I’ve always felt that getting into March is like trying to swim through cement that’s about to set. Even with the hope of what’s to come, there is a sense of stagnation or frustration. The Spring Equinox is in sight, but getting there (especially this year) is sucking every ounce of energy out.
It got me thinking about what stagnation feels like in my body – literally how would I describe it? To me inside my body, it’s like a low grade electrical current you can’t get to stop. It feels jittery – like annoying agitation or a buzzing that’s just not the right vibration.
And, outside of my body, a stagnant external environment might feel like the calm before the storm or swimming in gross pond water.
Stagnation is uncomfortable but it could be viewed as a gift of rest, a pause, a break to catch our breath before more energy is needed again.
The minute I feel stagnant or stuck, I see it as an issue that needs to be fixed, and we hear a lot about "getting unstuck." It's only recently I've realized that perhaps sometimes it's a necessary part of a cycle or process I'm in. By viewing it as bad or something wrong that needs to be fixed, I'm not allowing myself to fully complete a cycle or process.
Of course, all of this reflection led me to some of our core beliefs: that micro informs macro and everything is connected. That how you move in your body and connect with yourself is how you move in your external environment and connect with others and the world. That there can often be a correlation, or mirroring, of internal and external environments, and that molding your movement practice and fitness routine to assist you in the balance, alignment, grounded-ness, freedom, or stability needed in other areas of your life can help you process and heal.
For example, a client working with the concept of improving her personal and professional boundaries had a light bulb moment realizing that in a way, the work we are doing around alignment, balance, and how we move in our bodies and through our environment is directly reflected in her exploration of the concept of boundaries in relationship with others.
Another client, without immediately realizing the genius of her intuition, stated that she felt she needed to step away from the balance work we were doing on the foam roller because she just felt she “needed to be on the ground.” This was right before sharing that she is processing the exhaustion from family dynamics re-emerging in connection with a family elder that is ill.
I was grateful for these concrete reminders of what might sometimes feel like an abstract concept.
Moving Through the Chakras
The core of something is the absolute center. In the physical body, we are referring to the center of gravity, torso musculature, spine, guts, reproductive organs. In the energetic and emotional body, we are referring to our identity, sense of comfort and connection with ourselves, home base, truth.
Our body is our first and last home. Awareness, connection, conversation, and appreciation of that home is vital for thriving and growth. What are the stories we have about our body/ourselves when we look at an external mirror? How do those stories integrate into our body? How is the way we look at and interact with our external environment impacting us in our physical, emotional, energetic bodies - our internal environment, so to speak?
In this 9-week group program, Moving Through the Chakras, we use gentle aligning movement based in foundational Pilates principles, along with guidance from information the chakras provide to heighten your kinesthetic, emotional, and energetic awareness, connect to your physical, emotional, and energetic bodies, and build an internal mirror for continual reflection.
Client Spotlight
This month we are spotlighting the creativity of two separate clients who, unbeknownst to each other, both shared that they were using some of the exercises they’ve learned in session as part of their bedtime ritual or a way to fall back to sleep in the middle of the night. In both cases, we were truly impressed and thrilled to hear about their realization that tapping into their body awareness centered and calmed them to allow for restful sleep.
We are also shining light on them because of something that seems so simple yet happens to be quite hard for a lot of us to learn: thinking and moving intuitively as part of their ritual or formula for their health and nourishment.
Call to Action in the Name of Change
As mindful movement practitioners, we are in the business of supporting and guiding our clients through change.
Taking that devotion and commitment to being active participants in positive change for our clients and industry and applying it towards our community and world, we are taking a moment each month to highlight partnerships we are part of or movements we are in support of so you can check them out, donate, volunteer, or connect however you can.
For our Pilates community: Misty Lynne Cauthen has a mentorship program for business owners and entrepreneurs looking to build a structure for themselves and their business that is sustainable, authentic, diverse, and inclusive. (It also covers why D&I are a necessity to build something sustainable and authentic.)
You can also check out Sonja R. Price Herbert's work on decolonizing Pilates and fitness. We have learned so much from her in the last six months and continue to come back to her as we get clear about our role in what's wrong with the health and wellness/fitness industry and how we can be part of sustainable change.
For our artist/dancer community: Pilates is so intertwined with the arts and especially dance. Our instructor Molly put this organization on our radar and it's a great one to check out: Brown Girls Do Ballet.
For our human community: Justice for Elijah McClain. As a massage therapist and musician, Elijah was a fellow healer and artist. We want to highlight continued efforts for accountability in Elijah McClain's death because ultimately we believe that everyone deserves freedom in all its forms.
If there’s an organization you think we should know about or would be open to partnering with us, please let us know and send us an intro!
Referral Program
A referral is the kindest compliment you could give us. If you think we would be a good fit for anyone you know, please consider spreading the word about the work we do together. For any new clients that may come our way as a result of your kind words, we would love to gift you an additional session to any current package you have with us. They can always schedule a call using the link below.
And, if you are part of or know a social justice organization looking for wellness support and collaboration for their clients or employees, please consider connecting us.
