The thing about working with people day in and day out (that I love the most) is that they are quite inspiring. Things are said in class that get me thinking, wondering, questioning.
Today someone mentioned how good Pilates is for their mind. How it kind of really keeps their week balanced, in terms of their energy levels but also mentioned that the week before when they couldn’t come they felt a bit of tightness towards the end of the week. Nothing drastic, but nonetheless, noticeable. And I completely relate to that too.
So, naturally, that got me thinking. The reason you may have been drawn to the studio in the first place, might not be the reason you are here now. Do you ever check in and ask yourself?
What I have noticed from the many years in this teaching role, is that we tend to listen to our bodies when we feel pain or discomfort and far less when we feel good/ no pain/ more open.
It got me wondering if we could change our language around our training, from
“If i don’t come i feel pain / tightness / discomfort”
To
“When I come I feel so good. I come to pilates to feel good.”
Not ‘just’ to release pain. Take the words pain/ tight / discomfort completely out of it. I wonder how this would affect our mindset, our views around our bodies and our exercise experience. If you workout “because otherwise XY and Z happens”, could that feel a bit like a chore?
From personal experience, I'll say I kind of forget about my body pains now. They just aren’t really there. The fact I HAD body pains initially when I started, isn’t something I use to motivate my practice anymore. There’s much more of a nurturing aspect to the workouts, for me, now. And when I say this, I mean more from a mindset point of view. This is one reason I am so in LOVE with the classical Pilates method is because it feels like really good self care, but not as a preventative, more as an exploration and curiosity of myself and abilities.
Of course doing more means less issues, (for me anyway) but the way I view my training now actually helps my body move smoother and I'm just kinder towards myself because of it. That's super healing in itself.
So, why are YOU here?
Some may say, regardless of the motivation, the work happens so the result is the same. But I'm not so sure. I’m convinced that your thoughts around what you do will allow your body to feel the work differently. Perhaps providing a slightly different outcome. After all, our bodies are not just bones and muscles, we are more complex than that and it’s worth seeing ourselves as one full piece.
Maybe it’s time to check in and reaffirm all the good you get from your regular visits, and make that your absolute focus now and see if it might change things for you. Just an idea.
See you on the mat soon.
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