Last month, I started listening to the audiobook Strong Ground. The author, Brene Brown, is one of my favorites, particularly when I need some motivation, inspiration, and positive self-talk. I was immediately captivated, as she has a way of doing, and I couldn’t help but reflect on my own life, the trajectory it had taken, and, of course, my pilates practice within that. Spoiler alert, Brene Brown and I are pretty close in age, and in that ‘sandwich generation’ phase of life. At the beginning of the book, Brene talks about her role as a daughter helping support and care for her aging parents. With this shifting role that she has taken on, she also talks about beginning a strength training practice, her lack of body connection and awareness (her terms not mine!), and her need for ‘grounding’ (on many levels). She discusses mind, body, spirit… the essences of Classical Pilates.
As part of this sandwich generation, I recently experienced the loss of both of my parents. This painful reality check of life had me stressed out and filled with grief. Add to that my own family responsibilities and other tasks that come along with owning and running multiple Pilates studios, and I was a bit of a mess. I felt overwhelmed, exhausted, unfocused, and lost. I was making mistakes with my schedule, dropping the ball on appointments, and forgetting to do critical things that keep my business running smoothly.
Throughout it all, the one constant that I could always rely on was that my Mat, Reformer, Cadillac, Chair, etc were always there waiting for me…. Some days, it felt like they were calling to me, like a favorite plush blanket that could wrap me up in warm comfort. I would actually yearn for a client to be a few minutes late so that I could hang upside down over the barrel and just breathe. Not gonna lie, sometimes it feels like a gift when a client cancels!
The Classical Order of exercises gave me an easy to follow format that I could do anywhere, anytime. The familiar movements were a constant that helped me deepen my connection to my body. Since I didn’t have to recreate any choreography… I could just FEEL into what I was doing. The movements were like a meditation for me. A place of safety, of self-care and of grace for myself and what I was feeling at that moment.
During stressful times, it is really important to make self-care practices a priority. I made it a point to try to keep my weekly scheduled sessions with my instructors so that I could do a full practice at least 3 to 4 times a week. There were some days I could only do 10 or 15 minutes, so I tried to listen to my body and do whatever movements felt needed that day. And the days that I had to miss a session, it was felt both physically and mentally. I would feel a little more anxious, a little more scattered, and a little less connected.
Pilates has also grounded me. It gave me an awareness of my body in space. How my breath worked with my movement and how it could assist in regulating my anxiety, mood, and focus. It could bring my heart rate down when I felt like anxiety had taken over. It could clear my mind and allow me to change my perspective after putting something aside for an hour while I practiced. It literally helped me feel connected to the earth as I worked on my feet placement and balance in relation to gravity. It allowed me to decompress as I fully exhaled ‘all of the air out of my lungs’ (Return to Life) to then fill them with ‘the good’ air.
As I listened to Brene Brown talk about the need for connection and grounding, I reflected on the lessons from the book. I was happy to be able to say that Pilates had helped me find my mind/body connection. It has given me the physical strength to work from my core, to find balance in my body, and to be confident in the everyday physical challenges I may encounter. This February in Rhode Island, we had the biggest blizzard yet. Shoveling 2 feet of snow was not on my agenda, but, lo and behold, my strength from Pilates allowed me to do it with Joe Pilates' wish of ‘vim and vigor’ (Return to Life). I actually felt really empowered and strong while heaving wet, heavy snow onto 6 foot snow drifts.
The theme of Self-Care has seemed to flood Social Media and other marketing avenues as of late. And while self-care has many different meanings for many different people, I personally think it comes down to doing those things that can help us live a more positive, fulfilled, and productive life. Those things that keep us healthy instead of sabotaging our physical health, mental health, or spiritual health. I was always taught by my mentors that Pilates encompasses those three values of physical, mental and spiritual health. The perfect trifecta for a sound existence.
Pilates, for me, is like coming home after a long journey to a place that feels familiar, steady, and supportive. It has carried me through some of the hardest moments of my life, offering not just physical strength, but a sense of clarity, stability, and connection. It reminds me that even in the midst of change, challenge, and uncertainty, there is always a place where I can return to myself.
