How Much Of Yourself Are You Living?

“It is never too late to free yourself from the programming of your past, to assume your responsibility for your body, to discover possibilities that you don't even know exist." ~ Therese Bertherat

In order to ask ourselves questions like this one and truly find an answer we must be willing to hit pause, to take a break, to find stillness, and to go inward. We often assume and outwardly state that everything is just "fine" as we race forward on autopilot through our day, getting it done and checking it off. But at some point we must acknowledge that in order to conform to family, social, and moral pressures we often have to deform ourselves. We are consistent in connecting with our appearance, our outer shell, our facade. We look in a mirror on a daily basis, assess, approve or disapprove, tone and shape, decorate, and even manipulate to fit a picture that we deem necessary for the day to go smoothly and successfully. But how often do we spend time on the inside. How often do we connect with the inner workings of ourselves, ask questions, and listen?

This is where Pilates, a repertoire of uniquely named exercises for core strength and stability, shows its sneaky little side effects. At its foundations the Pilates method focuses on breath, neutral spine, and movement integration. Think about this: breath occurs in the innermost chamber of our body and can influence our entire nervous system, our immune system, and our mental state when utilized to its full potential. Neutral spine is the positioning of our inner framework where it will experience the least amount of stress and strain. Finding neutral spine is the equivalent of recalibrating your GPS system, feeling centered, connected, and balanced. And finally, movement integration is the awareness that with every moving part we must have a stabilizing part. Having a foundation of stability allows us to create power, force, and accurate movement patterns.

Those "sneaky side effects" come in when we start to work within these foundations. By going inward physically we go through the doorway of our facade and we start to connect with the inner workings of ourselves, showing that we are ready to pay attention, to listen, and to learn. As a result the body starts to speak. This doesn't happen in an instant but gradually develops as a new relationship would with equal communication, compassion, and good listening skills.

In the studio we emphasize that the work we do, whether it is physical therapy, private sessions, or group classes is a mind, body, and spirit discipline. We encourage internal investigation in all three realms and we enjoy being a part of the discoveries that come from it. Sometimes this takes one month, sometimes it takes one year. Joseph Pilates states, "Change happens through movement and movement heals". We witness this every day and it is very easily the "why" behind what we do.

Movement starts to "stir the pot". Clients often try to downplay the memories that resurface and the stories that they share as unimportant to their current state of being. We call these "body confessions" and they often emerge as we start to give the body more of a voice. We continually explain that it is all important because everything in us is connected. As Caroline Myss, PH.D. states in her book Anatomy of the Spirit, "Your internal and external experiences create emotional energy that influences the physical tissue within your body- that is, the experiences that make up your life -become your biology". It only makes sense that as we reverse the order of things and start to move differently, with greater intention and more awareness, that our biology will bring us back to our biography.

We use a lot of imagery and visualization when we teach Pilates. Flowing through the one hour session we witness each client's gentle transition into a calmer more connected state of being. They get to put the day aside and take a moment to look inward and focus on themselves. At the end of the session, we have the perfect opportunity to close with breath work and a reflective quote or exercise.

So in closure, I will share this visual exercise with you and invite you to find a quiet moment to sit and allow your story to unfold. Make sure to really see the details and create the picture as you go.

You are going to have a dinner party. The house is you. It can be anything you want but whatever image you create make sure it is true. How is your table set? What are you preparing?

There is a knock at the door as your first guest arrives. It is your mind. Give your mind a personality. How is it dressed? How does it greet you?

The second guest to arrive is your body and the third is your spirit. Again, take your time to give these guests a fitting image and personality. Continue to watch the story unfold. How to they relate to each other as they first arrive? Remember that you are not them. You are the conscious observer, the fourth dinner participant.

As you all sit down at the table, which chairs do your guests sit in? Who is talking? Who is not? What does their body language tell you? Are they vivid, are they dull? Do they make eye contact? Do they look happy?

You can create the most detailed dinner event that you want. The more detail you create the deeper the understanding. Recognize that this is your internal family story unfolding in front of you. Does the energy around the table feel good? Is it healthy? What might you change? Who might you find time to sit and talk with after dinner so that you can get to know them better? What family dynamics might need some tender, loving, care? As the observer take the time to understand your dinner guests. Offer compassion. Offer acceptance.

It's a fun exercise and usually stirs up some giggles around the room. I invite you to have regular "family dinners", to take what awareness you might from them and allow that to guide you a little differently through your days. For some, this simple exercise is a starting point to bring more self inquiry and reflection into their lives.

Finding and incorporating activities, people, and habit into our lives that help us stay connected to ourselves is key. We have so much input coming at us that isn't always positive, that doesn't give us permission to take time for ourselves, and that often steals our energy and encourages us to go down more harmful pathways. It's important that we take the initiative to create a balance. In doing so we can show up for ourselves because we are firmly rooted in who we are and what we need. Our highest state of being can only be achieved when we embrace and nurture all of our parts.

Expect nothing less than feeling your best.

Sincerely,

Shellie