, but I experienced a unique journey into the male-dominated, testosterone-infested world of martial arts at the tender young age of 47. To my surprise (and everyone else’s), I became my teacher’s first female black belt ten years later. In the twenty-year-long history of the martial arts school, no woman had ever achieved the rank of black belt. I was the first, and I shattered a lot of glass ceilings and belief systems along the way, including my own. I have many funny, inspiring, and heart wrenching stories as my training helped me evolve physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Yes, I said spiritually. Because there is a strong sense of spirituality embedded in a high level and elite martial art like the one I was studying....

Solitude: Taking Time To Enjoy the Gift of Silence

Written by Cheryl on September 4, 2017. Posted in Cheryl's View.

Solitude. I was blessed with the gift of silence and solitude a few days ago when I happened to show up thirty minutes early for a dance class. Fortunately, another class had just ended so the studio was open. However, when the dancers left the studio, I was alone. Really alone. There wasn’t another human being in the entire building. I began to feel a little anxious and upset. Where was everyone? Why weren’t people arriving for the ten o’clock dance class? Did I drive the forty-five miles from my home in Denver to Boulder for nothing? My anxiety escalated as I watched the dancers from the previous class get in their cars and drive away and I realized I was alone in an empty building. That was not a comfortable feeling. It was even a little bit creepy. Maybe I should just get back in my...

Licorice, lollipops,chocolate and health fairs….

Written by Cheryl on October 28, 2013. Posted in Cheryl's View.

I attended a health and wellness expo last week to promote my business and share the methods I use to help people move better, feel better and get out of pain. I don’t participate in many events, but when I do, I always place a lovely basket of high quality dark chocolate at the edge of my table. Just the thought of chocolate brings a smile to my face. And the smell! Is there anything more comforting than the smell of rich, dark chocolate wafting over you? Especially when you’re feeling stressed or anxious. As much as I enjoy getting out in front of the public, these big health expos make me incredibly nervous. I’m always afraid of feeling inept, or out of place. As I organized my table, I set out my basket of chocolate. The heavenly aroma combined with the pretty wrappings...

And the journey continues….

Written by Cheryl on December 12, 2011. Posted in Ninja Notes.

It takes a tremendous amount of courage for a woman to walk into a testosterone infested Dojo and begin training. It also takes an enormous amount of trust. I had neither. I was scared to death for the first two years. However, the guys were incredibly tolerant, gentle and patient with me. Most of the time I was the only woman in class, and they dutifully took turns working with me. I thought that was awfully magnanimous of them. I soon discovered that it was because I was prettier and smelled better than any of the guys, even on my worst day. They had plenty of opportunities to work with each other, and they seemed to enjoy tossing me around for a change. Even though I was enjoying the classes, I was still incredibly intimidated. I was a good student, not because I was interested in going...

All of her experiences, training and practice contribute to a truly customized workout/core-strengthening program for each of her clients.
-Claudia D.
She not only helped alleviate the pain, she helped me regain flexibility and got me back on my center.
-Misti M-K
She gently guide you so that ultimately you understand your body better and are able to move with greater ease and less pain.
-Gwendolyn P.
Some of the numbness around my knees has subsided and I’ve regained some feeling as well as had deep joint pain reduction. Flexibility and overall strength has increased.
-Melinda C.
Her gentle, loving approach is just what my body needs to fully recover from a recent car accident. I leave each session with a slight tingling sensation and movement seems much more fluid.
-Shannon G
Cheryl’s background in physical therapy, dance, Pilates, Feldenkrais, and martial arts make her very capable of not only understanding movement but helping others achieve their goals!
-Sheila S.

Tag: spirit