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INSTRUCTOR SPOTLIGHT SERIES: CATIE FAHRNER
With so many of us taking our barre3 practice into our homes these past few months, the online instructors have become familiar faces—friends we invite into our living rooms to help us move, breathe, and destress. In our Instructor Spotlight Series, you’ll get to know the instructors beyond their energy-boosting choreography and motivating mantras.
If you’re a barre3 online regular, you likely know Catie for her calming presence, encouraging nature, and workouts that deliver just what you need, every time. Read on to learn more about her, including the serendipitous way she found barre3 12 years ago, the role she plays in helping to develop and evolve the barre3 workout, and the mantra that’s helping her through 2020.
B3 MAG: You’re one of our longest-running instructors! Can you tell us a bit about how you first got connected with barre3 and what your journey has been since then?
CATIE: I stumbled into the first barre3 studio in the Pearl District in Portland about 12 years ago—I literally walked off the street car at the wrong stop, hopped into a class with Sadie on a whim, and the rest is history!
For context, I was new to Portland at the time. Have you ever been in a new city where you don’t know anyone, you’re learning how to get around, and every day kind of feels like you’re playing a new video game? That was me circa 2008.
I connected with barre3 back then (and still do today) because ever since I was a kid I’ve been drawn to creative movement and music. It feeds my soul. Truly. And, well, people need people! I’m not super extroverted, but working out hits differently when you’re with a community of people. The energy, music, and endorphins—you can feel it in your cells, and you feel connected with the people you’re working out with. This social/emotional and environmental phenomenon is a key pillar of health and wellness.
I started teaching classes a couple of years after discovering that first studio in the Pearl. In time, I had the opportunity to become a trainer. I’m forever grateful to Sadie and Lisa for believing in me, because up until that point, I didn’t have any teaching experience.
Eventually, the work I was doing with barre3 was exponentially more rewarding than the work I was doing in merchandising, and so I made a life pivot. Don’t get me wrong, I loved my previous career; but studying movement and the body and working with the community lights me up in a different way. It’s my life’s purpose.
B3 MAG: You have a way of bringing a calm, centered feeling to every workout, while still bringing us to our edge every time. What’s your secret?
CATIE: Ha! Ok, I will break this one down: In terms of the calm/centered approach, this is what I seek when I move my body. This dates back to growing up in the Bay Area. I’d go on runs on the weekends by the water with my dad, and it was in those moments that I learned how intentional movement has this powerful effect on the body and the mind.
And in terms of the “edge,” I’m gonna be real—the workouts I design are highly influenced by the music I’m currently nerding out over and what I’m studying in terms of breath/anatomy or sequencing. Trust that every class is balanced (balance is our North Star at barre3), and my goal is to create space for you to feel into the moves, get out of your head, and vibe with the group dynamic.
B3 MAG: What is it about the barre3 workout that most resonates with you?
CATIE: I am deeply grateful for the barre3 community. I think the instructors and studio owners around the country would agree with me when I say this: The barre3 community was solid before the pandemic, and witnessing the resilience and strength of the community right now is really beautiful. I’m thankful to be a part of it, and I love that the community continues to grow.
B3 MAG: You’ve been involved in helping develop our workout by working with experts in the exercise field. Can you talk a little about who you’ve worked with and how we’ve incorporated some of the learnings into the workout?
CATIE: We have some amazing coaches and collaborators! In terms of research and development, we’re regularly working with experts from different disciplines. Some of the people we train with specialize in functional movement, and others focus on breathwork (these are just a couple of examples). At the end of the day, we all speak the same language when it comes to human-body balance and anatomy/movement.
When barre3 trainers collaborate with other experts, we’re-laser focused on something specific. We’re problem-solving and working to evolve the class so that it better serves clients. You will feel the class change in ways that promote better body balance. An example of a change everyone felt was adding breathwork to the end of the class. We did this because we’ve always believed in the power of breath, and research shows that breathwork has numerous positive effects on the body and mind.
In the moments when your instructor is guiding you with breath at the end of class, it’s promoting self-awareness, focus, creativity, and joy within ourselves. We’re releasing stress and anxiety. We’re working our breathing muscles (the diaphragm and transversus abdominis), which are key components of our core. These are the muscles that support us with healthy breathing patterns during our workouts and throughout the day.
B3 MAG: These past several months have been a whirlwind of uncertainty and, for many, hardship. First of all, how are you holding up?
CATIE: Whew! Good question. 2020 is a year. This quote has been my anchor for the past month: “When everything is uncertain, everything that’s important becomes clear.” What’s important to me? Family, community, and my health and wellbeing. I need to be healthy so that I can show up for myself and everyone else.
B3 MAG: What tools have you used to help you navigate the past several months?
CATIE: Here’s what I’ve been working with: time with my family (my son is 3, so we have a little home-school set up and we do lots of art and dancing!). I’m also practicing gratitude, meditating, and resting! True rest and recovery between workouts has been crucial.
Side note: it wouldn’t be 2020 if loads of baking wasn’t happening in tandem with all of this.
B3 MAG: How has your barre3 practice changed during this time?
CATIE: My practice shifts a lot because my physical goals are different each year. For example, some years I am traveling A LOT, and the practice needs to support release, unwinding, and restoring my body.
When I was pregnant, my practice was about supporting my son’s growth, managing my energy, and training for labor and delivery.
During the pandemic, I need my practice to support me psychologically. My workouts are helping me get out of my head and into my body more than ever, and I feel that energy from clients, too. I’m teaching livestream classes for barre3 Portland, and even though we’re connecting and moving together through a screen, you can feel the group energy.
B3 MAG: One day, life will feel a little freer again. What learnings do you hope to carry with you when things are a bit back to normal?
CATIE: You’ll likely see me living at a slower pace. Slowing down is allowing me to feel more present, find better clarity, and tap into creativity more often. I knew this on paper before, but I can feel it now. I joke with my partner that I can now visualize us living on a farm at some point (this is a big deal because being from San Francisco, I’m a city girl at heart).
B3 MAG: What advice do you have for people who aren’t sure barre3 is for them?
CATIE: We’re going to guide you every step of the way, and you’re going to explore movement and have fun with the beat. Consider your barre3 workouts a dedicated time on your calendar that’s 100% all about you. An investment in yourself.
B3 MAG: What do you hope people take away from your workouts, whether it’s in-person or online?
CATIE: You’ll never regret pressing play or signing up for a class because you’re going to move your body the way it’s designed to move. After class you’ll be thinking, “Dang, I feel so good right now!”
Thank you, Catie! Try Catie’s workouts free with a 15-day trial of barre3 online or find your local studio to get started with barre3 today!
With so many of us taking our barre3 practice into our homes these past few months, the online instructors have become familiar faces—friends we invite into our living rooms to help us move, breathe, and destress. In our Instructor Spotlight Series, you’ll get to know the instructors beyond their energy-boosting choreography and motivating mantras.
If you’re a barre3 online regular, you likely know Catie for her calming presence, encouraging nature, and workouts that deliver just what you need, every time. Read on to learn more about her, including the serendipitous way she found barre3 12 years ago, the role she plays in helping to develop and evolve the barre3 workout, and the mantra that’s helping her through 2020.
B3 MAG: You’re one of our longest-running instructors! Can you tell us a bit about how you first got connected with barre3 and what your journey has been since then?
CATIE: I stumbled into the first barre3 studio in the Pearl District in Portland about 12 years ago—I literally walked off the street car at the wrong stop, hopped into a class with Sadie on a whim, and the rest is history!
For context, I was new to Portland at the time. Have you ever been in a new city where you don’t know anyone, you’re learning how to get around, and every day kind of feels like you’re playing a new video game? That was me circa 2008.
I connected with barre3 back then (and still do today) because ever since I was a kid I’ve been drawn to creative movement and music. It feeds my soul. Truly. And, well, people need people! I’m not super extroverted, but working out hits differently when you’re with a community of people. The energy, music, and endorphins—you can feel it in your cells, and you feel connected with the people you’re working out with. This social/emotional and environmental phenomenon is a key pillar of health and wellness.
I started teaching classes a couple of years after discovering that first studio in the Pearl. In time, I had the opportunity to become a trainer. I’m forever grateful to Sadie and Lisa for believing in me, because up until that point, I didn’t have any teaching experience.
Eventually, the work I was doing with barre3 was exponentially more rewarding than the work I was doing in merchandising, and so I made a life pivot. Don’t get me wrong, I loved my previous career; but studying movement and the body and working with the community lights me up in a different way. It’s my life’s purpose.
B3 MAG: You have a way of bringing a calm, centered feeling to every workout, while still bringing us to our edge every time. What’s your secret?
CATIE: Ha! Ok, I will break this one down: In terms of the calm/centered approach, this is what I seek when I move my body. This dates back to growing up in the Bay Area. I’d go on runs on the weekends by the water with my dad, and it was in those moments that I learned how intentional movement has this powerful effect on the body and the mind.
And in terms of the “edge,” I’m gonna be real—the workouts I design are highly influenced by the music I’m currently nerding out over and what I’m studying in terms of breath/anatomy or sequencing. Trust that every class is balanced (balance is our North Star at barre3), and my goal is to create space for you to feel into the moves, get out of your head, and vibe with the group dynamic.
B3 MAG: What is it about the barre3 workout that most resonates with you?
CATIE: I am deeply grateful for the barre3 community. I think the instructors and studio owners around the country would agree with me when I say this: The barre3 community was solid before the pandemic, and witnessing the resilience and strength of the community right now is really beautiful. I’m thankful to be a part of it, and I love that the community continues to grow.
B3 MAG: You’ve been involved in helping develop our workout by working with experts in the exercise field. Can you talk a little about who you’ve worked with and how we’ve incorporated some of the learnings into the workout?
CATIE: We have some amazing coaches and collaborators! In terms of research and development, we’re regularly working with experts from different disciplines. Some of the people we train with specialize in functional movement, and others focus on breathwork (these are just a couple of examples). At the end of the day, we all speak the same language when it comes to human-body balance and anatomy/movement.
When barre3 trainers collaborate with other experts, we’re-laser focused on something specific. We’re problem-solving and working to evolve the class so that it better serves clients. You will feel the class change in ways that promote better body balance. An example of a change everyone felt was adding breathwork to the end of the class. We did this because we’ve always believed in the power of breath, and research shows that breathwork has numerous positive effects on the body and mind.
In the moments when your instructor is guiding you with breath at the end of class, it’s promoting self-awareness, focus, creativity, and joy within ourselves. We’re releasing stress and anxiety. We’re working our breathing muscles (the diaphragm and transversus abdominis), which are key components of our core. These are the muscles that support us with healthy breathing patterns during our workouts and throughout the day.
B3 MAG: These past several months have been a whirlwind of uncertainty and, for many, hardship. First of all, how are you holding up?
CATIE: Whew! Good question. 2020 is a year. This quote has been my anchor for the past month: “When everything is uncertain, everything that’s important becomes clear.” What’s important to me? Family, community, and my health and wellbeing. I need to be healthy so that I can show up for myself and everyone else.
B3 MAG: What tools have you used to help you navigate the past several months?
CATIE: Here’s what I’ve been working with: time with my family (my son is 3, so we have a little home-school set up and we do lots of art and dancing!). I’m also practicing gratitude, meditating, and resting! True rest and recovery between workouts has been crucial.
Side note: it wouldn’t be 2020 if loads of baking wasn’t happening in tandem with all of this.
B3 MAG: How has your barre3 practice changed during this time?
CATIE: My practice shifts a lot because my physical goals are different each year. For example, some years I am traveling A LOT, and the practice needs to support release, unwinding, and restoring my body.
When I was pregnant, my practice was about supporting my son’s growth, managing my energy, and training for labor and delivery.
During the pandemic, I need my practice to support me psychologically. My workouts are helping me get out of my head and into my body more than ever, and I feel that energy from clients, too. I’m teaching livestream classes for barre3 Portland, and even though we’re connecting and moving together through a screen, you can feel the group energy.
B3 MAG: One day, life will feel a little freer again. What learnings do you hope to carry with you when things are a bit back to normal?
CATIE: You’ll likely see me living at a slower pace. Slowing down is allowing me to feel more present, find better clarity, and tap into creativity more often. I knew this on paper before, but I can feel it now. I joke with my partner that I can now visualize us living on a farm at some point (this is a big deal because being from San Francisco, I’m a city girl at heart).
B3 MAG: What advice do you have for people who aren’t sure barre3 is for them?
CATIE: We’re going to guide you every step of the way, and you’re going to explore movement and have fun with the beat. Consider your barre3 workouts a dedicated time on your calendar that’s 100% all about you. An investment in yourself.
B3 MAG: What do you hope people take away from your workouts, whether it’s in-person or online?
CATIE: You’ll never regret pressing play or signing up for a class because you’re going to move your body the way it’s designed to move. After class you’ll be thinking, “Dang, I feel so good right now!”
Thank you, Catie! Try Catie’s workouts free with a 15-day trial of barre3 online or find your local studio to get started with barre3 today!
