Week 30 — “Just a Touch”
Happy Sunday and good morning friends!
Thank you to those who started bringing friends to class this week! SO FUN!
A reminder for those who missed it that throughout the month of October, we're offering our "Pilates Pay it Forward" promotion - bring a friend, have them sign up, tell us about it (you can email us at pilatesppl@gmail.com) and you AND your friend will get a discount code for our Video Library!
And we have another friend to introduce to YOU too! Alec Hynes (@pie.lattes) will be teaching our next workshop on Sunday, October 25th from 12-2pm! We're calling it "Geekin' Out - Legs Edition," because Alec and I have a tendency to get a little nerdy about Pilates and I personally can't wait to see him back in action doing just that! Alec will be leading us through a movement class that focuses on the function of our legs, particularly as a way to address quarantine posture, and will be offering some anatomy and context before we get going! Come with your questions and get ready to work it out with him!
For more information and to sign up, please click here.
Have you ever taken The 5 Love Languages Quiz? Xander was actually the one that introduced me to it. It's definitely interesting and definitely worth a few minutes of your time.
When I took it and Physical Touch came back as my highest number (BY FAR), no one was surprised.
Touching people, like literally touching them, was always my best way of communication, as an instructor and a human, and something I needed.
When we found out the lockdown was real and processed that I would be alone, I'll never forget the face that accompanied the question, "Cassandra, you're not going to be able to touch anyone for weeks. What are you going to do?" and just how heavy my heart felt in that moment dealing with that blunt realization.
7 months into it, I know what I'm going to do now - pick up Cat and insist she try to cuddle with me despite her claws and clear protest against the entire situation - and I know that touch is still a VERY touchy subject (pun completely intended).
Personally, I don't really want anyone to touch me anymore, even though I really really do, but when they do I stiffen up and panic.
Because it got weird.
Even for me.
But touch can be so helpful, particularly in what we do here, right? Having that physical feedback to guide you into position is so valuable for your movement practice. Having those hands to reassure you and help you propriocept where you are in space is important.
So how do you get that same feedback when you can't?
YOU do it. YOU become your own teacher. YOU feed those neural pathways and guide your body where it needs to go.
This is another choose your own adventure moment and a time when we're going to ask you to take some responsibility over your practice.
Because we trust you and you can absolutely do it.
This week, our hope is to help you find ways to put hands on yourself not only to guide you through movement, but so you get SOME sense of physical touch because it's GOOD for you! - Physical touch is known to help with stress, anxiety, depression, sleep issues, immune support...basically, as humans, we need it. The sensation of touch is picked up by receptors in your skin cells that respond back to your brain and release oxytocin - which is why a hand on your shoulder or a hug from someone you care about feels so good.
And if you're in my position and hugs from others are hard to come by...
it's time you learned how to hug yourself.
We're here to help - hugging you from a safe distance. Always.
All our love,
Cassandra + Pilates People
(10/11/20)