change is a good thing - it’s what we’re supposed to do.

i say this to clients - and myself, all the time. generally , it comes about because the change or shift involves a new sensation or perhaps, as one of my dear clients phrases it, “the traveling circus of pain”. listen, pain is never great, but it is an opportunity to learn about our body and our own expectations thereof.

doesn’t mean it’s easy…

the same goes with physiologically-and-pain-free experiences like changes in weight, mobility, ability, basically any shift in the body which affects our psychology or mental state. both physical and psychological shifts are equally important to recognize as learning opportunities, and as admittedly annoying as that may sound, it’s true not only in anecdotal experiences - as my own 2 year recovery from what i believe was a potential labrum tear in my left hip and all the PT and emotional healing i was lead to - as it is concretely.

still, it ain’t easy. it’s a practice like any other.

why? interoception. it’s when we feel sensations both physical - hunger, an itch, our heart beat - and attached to our nervous system through emotions - a loud noise scares us, a squeeze of a hand makes us smile. and to regulate our body - because physical and emotional reactions are all based there and really cannot be separated - it comes down to love and security. 

sometimes this happens in class. laughing is, after all, the best core workout there is.

good news! we practice this kind of awareness every time we move together! feeling the sensations of your breath, the effort and ease of the movements, and taking stock of where you are en ce moment, NOW.

​​i‘ve been thinking of this lately because 1) i’m continually amazed BY YOU! you’re killin’ it on the mat and Reformer in our classes and sessions together! it’s something i noticed from the beginning of transitioning to teaching online: you are stronger, you are more aware of your body, you trust your body deeper to move at YOUR pace, and you are empowered to move in ways that feel good while listening to your body. YOU ROCK! you were able - in your homes and gardens - and we are able - via the interwebs - to create a safe and fun environment together. this helps to create that ease in our nervous system that interoception at its best is all about.

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and 2) as my body continues to shift and expand - the newest iteration being le bébé two-steppin’ on my bladder - into our 7th month of la grossesse, and i’m preparing for the entrance of this little being into the world, i’m finding positive, calm language toward my body through meditation and relaxation to be - like this entire process has been - surprisingly fun and effective. it’s a process of observation and allowing that i’m totally digging - alongside the physicality i’ve always been drawn to.

the words “ease”, “calm”, “safe”, “secure”, “relaxed”, “gentle”, “trust”, and “natural” are all showing up in the few books i’ve been reading, the online classes i’ve been led to, and the maternité Ludo found for us. creating a calm, loving, gentle environment truly is the name of the game. 

the takeaway? speak kindly to your body, friends. we can’t rush to “fix” our body because there’s no “fixing” to do. all we can do is sit back and witness it’s healing in all kinds of ways as change is inevitable and indeed natural and normal. how cool is it to learn that we are actually designed to have our body lead the show? that “we” - our ego - has no real control? 🙃

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