In my life, I’ve learned that it’s okay to stumble as long as you focus on resilience and avoid negative self-talk. Meeting yourself where you are is the most important thing you can do, not just physically, but mentally and emotionally. Self-talk doesn’t even have to be positive, but it should be neutral. Finding ways to be kind to yourself on your journey will reframe the entire way you move & grow. Learning all these things in life has helped me to be an empathetic instructor and one that sees value in so much more than the appearance of your body. I grew up in the ballet environment but was lucky enough to have instructors who valued the whole process, not just how flexible you could be or how many turns you could do. Focusing on that technique-based approach helped me stay healthy during that time, and I’m happy to bring the same mentality to my classes now.
The enemy of my life journey has always been self-doubt. No matter what, I never felt good enough, and a handful of people in my circle made sure I didn’t forget that. But being able to break free from the toxicity, and releasing myself from these ideal “boxes” we’re all supposed to fit into in order to be accepted into the problematic standards of society, changed every single thing about the way I approach life. I AM enough. Really and truly, day in and day out, regardless of what anyone else thinks, I honestly AM enough. And so are you. Surrounding yourself with people who champion you are a great place to start if you’re not sure how to convince yourself of that.
My motivation is every kid who is told they can’t take a class because their family can’t afford it. My motivation is every person who struggles with body dysmorphia or just has an incredibly hard time looking in the mirror for whatever reason. My motivation is every person who feels targeted based on orientation, skin color, or identity. I want everyone to feel seen, validated, and heard. I want classes to be accessible. I want someone to go from apologizing every two seconds to taking up space with zero apologies. This is internal work. It may start with you finding out you can hold a plank for the length of a song, jumping higher than you ever have, or getting a little bit lower in your leg pulses. Every step you take towards whatever goal you’ve set, you’ll value yourself a little bit more without any need for further external validation. And THAT is what I’m here for.
