Progress

Once again, we have made it to yet another weekend. Relax, refresh, regroup, and REMEMBER…Monday is only TWO days away! (lol…tough love is still love) If you are new to my newsletter, WELCOME. Every Friday I write a short – or long, depending on the topic – message to our clients. I want Studio 759 to be more than just a studio and I want all of you to feel more than just clients. Some weeks it will be light and airy, and some will be deep and serious. This is my way of developing a relationship with each and every one of you. I want you to know what is beneath the surface. Because that is what Pilates and Yoga is about. You have to discover what is on the inside before you can efficiently work on the outside. And to do that…you have to be vulnerable. So, if you don’t mind, I would like to do that today. Some of you already know my past and how Pilates came into my life and impacted me on much more than a physical level. It taught me many things. But the point I want to touch on today, is progress. Progress is a really tricky thing. It is defined as: “forward or onward movement toward a destination.” But for me, (and I think to a lot of people) progression gets confused for succession. And succession gets confused because of what we believe our goals should be. When I found Pilates, I was in a really bad place. It was not but a few months after my dad was unexpectedly taken to heaven. I had been struggling with eating, body dysmorphia, and over exercising for about two years. And I was just starting out college, away from home, away from Cole, and away from all comfort I had ever known. I knew I had a problem. My entire family, friends, and people I did not even know knew I had a problem. But I didn’t care. I was obsessed with being skinny and I was obsessed with the idea that I could control something (like my weight) when the rest of my world was spinning uncontrollably. I would wake up and weigh myself daily. If I lost a pound, it was progress. If I was the same, it was adequate. And if I gained, it was failure. I had my eyes on the wrong goal. I should have been out with friends or hanging with my roommate…or ya know…studying (and all the college student parents say a hearty “amen” lol). But instead I was in my apartment calculating the calories I ate / burned for the day and how many calories my meal of spinach, tomatoes, and dark chocolate would take me back. Finally, I hit rock bottom. TMI alert…but I had also stopped having my period. My body wouldn’t support it. My body was in danger and it wasn’t until I found Pilates that I truly understood how to properly care for it. I learned body awareness. There is a meticulous way you must breathe, move, and feel during Pilates and that brought my mind back to reality and harmony with my body. So, with lots of prayer, support, and LOTS of effort, I PROGRESSED. And not in a direction I ever thought I would go. I progressed in the direction my body wanted me to go. I started listening and being intuitive with my body, eating, and exercising. I progressed to a point where I no longer weigh myself. I eat what I want but in a mindful way. I move when my body feels like moving and rest when needed. I progressed to LOVING my body no matter what. So please remember, in life or in Pilates. Progression doesn’t always look like you think it should. Your flexibility, strength, and body will always be different that the person next to you. Progress is about going forward and not looking back. Give yourself a break, keep your head up (in line with your spine), and set your goals to achievable and positive things that will bring you happiness! Once again, we have made it to yet another weekend. Relax, refresh, regroup, and REMEMBER…Monday is only TWO days away! (lol…tough love is still love) If you are new to my weekly newsletter, WELCOME. I want Studio 759 to be more than just a studio and I want all of you to feel more than just clients. Some weeks it will be light and airy, and some will be serious. I want you to know what is beneath the surface. You have to discover what is on the inside before you can work on the outside. And to do that…you have to be vulnerable and trasnparent. So, if you don’t mind, I would like to do that in this email. Some of you already know how Pilates came into my life and helped me transform and progress into the person I’ve become. Progress is a really tricky concept. It is defined as: “forward or onward movement toward a destination.” But for me, (and I think to a lot of people) progression gets confused for succession. And succession gets confused with what we believe our goals should be. When I found Pilates, I was in a really bad place. It was only a few months after my dad unexpectedly went to heaven. I was struggling with eating, body dysmorphia, and over exercising. And I had just moved to Auburn, away from home, away from Cole, and away from all comfort I had ever known. I knew I had a problem. My entire family, friends, and people I did not even know knew I had a problem. But I didn’t care. I was obsessed with being skinny and I was obsessed with the idea that I could control something (like my weight) when the rest of my world felt upside down. I would wake up and weigh myself daily. If I lost a pound, it was progress. If it was the same, it was adequate. And if it showed that I gained, it was failure. But I had my eyes on the wrong goal. I should have been out with friends or hanging with my roommate…or ya know…studying (and all the college student parents say a hearty “amen” lol). But instead I was in my apartment calculating the calories I ate / burned for the day. And figuring out how many calories my meal of spinach, tomatoes, and dark chocolate would take me back. Finally, I hit rock bottom. TMI alert…but I stopped having my period. My body wouldn’t support it. I was in danger of causing serious and lifelong damage. But then I found Pilates and discovered body awareness. There is a meticulous way you must breathe, move, and feel during Pilates and that put my mind back in reality and in harmony with my body. So, with lots of prayer, support, and A LOT of effort, I PROGRESSED. I am still not perfect but I am in a place where imperfection is perfect for me. I have learned how to listen and be intuitive with my body, eating, and exercising. I have progressed to a point where I no longer weigh myself daily. I eat what I want but in a mindful way. I move when my body feels like moving and rest when needed. Most importantly I have progressed and transformed into someone who LOVES their body no matter what. And that is what I want to preach to everyone else. In life or in Pilates, progression doesn’t always look like you think it should. Your flexibility, strength, and body will always be different that the person next to you. Progress is about going forward and not looking back. Give yourself a break, keep your head up (in line with your spine), and set your goals to achievable and positive things that will bring you happiness!