a new appreciation for the deep core

i’ve always known, felt, and appreciated the deep core. from allowing me to cast to handstand on bars as a young competitive gymnast, to running fast down the lacrosse field, to hanging upside down on the Cadillac, to feeling connected in hamstrings series on the Gyro Tower. i’ve just never quite known, felt, and appreciated their full importance as the true center of being until now, during ma grossesse, my pregnancy. 

i’m a pilates teacher, so of course j’adore the “core”. but oh my universe! do i have a newfound appreciation for it now that all of it - front, back, side-to-side, abdominals, back, hips, pelvic floor and diaphragm - are growing, expanding, shifting, and/or squishing beyond what seems possible, all on top of and around the bébé inside. here’s a few examples of what i mean; lately, i totes feel the importance of my abbies especially when - 

• blowing my nose
• rolling over in bed
• standing up from a chair
• getting up from the toilet

​literally, i/we cannot get away from our deep core. and, really, why would we want to? it’s function is to support our organs, our pelvic health, and literally keep us “centered”. so, yes, i have a wholly newfound and DEEP appreciation for not only my deep core muscles, but also my flesh, my tissue, my ligaments, my bones. it’s this funny thing: each morning i wake up AND I HAVE A BELLY! Ludo jokes, pretty much every morning and then each evening, after we eat - “hey - you look pregnant!” it’s wonderful to hear and see him marvel at zee belly. he’s the one that expressed how crazy it is that the abdominal muscles shift and spread to create space for the growing being inside. we even did an impromptu photo shoot to document the craziness, part of the benefit of having an artist for a partner:

“could’ve sworn i put the bun in the oven…”

​​all this to say that our bodies are constantly shifting and changing. no matter what age. no matter what cause. and that every time you breathe, get up from a chair, shift your weight when walking, bend over to pick up something from the floor, reach to get a bowl from a high cabinet, sneeze, fart, slip and catch yourself - it’s an opportunity to take a moment to give some LOVE to and share some GRATITUDE for your deep core. last week, i was encouraging us to recognize that stopping to smell the roses is actually an act of deep love. this week, i’m encouraging you to recognize simply how incredible you and your body

​are. even if new sensations come in to your joints or your tissue the more time we spend on this planet, you can be certain that your deep core - and organs and tissue and joints - are doing all they can to support you - no matter what. that’s an amazing gift. to have a physical body under the weight of gravity on this beautiful planet. i encourage you just to take a moment to say, “thank you, body. i love you. i appreciate you. you’re amazing”

and, you know, don’t push too hard when you blow your nose…

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