Barre Savvy transforms you physically and mentally through stress-reducing, strengthening movement.

Karen Sacchetti has been endorsed by the Marquis Who's Who® as a leader in the field of education and health.

Marquis Who's Who Endorsement

Private Sessions and/or Classes provide a supportive environment where differences of ability are welcome.

Contact Karen at: BarreWellness@outlook.com to bring Barre Savvy to your organization.

What makes Barre Savvy unique?

Karen believes in strengthening both the body and the mind. Karen's emphasis is on well-being through movement.

Although barre naturally strengthens and lengthens the body for a toned, lean physique, adding brain-boosting moves such as cross lateral movement into the mix brings barre to a new level of wellness transformation.

The Method

The movement technique combines the joy of moving in classical barre with the award-winning Brain Dance,® a holistic movement structure, to select classical music.

Sessions offer low-impact moves to protect joints and muscles from injury. 

Karen was healed from vertigo during her training in the Brain Dance® and educational dance training and is now paying it forward in helping women. 

Signature Classes:

Prima: a starter/foundational class for functional movement and mobility which equally focuses on flexibility, strengthening and balance.

Brain Barre: decompress from stress and anxiety with an emphasis on contracting and releasing the muscles with deep breathing for improved mental health wellness.

Adagio: alleviate physical pain with gentle, slow-paced stretch-in-motion for pain relief. Movement is essential to healing pain although we never push through the pain. 

Resilience: strengthen the body with weight-bearing, bone-strengthening moves for women with osteoporosis or osteopenia or for prevention purposes. 

As a bonus, you will receive the "My Toolbox" which consists of stress and anxiety-reducing movement techniques to perform better throughout the day and to help with sleep through a downloadable pdf format.

As a 2nd bonus, you will receive a One-Page Cheat Sheet with the eight transformational Brain Dance® patterns and benefits to each pattern.

Life-Changing Health Tips: 

Wellness Tip #1:  Magnesium

Take a quality magnesium supplement an hour or two before going to bed to make it easier to fall asleep and to induce a deeper sleep.

Magnesium helps relax muscles and calm the brain. Eighty percent of Americans are deficient in magnesium. Medical research has linked magnesium to reduced anxiety. Aim for a 350 mg magnesium supplement. Check with your health care provider if you are taking any medicine or if you have diabetes, intestinal, heart or kidney disease before taking magnesium. I will take magnesium nightly as this one mineral that the body needs has changed my life forever!

Wellness Tip #2:  My Morning Routine

When was the last time you woke up smiling and excited to start the day? It is proven that the way we spend the first 10 minutes of the day sets the tone for the entire day.

As soon as my eyes open, I smile and start the day being thankful. I thank God for the new day. Mornings are a time of newness and optimism.

I ask myself what is the one task that if completed today will make my life better. This sets your day up for success!

Wellness Tip #3:  Hydration

Upon waking, the body is generally dehydrated and it is recommended to start the day with around 16 ounces of filtered water (2 glasses full). Another option is adding a glass of pure coconut water or Pellegrino mineral water from the Italian Alps to your water intake. Pellegrino is the only quality carbonated water that is ph balanced at a 7. Italy is the only country that regulates their carbonated water. Add a twist of lime for more flavor.

A side note: it is better to buy water in a glass bottle than in plastic bottles as phthalates can leach into the water. Phthalates are known endocrine disruptors on hormones.

10 Reasons to Drink Water Upon Rising in the Morning

Wellness Tip #4:  Essential Supplements

A high quality, whole foods multi-vitamin

Vitamin D3 with K2

A high quality Omega 3 plant-based supplement (aim for 1,000 mg of DHA) 

Magnesium (Magnesium "Glycinate" helps with sleep, anxiety and brain health)

Wellness Tip #5:  Music Therapy

My favorite natural remedy for shaking off the blues is to fill my home with music. I have been playing the piano since I was 8 years old. I like listening to soothing classical music in the morning from the Romantic era such as Beethoven or Chopin. In the evening, I get my groove on with classic R & B or select jazz.

Learn more about how different musical genres affect your mood through Dr. Nedley's article below: 

The Influence of Music on Mood

Only 10 Minutes a Day of Classical Music for Best Brain Health

Mind-blowing Neuroscience Alert on Classical Music for Mental Health

Wellness Tip #6:  Nature Therapy

We all know that being in nature soothes the soul, but did you know that it also boosts creativity and productivity? The question is do you make time in your schedule to be in nature? I know that I struggle to get out more in nature even though I know what it does for me. When I take the time to walk a half hour on the beach that is 15 minutes from my home, I feel "beachified."

Aim for 30 minutes a day in nature regularly. Walking around your neighborhood is great exercise, but walking in nature provides additional healing.

Bring your camera to photograph something beautiful. I always say you have to look for the beauty everyday or it will pass you by. Be intentional about it.

Wellness Tip #7:  Let's Talk Tea

Did you know that chronic inflammation is at the root of many diseases such as diabetes, stroke, heart disease and cancer?

The best tea for lowering inflammation goes to ginger tea, rich in antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds that can fight inflammation. I like to drink a cup of Traditional Medicinals ginger tea a few hours before bedtime as it is also relaxing. A side note, if you have leaky gut syndrome, you may be sensitive to any form of ginger. 

And I would be remiss if I did not mention the great green tea. Green tea has antioxidants called catechins, which also reduce inflammation.

Drinking a cup of green tea in the morning 1 to 2 hours after breakfast or in the afternoon 1 to 2 hours after lunch is the optimal time to drink green tea to boost your antioxidant intake. Also, adding a fresh squeezed lemon wedge to your green tea boosts the antioxidant intake as well. Antioxidants surround and neutralize free radicals preventing them from causing damage and cancer development.

Did you know that coffee increases anxiety particularly to those who are anxiety prone? A wiser choice would be to swap out the coffee for green tea. Ditch the high caffeine in coffee for soothing green tea. 

L-theanine, an amino acid compound found in green tea, has been studied for its calming effects on the nervous system. Studies have shown that L-theanine can help reduce stress and anxiety, improve mood and cognition, and relax muscle tension.

I enjoy a cup of hibiscus or green tea in the afternoon as a mid-day break similar to the British tradition. However, I'll skip the scones.

Wellness Tip #8:  Blueberries for Brain Health

Why blueberries? Blueberries not only reduce inflammation of the brain, but also improve neuroplasticity by stimulating neurons.

Blueberries Boost Brain Power

Wellness Tip #9:  What's for breakfast?

Although my favorite breakfast is a mushroom and cheddar cheese omelette, a more practical way for me to start the day is with either unsweetened coconut yogurt or organic kefir for probiotic intake mixed with berries, a banana and walnuts. Walnuts are high in omega-3s which are good for both brain and heart health as well as provide protein. Ditch the protein powders as they are not healthy. I also ditched the smoothie as it is better to get food in it's natural form to receive the benefits of fiber. So there you have it, a simple, highly nutritious, fast and easy breakfast. 

7 Types of Rest that Every Person Needs