I was as low as could be in my life when I first made a commitment to my mind/body fitness practice. This brought physical strength and stamina, along with a revolution in my confidence and beliefs about the goals I could achieve.
I was a single parent, struggling to work through financial strain, domestic violence and emotional abuse. At vulnerable moments, the last thing anyone needs is a message that we’re not enough.
Everyone has vulnerabilities that can be addressed in healthy, empowering ways through fitness. When I turned to barre and yoga in search of a little peace of mind, what I got was a meaningful breakthrough – it changed my life, gave me the power to “own it all” and, eventually, the vision to launch Barre & Soul. I want everyone who walks through the doors of our studios to have the same opportunity for personal growth and empowerment.
Women need to know we have the capability to shed emotional and physical burdens - rather than focusing on a few stupid pounds.
When fitness programs emphasize ‘bikini season’ and ‘shaping up for summer,’ this implies women’s bodies aren’t really their own. Assuming women somehow owe it to society to look a certain way positions us as objects for consumption.
Do it for your 100-old self
Do you envision living an active and adventurous life after retirement? Start building physical, mental and emotional strength and stamina into your routine now!
Do it for you, not to fit someone else’s definition of what’s “hot.”
Women are already under tremendous pressure to fit the mold - from career, to social and domestic life, to unrealistic beauty standards. This is all impossibly high-maintenance if we choose to subscribe to it, and it leaves us with less freedom and leisure time to devote to real self-improvement and development compared with men. So don’t buy in!
Don’t get me wrong — I appreciate my toned muscles and seeing my body physically transform had a huge effect on my belief about what I could accomplish. But that’s just the surface. We need to get real about how much we have to gain from making a commitment to our health and fitness, and stop reducing it to a silly notion like bikini-season.
