Pilates isn’t just my favorite way of moving, it’s also my favorite way of connecting with people. Not being in the Pilates in Holland studio during the stay at home order has been hard in many ways, and connecting with people has been what I’ve missed most of all.
Creating a good Pilates class is like writing and sharing a good story. You start out setting the tone and introducing characters. Every muscle is its own character who speaks, acts, and thinks uniquely. How do they interact, collaborate, or get into conflict? And then you build, chapter by chapter. How much are you going to give away in each chapter, build off of each interaction, and how do you sum up the story?
Just like reading a good story, you get pulled into it. When we’ve gone through really good movement together, it feels like your body got taken on an adventure and you end with a satisfied “that’s how it came together!”
But it’s more than the movement. The PIH studio is a space where we’re all learning about our bodies, being vulnerable and curious. Our curiosity empowers us to reach out and make new friendships. Going through that story together creates a deeper connection and appreciation for others who could otherwise be strangers. We meet each other in that space, but as people become friends, they, too, share their stories.
Our Pilates in Holland Core Community Virtual Classes have surprised me in how much they have allowed us all to move together AND connect. I really can see everyone, they see me, and our community feels alive!
Jessica recently emailed me:
In a time where things are so uncertain and changing every day, there is nothing more reassuring to me than seeing familiar faces on the Zoom screen, and hearing your voice asking me to move my body in familiar, restorative ways, and still challenging me to do new things. It is necessary for me to move my body as movement keeps my anxiety moving through my body instead of getting stuck inside of me.
I’m so grateful that I can still be a storyteller during this time. I’m glad I get to take you on new adventures, outside of your house and the coronavirus fog, to new and exciting places. People are still showing up, curious and ready to share their own stories with me and each other.
