Wendy Billie is a life coach andpersonal fitnessinstructor who recently moved to New York City from Minnesota. Tonight, with a one-hour introductory class, she’s launching Adrenazen, the exciting new fusion fitness technique she invented. Its tagline is “Intensity Refocused,” its formula is “adrenaline + Zen in the city,” and its goal is to “help you find peace in the midst of chaos.” And wouldn’t you know, it’s a technique Wendy’s dog – a black Lab mix named Java – played a key role in developing.
“Java and I have spent a lot of time working out together, running and walking,” Wendy says. “Adrenazen combines the full-body workout of boxing, the restorative powers of yoga and meditation, and the personal transformation of life coaching. It’s all about merging the fast-paced adrenaline lifestyle with a more peaceful, Zen approach to life. And dogs have a natural combination of energy and Zen.”
Wendy admires her dog’s innate ability to achieve balance by merging active and meditative states. “He’s fantastic,” she says. “You get him outside and he’s just this ball of life and energy. And then you get inside, and he is this peaceful lover. He has both sides to him – activity and peacefulness. And I’m the same way. So when I think of what I’ve created with Adrenazen, it plays off Java’s personality as well as mine. He’s my little motivator!”
Youcould also call him her K9 coach. The two have a strong bond; Java often stares up at Wendy, and his silent communication prompts her to ask, “What do you want, Little Man?” They always stay in contact.
Adrenazen differs from other workouts in that it’s “a fusion of fitness and yoga, a place where you can go to physically get into your body and be more aware,” Wendy explains. “The verbal guiding I do throughout the class taps into people’s emotional energy centers, to identify where people get stuck in life emotionally. The goal is to helppeople get unstuck, so they can lead a life that’s both intense and Zen.”
Dog lovers are an easy sell on such a technique, for they are in tune with their pets’ peacefulness. Allie Futcher isexcited abouttonight’s Adrenazen class; she’sa professional dog walker who appreciates the Zen state of mind displayed by Sundance,her sweet Golden Retriever. “I’m looking forward to getting back in shape as well as finding a peaceful place in this crazy world,” Allie says. “Wendy teaches us about mind, body, and spirit, helping us rid ourselves of negative energy and find our own Zen state of mind.”
Dogs are the ultimate role models for humans seeking to become “unstuck,” Wendy says: “I believe that dogs have a good sense of what’s going on emotionally, but we humans kind of mask it often. So Adrenazen is all about increasing people’s awareness of what’s going on emotionally, and giving them a physical place to start dealing with it. It’s about your body first, then your mind, then your emotional centers – Adrenazen taps into all three areas.”
Wendy adopted Java 10 years ago, when he was a runty, 8-week-old pup. He weighed just eight pounds. “He was super tiny,” she recalls. “I walked by him, and we looked at each other. He leaned forward and licked my nose! He had me.” Her previous dog had been a female, so Wendy thought she wanted another girl. “I didn’t want a male,” she admits, “but there was something special about this male. He had such a peacefulquality about him.”
With Wendy’slove and care,Javagrew up to becomea tall, dark, handsome beast. 
Dogs are naturals at staying in the moment, so any time their owners are practicing yoga, they tend to feel a gravitational pull toward the mat – and Java is no exception.
“This is the really cool thing: When I’m doing Adrenazen on my yoga mat, Java knows when I’m going through my own practice, because at the end of every practice, he tries to sneak on the mat and lie down with me! I know it’s because he senses how great it feels, so it’s inevitable that he’ll end up on my yoga mat at some point.”
To learn more about Adrenazen, go here.
