Pilates with friends and all the memories it brought back
When we look back at the last 2 years, I think we need to realise the growth we have experienced, as well as the loss and love. Personally, when I look back at the last couple of years, I see the growth I have been through. I reflect on the health challenges I have faced and my Pilates journey. I look back at it all, and it reminds me of the concept of yin and yang. There have been positives and there have been negatives, but, at the end of the day, both are equally as important and necessary when it comes to growing and learning in life.
In 2020, whilst the world was locked down, I launched an Instagram page that all my clients and friends could follow for daily Pilates exercises. To be honest, I thought it would be a fun task to occupy my time during the (alleged) “3 weeks” of lockdown, but also stay connected with my friends through exercise. Since that was launched, I have gone from teaching Pilates in my living room on zoom, to finishing up my hours for my certification, to opening a studio, to teaching mat classes from home, to buying some Pilates equipment this year and starting to teach equipment classes. For my business, lockdown was a blessing. In a strange roundabout way, we learnt how important our health was and how without our health we have nothing.
Since the day I started, I have been overwhelmed with the support my family and friends have given me. They have all played a part in helping me complete all my hours, and now supporting my small business.
Whilst reflecting on the growth of my business and my Pilates journey, I often think of family friends who live in Australia. When they were last here in December 2019, they helped me achieve some of the hours I required to complete my course. We were finally reunited last week after 2 long years- it was so lovely and rewarding to catch up (in person) with those I missed so much! Our reunion was made so much more pleasant by the fact that we reconnected in the bush. After sitting for 2 game drives, witnessing the beauty of the bush and its animals, our bodies were stiff and not too happy with being stationary for so long. Being a Pilates instructor, I made sure that our morning coffee stops and afternoon sundowners were filled with a lot of stretching and moving. That’s the beauty of Pilates, it can be done anywhere and at any time, whilst simultaneously bringing us all together.
One of my favourite moments in the bush last week was our full circle- I was teaching a Pilates class to everyone in the gym. I can’t say that we worked hard all the time as there was much laughing, chatting and moaning, which made my heart happy. A moment like this reminds me of my growth as an instructor and how I’ve developed as a teacher. But, it also brings me a weird sense of calm that despite all we’ve faced, we all came back to each other as if no time had been spent apart.
At the end of the day, it’s moments and experiences like this that remind me why I love what I do.
