Week 15 — “Kryptonite”
Hey Pilates People!
Happy Sunday!
Just a quick check in before we get going - how are you? How's your head? How's your heart? How's your body? What's the REAL answer? Can you be okay with it? Because real answers are okay, you know?
So maybe take a second and think on it...
We once again have several announcements for you this week! For the complete list to get you up to full speed, please click here.
And in the meantime, I'll give you the highlight reel:
As of July 1st (Wednesday - CAN YOU BELIEVE IT'S ALREADY JULY?) we will be offering an UNLIMITED LIVE CLASS membership! For $240/month you'll be able to sign up for as many classes as you'd like in a day or a week and will also have access to our Aligned video library! Taking 7 classes a week? This saves you over $100/month! Taking 6? You save about $60! Even 5 would still save you $12 and you don't have to worry about purchasing those class packs so it's WORTH IT!
We're adding more classes again! Beginning Thursday, July 2nd Xander will be teaching Tuesdays and Thursdays at 12pm (EST) and Cassandra will be adding a Friday 2pm (EST)! That brings us to a total of 10 LIVE classes/week with 5 different instructors! That unlimited membership is starting to sound good, right? :)
And finally, we will be hosting our monthly Zoom Happy Hour this upcoming Friday, July 3rd at 5pm (EST)! This event is FREE and we'd love to see you all there! To learn more and sign up, please click here
Thank you for being here with us and supporting our journey. YOU are making these announcements possible and we are so lucky to have you!
Now that you've had a few moments to sit with those questions, let's return to them, shall we?
How are you?
How's your head?
How's your heart?
How's your body?
Do you have real answers? Because there's nothing wrong with "It's all great! Thanks for asking!" if that's a legitimately true statement. But is it? Or is it just a reflex?
Because often, the real answer is a little more complex than the standard, "Ya, I'm good. Thanks."
I wonder if maybe our reasoning for offering that canned response in place of what we're honestly feeling has something to do with an underlying fear to show vulnerability. Because, at least in my own experience, we've been trained to believe that we need to be the Captain Marvels of our own lives, but I think it's important to remember that even heroes have weaknesses.
For Superman, it was kryptonite.
For the Hulk, one could argue there's a lack of emotional control.
Wonder Woman? Well...no...she's perfect...
But Wonder Woman isn't real.
Weaknesses are and we all have them. So let's just take a deep breath, say that and realize it doesn't make you any less of a hero.
To be the hero of our own lives, I think our job truly lies in admitting to our challenges, owning them, taking control back from them and working with them to turn them into strengths.
"But, you can't possibly have anything THAT weak. You're a professional mover. Strength is your career."
Oh really? Well, let's look at that a little closer, shall we?
On a daily basis, I am constantly managing:
a scoliotic spine that's riddled with arthritis
and actually, I am just riddled with arthritis - it's kinda everywhere
a mystery injury in my left shoulder that occasionally results in me not being able to open a door or look left
and in fact, sometimes, my entire left side just shuts down and turns into the equivalent of overstretched taffy
an inability to give up, which sounds like a strength, but when it comes to matters of the heart...it can cause so very much grief - ask any friend who's known me for more than a month and they'll agree
And it isn't just me. Jenni has scoliosis too (take a look at our pictures - if you look hard enough...you'll see it) and her own list of things she's working with. In fact, all of the Pilates People people have lists. Because that's how this works.
And here's the thing. We could take our lists and get bogged down by their weight and volume. We could say mean things to ourselves all day every day. We could pretend that the list isn't real and try to push forward anyway.
Or...we can face those realities head on and say, "Alright, this is what I'm working with," do the research, learn about it and find strength within and around our weaknesses.
Superman didn't let a little green rock stop him from being a hero. You don't have to either.
But maybe it's important to acknowledge that little green rock and work with it, instead of pretending everything's fine while slowly and silently struggling through intense and potentially unnecessary pain.
And maybe Pilates is the thing that can help with that - providing a safe space to come to day in and day out where you can be exactly what you are and take a moment to admit to what you're working with so that it can be faced. Once you face it, that's where the magic happens and the real work begins.
There is always an option. There is always SOMETHING you CAN do. I've done classes through sprained ankles, broken bones, shoulders that can't even open doors, broken hearts and muddled minds. This practice has always found a way to support me regardless of what I walked into it with.
I just had to be willing to face myself and everything that means.
So, one last time - how are you? What are you working with today? Are you ready to face it?
Even if you're not, it's okay. We are. Let us help.
You're strong. So very strong. Kryptonite or not.
Stay healthy. Stay safe. Stay super.
All our love,
Pilates People
(6/28/20)