Sheila is on the Road!
Sheila Kelley is hitting the road to celebrate the inspiring community of S Factor woman at our very special The Magic of S events in San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York… and our beautiful, new, permanent S Factor Houston studio, which will enjoy its Grand Opening! Bring your female friends and join us for an evening of pure enchantment. Meet Sheila, watch dazzling demos, enjoy delicious hors d’oeuvres and revel in the magical surprises that await you. Reservations are required and space is extremely limited, so check the schedule for the “Magic of S” event near you and RSVP now!

San Francisco
October 12
from 6 - 9 pm
Matrix Fillmore
3138 Fillmore Street
Tel: 415.440.6420
RSVP Here

Los Angeles
October 13
from 7 - 10 pm @ Element
1642 N. Las Palmas
Tel: 323.965.9685
RSVP Here

New York
October 20
from 7 - 10 pm
S Factor Chelsea
239 West 23rd St.
Tel: 212.989.8030
RSVP Here

Houston
October 26
from 6 - 9 pm
The NEW S Factor Houston
Studio
2901 West Loop South
Phone: 713.621.9111
RSVP Here




Sign up for the Candy Cane session!
Spice it up this holiday season by reserving your spot in the Candy Cane session (October 23 – December 19). Sheila Kelley’s S Factor will give you a much-needed respite from the upcoming holiday stress and chaos. It’s no longer just an indulgence, it’s a necessity – grab your spot now so that you’ll have a place to relax, stretch and peel away those layers of tension. Call us, register online or come into one of our studios to reserve your spot. You’ll be so happy you did – you’ll get in fabulous shape, have newfound confidence and vitality, and will simply glow.

Register online for Chelsea, NYC

Register online for Chicago, IL

Register online for Encino, CA

Register online for Los Angeles, CA

Register online for Houston, TX

Register online for Orange County, CA

Register online for Roslyn, NY

Register online for San Francisco, CA

Register online for West L.A., CA

Sheila Kelley’s S Factor is getting everyone’s attention, and all of our gorgeous studios are getting great press! The Mix’s Eric & Kathy Show invited Sheila back on the air to chat about the fabulous “Girls' Night Out at Sheila Kelley’s S Factor" event held at the Chicago studio with 40 lucky 101.9FM winning listeners and on-air station personalities. What an amazing event it was, with a rip-roaring time had by all! A lovely feature article about S Factor can be found in the current issue of Today’s Chicago Woman, and The Chicago Tribune included S Factor in an article about pole dancing.



Sheila was also interviewed by Houston studio student-extraordinaire and radio talk show host Cynthia Hunt, of the Baker and Hunt Show on 950 AM in Houston, Texas. It’s a two-hour lifestyle and news show that discusses hot topics of the day, and the fabulousness of Sheila Kelley’s S Factor has been a VERY hot topic! Hope all you Houston gals caught the show… but if not, visit the 950 AM website here for podcast availability.



Check out the wonderful S Factor review on the hip website Houston Tidbits, which caters to Houston’s fashionable females and delivers the up-to-date scoop twice each week on everything chic from fabulous shopping and cozy cafes to hip events happening in Houston. Sheila Kelley’s S Factor Houston is also spotlighted in the September issue of the glossy, high-end Texas publication Paper City, right on the heels of their August issue S Factor profile.



Sheila Kelley’s S Factor NY received a great write-up on the happening online NY city guide SchmapReviews.com, found here, and the upcoming S Factor NY / W Hotel “S & W Girls' Night Out” events are spotlighted on the Fashion Week Daily website.



In Magazine, an Orange County publication, featured Sheila Kelley’s S Factor Orange County in an article about workouts, and the growing S Factor presence in the San Francisco area garnered a great feature in the Marin Independent Journal. S Factor was also included in the LATimes.com coverage of the spectacular, sexy items included in the premiere party gift bags for ABC’s hot new show “Dirty Sexy Money”. Our own LA studio superstar teacher Teri Jaworski lead host Alexis de la Rocha through some classic S moves on the LATV Network’s new Latino-centric show LATV Central, which explores everything cool, fun and newsworthy in LA.



Sheila contributed a wonderfully heartfelt account of her relationship with her own body to the new September/October issue of The Dr. Christiane Northrup Newsletter, with a lovely introduction provided by S Factor devotee and highly respected authority on women’s health, Dr. Christiane Northrup. The newsletter is a bi-monthly publication packed with news and tips for women who want to take informed charge of their own physical and emotional well-being, and is available by subscription at www.hayhouse.com.

Coming up soon, look for S Factor in the pages of Star, Q and Where magazines, as well as Women’s Day Online and much more! Keep your eye on The Buzz section of our website for up-to-date news on when and where to watch.




Q. As a woman well past 30-something, is the S Factor workout still right for me?

A. Absolutely! Sheila Kelley’s S Factor workout is for women of all shapes, sizes AND ages. The beautiful, wide range of women within our S Factor community is reflected not only in our student base, but also in our fabulous teachers. Everyone moves through class at her own body’s pace, according to her individual strengths, limitations and needs. There is no right or wrong at S Factor, and no expectations are ever placed on you except for those you place on yourself – and, with time, that’s something you’ll learn to let go of in class. S Factor is all about celebrating your own unique growth within this beautiful, freeing movement. Just ask one of our amazing, dare-to-be-me students who also happens to be a grandmother!

“Whether I shall turn out to be the hero of my own life or whether that station shall be occupied by another, these pages must show.” – Charles Dickens

I think I was 32 years old when I finally understood what Dickens meant in the opening line of David Copperfield. I never read the whole book because I was stopped in my tracks by that line, which continues to propel me through life and all her wonderful challenges. My own hero? Me? Really? Wow! It seemed so simple and yet… I had spent years, a lifetime, trying to get someone else to take that role. Starting with a teacher to teach me, a director to cast me, a man to be with me, an agent to represent me, a career to focus me, a producer to produce me… listen to that phrase “a producer to produce me” as if someone else was making me happen… and the list goes on. After I connected so profoundly to Dickens’ words, I began to change everything in my life.

How can 26 words make such a huge impact? We read thousands of words a day… how and why these 26 words? I must have been ready for them. I was open to hearing them. It’s as if the words just melted off the page and seeped into my body. The possibility of the words excited me. Set me on fire. My life changed. Metaphorically, I armored myself with real life strength, rode my own white steed in the form of powerful focus, scaled great mountains to get where I needed to go. In reality, I actively took on the search for my own bliss. I bought my first house, I wrote and produced my own movie, and birthed my second child the way I wanted to birth her. I founded S Factor, I made love happen in my relationship, I found my life. There was no more waiting. It wasn’t easy. None of it was easy. I sweated. I labored. I worked hard. I focused. I grew tired and thought “To hell with it, who needs a house anyway?” or “Why make another movie?” Then I would remind myself: This is MY life. I would re-focus. It was exactly the sweat and tears of hard work that made me feel so alive. Making endless phone calls to raise money for the film felt like I finally conquered a great challenge once I was able to start shooting. I had never produced a movie before. I had no clue how to produce a movie. But I had a passion and a story that I wanted to tell. I took the first step. Whenever I would have that old itchy feeling of “someone else will take care of it”, I shook it out of my head. Who is “someone else” anyway? Why should “someone else” get all the glory of a life well-lived?

What I found in becoming my own hero was I needed to tap into one of my favorite words in the English language: courage. I love the word so much I had to look it up. Courage: the quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to face difficulty, danger, pain, etc., without fear; bravery. I love everything about the definition except for the last part: “without fear”. How can you not feel fear? Not even a smidgen of fear? It’s when I feel fear that I know I am hovering on the precipice of some spectacular change. Since fear has been an important part of every challenge that has confronted me in life, I now see it as a close friend. Fear is the thing that lets me know that I am pushing through another boundary. Fear is the emotion that grabs my chest and tightens its grip, forcing me to be brave or give up. For me courage is saying “hey” to your old friend fear, acknowledging her and moving through her.

What is the first step in becoming your own hero? There are a lot of ways people embark on this phase of their lives. Some people get an inexplicable kick in the butt like I did, while others do a formal vision quest of their own to get spiritually inspired. Some take on a large physical challenge like a cross-country trek to get them started. Others just simply jump in. No matter how you choose to start your journey into heroism, the important thing is that you identify what you want or where you want to go. Then you take action. Put one foot in front of the other in the direction that you want to go, the direction of your truth. I mean this literally.

Is there something you have always wanted to do but you’ve been waiting for someone else to come along before you tried it? Or you were waiting for the “right time”? For example, are you hoping to fall in love someday? Listen to the words “falling in love”. They’re out of your control. Choose instead to make love happen in your life. You can start today. Go to the pound and adopt a cat or a dog. Show yourself some love, buy yourself a commitment ring or a necklace that has some emotional/spiritual significance for you. Actively seek to make love happen in your life. You want a baby and you have no mate? I know this is a scary thought to some of you, but identify a sperm bank. Take the first step. When you’ve identified one, make an appointment for a visit. It’s just a visit… don’t let fear stop you. Have you tried to have a baby and your good girl, your body, is not up for it? Contact Big Brothers Big Sisters of America and become a big sister to a young girl in the city in which you live. When you’re ready, search adoption agencies online. Is there something you’ve always wanted to do but your good old friend “fear” stops you? You’re a lawyer by day but you want a career as an artist? Take a first step and enroll in a life-drawing class at night.

What I’m trying to say is, whatever it is that you’re waiting for, STOP WAITING and take just one step toward making it happen. The second step comes next and then the third will come… until you turn around and see your dream has come home to your reality.

Roll up your sleeves, woman. As I said before, it ain't going to be easy. Who wants easy anyway? If I wanted easy, I would have stayed on the Bunny Hill of life and never gotten the thrill of the Black Diamonds or living in the powder (these are, of course, skiing metaphors. I’m trying to inspire myself to get on the slopes this year.) The fact that you are reading these words and that you are on this page is a testament to the heroic part of your nature. Prepare yourself as a great warrior would before embarking on her journey. Do what you need to do to make your vision become real. At S Factor, you have already begun your own feminine vision quest. In making yourself complete you are ready to take on the beast, slay the dragon and grab the Grail.

Resources
The following three places are where you can go and have your own vision quest:
Animas.org
Dreamweaverlodge.com
Visionarrow.com

Below is a great site to construct your own heroic journey step-by-step:
www.mcli.dist.maricopa.edu/smu/journey/

With a big, fat, luscious hug!






When it comes to breast cancer, there are certain risk factors that women cannot control – things such as family history, early onset of menstruation, exposure to certain environmental toxins and, yes, the simple act of growing older. Regular self-exams and mammograms are the best means of both early detection and successful treatment of breast cancer, no matter what the cause, and the wonderful resource site BreastCancer.org provides a printable, easy-to-follow guide to self-exam that you can find by clicking here. On the flip side, there are steps women can take which, according to many researchers and health professionals, can help decrease our chance of developing breast cancer. Several of these steps are things we hear about all the time that are considered good for one’s overall health: maintaining a healthy weight, getting regular exercise, and restricting your intake of animal fats which may contain hormones and chemicals…and they are all specifically helpful in reducing exposure to estrogen, a decided risk factor for breast cancer. They’re all pretty easy changes to make, too. Start with small, one-at-a-time changes that you can manage so you won’t feel as if the changes are managing you. Decide to go one week without eating meat or dairy products and see if your body feels less sluggish. Take a brisk half-hour walk every morning and see how much more energized you feel at work. Choose to be more powerful than nicotine, for just one day, whether that means cutting your cigarettes down by half or cutting them out completely… and choose to do it again the day after that. Get help, if you need to, from friends, family or professionals. We may not always be able to keep bad things from happening, but being proactive about protecting our bodies as best we can is an empowering choice to make… we and our “girls” deserve nothing less. In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we have compiled a list of resources and books that can help spread awareness about this disease. Click here to view the list.






Luke Skywalker had the force, Dorothy had her ruby slippers, Linus had his blanket. Some of us have that t-shirt from high school that makes us feel cozy and secure, while others have that to-die-for handbag that gives them that extra bit of confidence to navigate daily life. It could be the lacy La Perla set you’re wearing underneath it all, the power suit you’re rocking to that dream interview, or the jewel-toned dress you wear to a first date. It may also be something completely intangible, like a mantra you say to yourself every morning, the Inverted Spine Circles from your S Factor workout, a chat with your best friend… just something to give you a little extra verve for your day. If you don’t already have that special something, the “force” that gives you strength, then let’s take some time this month to develop a tool that gives you an extra boost of confidence. Your own personal armor. We’re not talking a full-on security blanket; we’re just suggesting something that makes you feel like the beautiful, heroic woman that you are. Start by making a list of your favorite things in life. Make it endless, if you can. List everything you can think of, including your favorite colors, songs, shoes, food, people, etc. If music tops the list, then download a multitude of songs from iTunes and make sure your commute is filled with those that makes you feel energized and ready to take on the world. Or maybe you need to have a personal dance party every morning before work or prior to big events. If it’s clothing, then by all means buy yourself a few gorgeous pieces and wear them every day. If it’s the S that makes you feel powerful, then grab a copy of S Factor: Strip Workouts for Every Woman, and pick a different move to focus on every morning. If you’re feeling down about yourself, then make a list of all the things you like about yourself, and post it somewhere you can see every day. Work with the things you love and let them work for you… that’s how you find your own personal force!




Beth Bardin is a popular Instructor at Sheila Kelley’s S Factor Chelsea location, known for her warm, sweet style and enthusiasm. Born and raised in upstate New York, Beth has always been extremely passionate about movement and dance. She was a former gymnast and is classically trained in ballet - she danced professionally in both high school and college for regional dance companies and received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance from Adelphi University in Long Island, where her main focuses of study were modern dance and ballet. After graduation, she danced professionally with Avodah Dance Ensemble, a modern dance company based out of New York, for three years.

Prior to S Factor, Beth taught Pilates and was a Hotel Manager at the Paramount Hotel. When she met Sheila Kelley, she was looking for an outlet to express herself and was really won over by Sheila’s infectious passion, enthusiasm and her “rebel-rock-and-roll-soul” side.

Sheila Kelley’s S Factor helped Beth get in much better shape and increased her range of movement, yet also had other amazing benefits. “S Factor makes you walk with more confidence in everyday life,” Beth says. “You feel like you are soaring in class. It is extremely liberating and empowering. It made me walk taller and gave me a killer swagger.” After teaching Pilates, where the movement is very linear, it was a relief for Beth to immerse herself in the circular movements of the S, stretch to music and indulge in the sensuality that is unleashed during this unique workout. “Pole work is so much fun! It reminds me of how I felt when I did gymnastics,” she says. “Doing a Firefly makes me feel like a kid and a beautiful woman at the same time, while giving me grace and empowerment.”

Sheila’s spirit and love for teaching was infectious for Beth. It made her realize that she wanted to share this feeling of freedom and self-confidence with other women.

“I wanted to reach out to women and let them know that exercise doesn’t have to be boring and that you can have your spirit lifted while working out,” Beth says. “Being an instructor lets me show women how you can make a difference in your body while having fun. S Factor class is like a night out, you get to dance and have fun with your girlfriends while getting fit.” Beth also loves working in this amazing community of women and revels in the fact that every teacher brings something unique to each student.

Beth lives in Chelsea with her boxer, Henry. In her free time, she likes to travel and try foreign foods, spend time with friends, see live music and get outdoors as much as possible.



Hello Sheila,

Meghan Strange... simply put.

She makes the S Factor movements look so beautiful and fun that I want to do them...

She makes the movements look so easy and natural that I think I can...

She's such a great instructor that I do do them.


I could not resist the opportunity to go on about my wonderful S Factor instructor Meghan.

I just love her. She is simply a refreshing breath of fresh air in life — always. I'm so grateful that I was given her as my instructor in this amazing experience. Knowing something and teaching it are very different. Someone can be very skilled at something, but to be a good teacher is just one of those ethereal things like "star quality" — you've either got it or you don't. Meghan's got it big time. She just makes you feel good about what you're doing.

She's inspiring.

I started this back in January on a whim. New Year, something new for me. I'm a young, 41-year-old, full-time Mom of a beautiful two-year-old boy — and we're hoping for another real soon. Motherhood is extraordinary and truly my greatest experience in life... but us Moms really need a way to get back to and give to ourselves in a Big Way. S Factor is that "Big Way". I needed something crazy, EXTREME — something that would make me a little nervous... like only pole dancing, lap dances and six-inch heels can do!

A pedicure or a yoga class doesn't cut it — not even close.

This class has given me so much, way more than "exercise". It has changed the way I live in this world, the way I see what I have to offer myself and those I love.

As a happily married wife, I came here to help put some romance back in my life--and it did, but the romance was with me... my husband too, but I've so enjoyed falling in love with myself.

I thought I came here to "get back" to something, and if you count that giddy feeling you get flying around the pole like when you we're eight on the playground, I did. But I didn't go back, this was definitely a step forward in my life.

Thank you, Sheila, for having the courage to take this as far as you have — and then some... You are a visionary.

And thank you, Meghan, for all that you are... you are so special and talented.

The Stiletto Kiss!

This sexy, six-inch platform shoe was made exclusively for Sheila! Domestically manufactured, this delicious stiletto displays 22 Swavorski crystals encrusted in the shape of a beautiful lipstick kiss on each platform, adding a brand new sparkle to your swagger. The heel has special detailing and the S Factor logo on the label, so you know it’s the real deal. The sole of the shoe is pink suede in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness month, and a portion of the proceeds for the sale of this shoe will benefit the Premiere Oncology Foundation, an organization dedicated to enhancing the care of cancer patients through psychosocial support, research, education and integrative medicine. You will feel like an absolute goddess in this luxurious, gorgeous shoe! Cost is $78 and The Stiletto Kiss may be purchased by clicking here. Check out our entire new assortment of platforms and boots, including our new closed-toe assortment, by visiting our web shop at www.sfactor.com.


In the Name of Love by U2



What better song to inspire you to reach higher! This song is a tribute to one of the greatest heroes of the past century, Martin Luther King. Crank it up big, open the windows and ride it out!

Stranger Than Fiction



Stranger Than Fiction is a clever, wonderful movie about sacrifice, living life and a unique form of heroism. Harold Crick (Will Ferrell) is definitely not your typical hero; he is not a strong, Adonis-like creature ready to save the world from evil… or even an elderly woman from a mugging, for that matter. Rather, Harold is an IRS auditor who never veers from his strict routine (guided by his wristwatch) and lives a lonely, monotonous life until he wakes up one day and hears a voice. Not just any voice, but one only he can hear and that narrates his life with amazing precision. That voice turns out to be that of Karen Eiffel (Emma Thompson), an esteemed yet troubled author suffering from severe writer’s block as she struggles to finish her book by her publisher’s already extended deadline. As Harold lives day-to-day, Karen’s narration happens concurrently, causing Harold to realize that the words just may be controlling his fate. When the voice reveals that, as in all of Karen’s books, the protagonist’s days are numbered, Harold turns to literary expert Professor Jules Hilbert (Dustin Hoffman) for help. He is advised to deviate from his monotonous lifestyle while he tries to find Karen to convince her to change the ending of the story before it’s too late. What is beautiful is that, through changing his ways, his life transforms incredibly. He falls in love for the first time with Ana Pascal (Maggie Gyllenhaal), the owner of a bakery that Harold happens to be auditing. Just when it seems like things are going well, Karen comes up with the ending of her book, which requires Harold’s to die tragically when he steps in front of a bus to save a child’s life. Now that his life is so much happier, Harold is faced with confronting mortality like few before him. Should he try to defy his fate as dictated by the author or step up the heroics and sacrifice himself for the child? We won’t give away the ending, but will let you know it is sweet and inspiring and will make you feel good for days.


The Hero With a Thousand Faces
by Joseph Campbell



The Hero With a Thousand Faces is a brilliant, epic book that has inspired millions, including George Lucas, who cites this masterpiece as his inspiration for Star Wars. Originally published in 1949, the book was re-released in 1988 after it was the topic covered in a legendary PBS special, The Power of Myth – this time it earned a long run on the New York Times' best-seller list. This unique book offers a cross-cultural examination of heroic myths and journeys in light of modern psychology and, in turn, opened up new areas of research and exploration. Author Joseph Campbell (1904-1987) was an inspiring teacher who edited and translated many books on mythology, and thus created the first popular work to combine the spiritual and psychological insights of modern psychoanalysis with the archetypes of world mythology, culminating in a roadmap for navigating contemporary life. Myth, according to Campbell, is the projection of a culture's dreams onto a large screen; he dissects each myth and hero into parts, taking something from each to, in the end, give us a kind of omni-hero, as well as an intellectual perspective in a manner that can best be described as alive and inspiring. The Hero With a Thousand Faces explores the patterns and stages of mythology, as well as its relevance to our lives today, and to the life of any person seeking a fully realized existence. It provides an avenue to explore myth as a source of knowledge, while providing a new way to look at life.


Christian Dior Bikini Top



This product is very cool. It’s a spray formula “firming bust essence” that you massage into your breasts to help fight slackness and maintain their curve. Once applied, Bikini Top helps provide a luminous, sensual décolletage. It’s very pleasant to use, as it is light and not at all sticky, and is so nice to massage your breasts with… you almost don’t care what the aesthetic result is! Loaded with evening primrose, castor oil and algae extract, it’s definitely an indulgent product that helps maintain the appearance of our beautiful breasts.