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Lauren Simpson Shares How Barre3 Helped Her Fall In Love With Mindful Movement
You know the friend you go to for recommendations, inspiration, and advice? For us, that’s Lauren Simpson. A Portland-based photographer and blogger, Lauren has an eye for capturing life’s beautiful moments and a perspective that’s refreshingly optimistic and real.
Lauren spoke to us about living with psoriasis, her barre3 practice, and why it’s always possible to invite change and growth into your life. Read on to learn more about how Lauren is finding ease in acceptance and experiencing peace both inside and out.
B3 MAGAZINE: You’re a freelance photographer based in Portland. Was this a career path you always wanted to pursue?
LAUREN: After I graduated from college, I moved to Austin where I worked as an engineering recruiter, but photography had always been my hobby. From the time I was little to when I was in college, I had my little point and shoot camera with me at all times. When my now-husband and I started dating, he was running a travel blog and I jumped in to help him with the photography. It was always something I enjoyed doing on the side.
After about two years of working as an engineering recruiter, I realized that it wasn’t what I wanted to be doing with my life. I was good at it and I was making good money, but I came to realize that it wasn’t something that I truly cared about. So I quit my job, moved to Montana where I did a summer photography program, and I’ve been a freelance photographer ever since.
B3 MAGAZINE: You write a blog as well! How did you get started with that?
LAUREN: I’ve always loved sharing things with people—book recommendations, hair products, things more specifically related to my psoriasis—anything that’s helping me in some way, I love to spread the word. I started seeing a naturopath to help me address my psoriasis and began sharing more about the work we were doing together.
The more I shared on Instagram, the more I discovered that people were interested in what I had to stay. I would get the same questions over and over, so I decided that I would give my recommendations somewhere to live. Again, whether it’s travel stuff, reading, my engagement, or psoriasis, I just love to share. That’s really what the blog stemmed from and it’s been a fun project ever since.
B3 MAGAZINE: What advice would share with someone who wants to pursue their passion professionally?
LAUREN: The first thing I would say is to get serious about making it happen and start planning. For me, that looked like deciding to save money to pursue my photography career. I would automatically put a percentage of every paycheck into my savings account. For you, that could mean talking to friends who could provide meaningful feedback, moving somewhere for a lower cost of rent, or seeking out education opportunities. Do whatever you need to do to set things in motion.
For a long time, I didn’t believe that I could do it, and sometimes I think you need other people to speak your dream into reality to help you believe that you’re capable of the dreams you have for yourself. Surround yourself and reach out to the people who are going to encourage you. I have a brother who’s 11 years older than I am and he’s always been the person who can provide level-headed advice without ever doubting my choices. We all need people in our lives who encourage us and provide us with that honest feedback.
The biggest piece of advice though that I can give is to just try. Sure, maybe you’ll fail, but maybe in that process you’ll discover a strength of yours that you never knew existed. Or maybe it’ll be really hard and you’ll experience incredible amounts of personal growth along the way. If you’ve been thinking about it long enough, it’s worth a try. You never know what might happen.
Of course it’ll be scary. Of course it’s a risk. But before I jumped into photography, I remember being 26, looking at my life and thinking, I’m too young for this. That’s something you can really say at any point in your life. Life is truly too short to stay stuck in a situation where you’re unhappy.
B3 MAGAZINE: What was your relationship to health and fitness before you discovered barre3?
LAUREN: In college, I studied exercise physiology and ran track and cross-country. Once I graduated though, I was exhausted and needed to take a break from intense exercise. I had been running 30-40 miles a week for 8 years. It was a lot and I was ready for the pause.
After I took that break, I bounced around a bit with exercise. When I was living in Austin, I did an outdoor bootcamp and when we moved to Portland, I ran here and there and did some cycling classes, but it never really amounted to an exercise routine.
B3 MAGAZINE: How did you first discover barre3? What was it about the workout that resonated with you?
LAUREN: Last spring, my friend posted a referral code for a discount off your first month of barre3 online. It was that time of year when it’s still rainy, cloudy, and gray out in Portland, and I wanted to move my body but I wasn’t motivated to be outside on my bike. So I decided to give barre3 a shot.
After coming out of a very intense Division I athletic program, I’ve realized that I don’t respond well to yelling and I’m not motivated by the mindset that tells you that you always have to be faster and go harder. That had been drilled into me for so long, and so when I discovered barre3, it was like a breath of fresh air. The workout gives you a burn, but I love the mindfulness behind it as well. I think it’s that combination that’s helped me stick with it. Barre3 is the perfect balance of encouragement and challenge. As I get older, I’m finding that mindfulness is such a huge part of sustaining a healthy lifestyle both mentally and physically, and it’s that aspect of the workout that really helped me connect with barre3.
B3 MAGAZINE: You write about your experience living with psoriasis on your blog. Can you share more about what it’s been like living with an autoimmune disease?
LAUREN: With psoriasis, you don’t know you have it until you break out. I broke out for the first time when I was in 5th grade. That first breakout healed quickly, and I didn’t break out again until I was 19. Since then though, it’s been an over 10-year struggle to keep my psoriasis under control. As a woman and as a human in general, having giant red patches all over your body is something that’s really difficult to deal with. Not only do you feel like you can’t wear shorts during the summer, but you have to shop around for the right skincare products and makeup. All of it can take a huge mental toll on you.
For me, I was lucky to get it late enough in life where people don’t notice it or seem to care about it as much. Still though, living with psoriasis has presented an internal battle of trying to figure out how to love yourself even if you don’t like what you see. It can also be hard trying to convince yourself that your skin does not define you even if that’s your outward representation of yourself.
Navigating those challenges is difficult, but I’m fortunate to have been raised to see the world through rose-colored glasses. Things don’t get me down very easily, but I’ve broken down in those moments when everything feels like it’s weighing down on me.The challenges that psoriasis presents require you to check in with yourself a lot mentally. I’m grateful to have a supportive family and a supportive husband, but I know that not everyone has those support systems.
B3 MAGAZINE: How has barre3 supported you in your journey with psoriasis?
LAUREN: I’m fortunate not to experience it too much, but many people with psoriasis also experience psoriatic arthritis. Psoriatic arthritis is a condition that inflames and causes chronic pain in your joints. For many people it can be completely debilitating. Not only are you covered in these flaky red patches, but your joints, fingers, and knees are so stressed out that you can’t function properly.
Because barre3 is low-impact and incorporates mindfulness into the workout, it allows me to stretch out, strengthen, and move my body in a way that feels good. And again too, whether it’s barre3, a meditation practice, or even just going to a quiet place within yourself—it’s important to have those opportunities and practices that help us re-evaluate our self-worth and realign with the truth that our value isn’t based upon something that we can’t control.
Throughout my years of living with psoriasis, and just as I get older, I’ve come to a place of acceptance with it, where I recognize that there’s only so much that I can do. Seeking out barre3 has been key for helping me let mindfulness into my life and it’s that practice that’s made space for acceptance and understanding to grow.
Anytime I recommend barre3 to someone, that’s exactly what I say. I don’t respond well anymore to pressure, high intensity, adding more weight, or more reps. At this point in my life, all of that just stresses me out. To have barre3 as an avenue for daily mindfulness has been incredibly supportive in my journey with psoriasis and life in general.
B3 MAGAZINE: This year has brought untold amounts and unforeseen sources of stress. What practices or routines have helped you respond to the everyday challenges that have arisen in 2020?
LAUREN: Because I’m a freelance photographer, I was already working from home before quarantine began. Being able to work remotely and to have that already be my normal meant that I didn’t have to make a significant transition, and because I started out with barre3 online, there hasn’t been much that’s changed from that routine.
The summer was great, because the warmer weather meant that I could work out outside. I have a friend who has a really big backyard, and we’d do socially-distant backyard barre3 workouts together. Doing something that keeps my stress down and helps me escape, even if just for a little while, from all that we’re dealing with right now is something I’ve really appreciated during this time.
Building up a meditation practice has been really supportive as well. I’ve never been a huge meditator—I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not very good at it. I find it hard to sit still and let my mind wander, but I’ve been trying to incorporate it a little more into my everyday routines. I know Olivia Ashton, who led a few meditation sessions on the barre3 Instagram, and I think it’s beautiful how connected she is to that side of her spirit. I’m not a pro at it quite yet, but tuning in for her meditations and knowing her personally and her passion behind it has kept me inspired.
Something else that has been particularly grounding is reading. I love to read, and because we’ve all been staying inside and don’t really have anywhere to go, I’ve been plowing through books. It’s been fiction books mostly, because they’ve provided me with a much-needed escape from everything that we’re dealing with.
I have a couple go-to’s that I always recommend. While I don’t read a ton of mystery novels or thrillers, a friend mailed me Verity by Colleen Hoover, and I literally read it in 24 hours. I couldn’t put it down and everyone I’ve recommended it to says it’s kept them on the edge of their seats. My other recommendation is Forever Is The Worst Long Time. It’s a great story that’s uniquely written and I don’t think I’ve read anything like it in a long time.
B3 MAGAZINE: What advice would you share for someone who’s feeling overwhelmed by the stress and difficulties of this year?
LAUREN: Take a break from social media. I think it’s important to stay informed and engaged and to continue to be aware of what’s happening, but it can easily become too much. I’ve had to delete Instagram and Twitter from my phone for the day and try to take a step back from it all.
As I said before, this year has been an important lesson in trying to control only what you can control. From quitting my job, moving to Montana, jumping into photography, and living with psoriasis—everything I’ve experienced has taught me to focus my energy on what’s possible to control and to let the rest of it go.
It’s important too, to continue to have relationships as best you can. Of course, what that looks like has completely changed, but try your best to connect and talk with people who help you feel grounded, make you feel good, and prove your emotional and mental capacity to be able to handle all of it.
Lastly, I’ll say move your body. Even simply gentle movement can be incredibly powerful. And then take a nap if you want to. Rest where and when you can.
Thank you Lauren! You can learn more about Lauren by visiting her blog or following along with her on Instagram.
Feeling inspired by Melanie’s journey? Start your own today by finding your barre3 studio or try barre3 online with a 15-day free trial.
You know the friend you go to for recommendations, inspiration, and advice? For us, that’s Lauren Simpson. A Portland-based photographer and blogger, Lauren has an eye for capturing life’s beautiful moments and a perspective that’s refreshingly optimistic and real.
Lauren spoke to us about living with psoriasis, her barre3 practice, and why it’s always possible to invite change and growth into your life. Read on to learn more about how Lauren is finding ease in acceptance and experiencing peace both inside and out.
B3 MAGAZINE: You’re a freelance photographer based in Portland. Was this a career path you always wanted to pursue?
LAUREN: After I graduated from college, I moved to Austin where I worked as an engineering recruiter, but photography had always been my hobby. From the time I was little to when I was in college, I had my little point and shoot camera with me at all times. When my now-husband and I started dating, he was running a travel blog and I jumped in to help him with the photography. It was always something I enjoyed doing on the side.
After about two years of working as an engineering recruiter, I realized that it wasn’t what I wanted to be doing with my life. I was good at it and I was making good money, but I came to realize that it wasn’t something that I truly cared about. So I quit my job, moved to Montana where I did a summer photography program, and I’ve been a freelance photographer ever since.
B3 MAGAZINE: You write a blog as well! How did you get started with that?
LAUREN: I’ve always loved sharing things with people—book recommendations, hair products, things more specifically related to my psoriasis—anything that’s helping me in some way, I love to spread the word. I started seeing a naturopath to help me address my psoriasis and began sharing more about the work we were doing together.
The more I shared on Instagram, the more I discovered that people were interested in what I had to stay. I would get the same questions over and over, so I decided that I would give my recommendations somewhere to live. Again, whether it’s travel stuff, reading, my engagement, or psoriasis, I just love to share. That’s really what the blog stemmed from and it’s been a fun project ever since.
B3 MAGAZINE: What advice would share with someone who wants to pursue their passion professionally?
LAUREN: The first thing I would say is to get serious about making it happen and start planning. For me, that looked like deciding to save money to pursue my photography career. I would automatically put a percentage of every paycheck into my savings account. For you, that could mean talking to friends who could provide meaningful feedback, moving somewhere for a lower cost of rent, or seeking out education opportunities. Do whatever you need to do to set things in motion.
For a long time, I didn’t believe that I could do it, and sometimes I think you need other people to speak your dream into reality to help you believe that you’re capable of the dreams you have for yourself. Surround yourself and reach out to the people who are going to encourage you. I have a brother who’s 11 years older than I am and he’s always been the person who can provide level-headed advice without ever doubting my choices. We all need people in our lives who encourage us and provide us with that honest feedback.
The biggest piece of advice though that I can give is to just try. Sure, maybe you’ll fail, but maybe in that process you’ll discover a strength of yours that you never knew existed. Or maybe it’ll be really hard and you’ll experience incredible amounts of personal growth along the way. If you’ve been thinking about it long enough, it’s worth a try. You never know what might happen.
Of course it’ll be scary. Of course it’s a risk. But before I jumped into photography, I remember being 26, looking at my life and thinking, I’m too young for this. That’s something you can really say at any point in your life. Life is truly too short to stay stuck in a situation where you’re unhappy.
B3 MAGAZINE: What was your relationship to health and fitness before you discovered barre3?
LAUREN: In college, I studied exercise physiology and ran track and cross-country. Once I graduated though, I was exhausted and needed to take a break from intense exercise. I had been running 30-40 miles a week for 8 years. It was a lot and I was ready for the pause.
After I took that break, I bounced around a bit with exercise. When I was living in Austin, I did an outdoor bootcamp and when we moved to Portland, I ran here and there and did some cycling classes, but it never really amounted to an exercise routine.
B3 MAGAZINE: How did you first discover barre3? What was it about the workout that resonated with you?
LAUREN: Last spring, my friend posted a referral code for a discount off your first month of barre3 online. It was that time of year when it’s still rainy, cloudy, and gray out in Portland, and I wanted to move my body but I wasn’t motivated to be outside on my bike. So I decided to give barre3 a shot.
After coming out of a very intense Division I athletic program, I’ve realized that I don’t respond well to yelling and I’m not motivated by the mindset that tells you that you always have to be faster and go harder. That had been drilled into me for so long, and so when I discovered barre3, it was like a breath of fresh air. The workout gives you a burn, but I love the mindfulness behind it as well. I think it’s that combination that’s helped me stick with it. Barre3 is the perfect balance of encouragement and challenge. As I get older, I’m finding that mindfulness is such a huge part of sustaining a healthy lifestyle both mentally and physically, and it’s that aspect of the workout that really helped me connect with barre3.
B3 MAGAZINE: You write about your experience living with psoriasis on your blog. Can you share more about what it’s been like living with an autoimmune disease?
LAUREN: With psoriasis, you don’t know you have it until you break out. I broke out for the first time when I was in 5th grade. That first breakout healed quickly, and I didn’t break out again until I was 19. Since then though, it’s been an over 10-year struggle to keep my psoriasis under control. As a woman and as a human in general, having giant red patches all over your body is something that’s really difficult to deal with. Not only do you feel like you can’t wear shorts during the summer, but you have to shop around for the right skincare products and makeup. All of it can take a huge mental toll on you.
For me, I was lucky to get it late enough in life where people don’t notice it or seem to care about it as much. Still though, living with psoriasis has presented an internal battle of trying to figure out how to love yourself even if you don’t like what you see. It can also be hard trying to convince yourself that your skin does not define you even if that’s your outward representation of yourself.
Navigating those challenges is difficult, but I’m fortunate to have been raised to see the world through rose-colored glasses. Things don’t get me down very easily, but I’ve broken down in those moments when everything feels like it’s weighing down on me.The challenges that psoriasis presents require you to check in with yourself a lot mentally. I’m grateful to have a supportive family and a supportive husband, but I know that not everyone has those support systems.
B3 MAGAZINE: How has barre3 supported you in your journey with psoriasis?
LAUREN: I’m fortunate not to experience it too much, but many people with psoriasis also experience psoriatic arthritis. Psoriatic arthritis is a condition that inflames and causes chronic pain in your joints. For many people it can be completely debilitating. Not only are you covered in these flaky red patches, but your joints, fingers, and knees are so stressed out that you can’t function properly.
Because barre3 is low-impact and incorporates mindfulness into the workout, it allows me to stretch out, strengthen, and move my body in a way that feels good. And again too, whether it’s barre3, a meditation practice, or even just going to a quiet place within yourself—it’s important to have those opportunities and practices that help us re-evaluate our self-worth and realign with the truth that our value isn’t based upon something that we can’t control.
Throughout my years of living with psoriasis, and just as I get older, I’ve come to a place of acceptance with it, where I recognize that there’s only so much that I can do. Seeking out barre3 has been key for helping me let mindfulness into my life and it’s that practice that’s made space for acceptance and understanding to grow.
Anytime I recommend barre3 to someone, that’s exactly what I say. I don’t respond well anymore to pressure, high intensity, adding more weight, or more reps. At this point in my life, all of that just stresses me out. To have barre3 as an avenue for daily mindfulness has been incredibly supportive in my journey with psoriasis and life in general.
B3 MAGAZINE: This year has brought untold amounts and unforeseen sources of stress. What practices or routines have helped you respond to the everyday challenges that have arisen in 2020?
LAUREN: Because I’m a freelance photographer, I was already working from home before quarantine began. Being able to work remotely and to have that already be my normal meant that I didn’t have to make a significant transition, and because I started out with barre3 online, there hasn’t been much that’s changed from that routine.
The summer was great, because the warmer weather meant that I could work out outside. I have a friend who has a really big backyard, and we’d do socially-distant backyard barre3 workouts together. Doing something that keeps my stress down and helps me escape, even if just for a little while, from all that we’re dealing with right now is something I’ve really appreciated during this time.
Building up a meditation practice has been really supportive as well. I’ve never been a huge meditator—I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not very good at it. I find it hard to sit still and let my mind wander, but I’ve been trying to incorporate it a little more into my everyday routines. I know Olivia Ashton, who led a few meditation sessions on the barre3 Instagram, and I think it’s beautiful how connected she is to that side of her spirit. I’m not a pro at it quite yet, but tuning in for her meditations and knowing her personally and her passion behind it has kept me inspired.
Something else that has been particularly grounding is reading. I love to read, and because we’ve all been staying inside and don’t really have anywhere to go, I’ve been plowing through books. It’s been fiction books mostly, because they’ve provided me with a much-needed escape from everything that we’re dealing with.
I have a couple go-to’s that I always recommend. While I don’t read a ton of mystery novels or thrillers, a friend mailed me Verity by Colleen Hoover, and I literally read it in 24 hours. I couldn’t put it down and everyone I’ve recommended it to says it’s kept them on the edge of their seats. My other recommendation is Forever Is The Worst Long Time. It’s a great story that’s uniquely written and I don’t think I’ve read anything like it in a long time.
B3 MAGAZINE: What advice would you share for someone who’s feeling overwhelmed by the stress and difficulties of this year?
LAUREN: Take a break from social media. I think it’s important to stay informed and engaged and to continue to be aware of what’s happening, but it can easily become too much. I’ve had to delete Instagram and Twitter from my phone for the day and try to take a step back from it all.
As I said before, this year has been an important lesson in trying to control only what you can control. From quitting my job, moving to Montana, jumping into photography, and living with psoriasis—everything I’ve experienced has taught me to focus my energy on what’s possible to control and to let the rest of it go.
It’s important too, to continue to have relationships as best you can. Of course, what that looks like has completely changed, but try your best to connect and talk with people who help you feel grounded, make you feel good, and prove your emotional and mental capacity to be able to handle all of it.
Lastly, I’ll say move your body. Even simply gentle movement can be incredibly powerful. And then take a nap if you want to. Rest where and when you can.
Thank you Lauren! You can learn more about Lauren by visiting her blog or following along with her on Instagram.
Feeling inspired by Melanie’s journey? Start your own today by finding your barre3 studio or try barre3 online with a 15-day free trial.
