For Me, Injury Recovery Looks & Feels Like…

For me, injury recovery looks like movement. It’s Pilates with the elimination of some exercises and the modification of others. Sometimes it’s returning to pre-Pilates with deep awareness and breath. It’s paying attention to the imbalances in my powerhouse and working to correct them, even with the most subtle of movements. It’s using all of the inherently corrective tools that Joseph Pilates invented to restore the body.  

But injury recovery is also PT, acupuncture and manual MFR treatments. It’s slathering my body with concoctions of helichrysum, wintergreen, clove bud and lavender essential oils to alleviate inflammation and pain. And taking supplements for joint health. It’s resting my head on my Real Ease Neck Support with a Sacro-Wedgy under my hips while Yoga Toes stretch my feet. And, sometimes, it’s sitting in the park for a dose of sunshine and a deep convo with a sista-friend. Emotional support is always appreciated!

Injury recovery always feels like forever. It feels like age haunting me because I don’t bounce back as quickly as I used to. And while I dread the slow and tedious healing process, it always reminds me to have a little more self-compassion and patience. Injury recovery feels like a learning opportunity – albeit a reluctant one – that coerces me to explore my movement habits more deeply and practice making adjustments; not just during Pilates, but in my every day activities. And it always feels like an emotional roller coaster: from total defeat to a sense of inner-strength and resilience. 

S.I.T. With Yourself in April

This month’s #soakedinthought journaling prompts are dedicated to body confidence and fitness as a lifestyle. As we move into Spring and the fitness industry ramps up its messaging about getting “in shape” for Summer, I hope you’ll sit with yourself to figure out what your body, mind, and spirit need to feel healthy, fit, and happy – without all the external voices.