My Summer goals are a combo of business and pleasure. I guess I’m always trying to balance the two. But I’m definitely taking advantage of these slower months to plan, strategize and create for Q4 & Q1. I’m finally embracing the fact that this hybrid business model of teaching virtually and in-studio is here to stay. And I’m actually kinda amped about it even though the learning curve for implementing digital systems and creating digital marketing strategies makes me wanna pull my curls out. In the end, it’s absolutely worth it.

I need a Pilates teacher who can give it to me straight, with no chaser.  I happen to prefer my Pilates authentic. I also need a teacher who can look at me and see possibility versus limitation. I may be in my 50s and 10yrs deep into my dance retirement with residual “stuff” going on in my body; but I still have the mind of an athlete that likes to push and challenge myself. So I tend to thrive with teachers who are adept at teaching students, like me, who want to do more than just workout, sweat, and check it off my to-do list. I don’t wanna pay to plateau. I wanna train! 

Physical fitness is important to me because I’ve witnessed the effects of a sedentary life. Physical decline seems to spiral into mental and emotional decline. And I’ve observed what it looks like when you let life happen instead of moving through it with purpose, a sense of adventure, and self-care. But, I’ve also seen what aging can look like if you continue to 1. move your body and 2. nurture your body. It adds quality years to your life. I want that!

I have students up to 80 years old; some of whom are doing advanced Pilates work! It’s no surprise that they also also have active lives.

Something that reinforces my negative body image is the loop of negative memories I hold onto. They’re always on standby for any moment that might trigger self-loathing. When that happens, my brain – on auto-pilot – hits “play”; and once that loop gets going, the pause button is hard to access. I am my own worst enemy.

Compounding that is the fact that, as a dancer, I spent my most formative years having my weight and body type scrutinized and criticized. And that bled into my professional dance career.

In 2022 I will connect with my INNER-CHILD whose been buried beneath extreme adulting. She’s itching to crawl out of her dark hiding space to get curious about the world again, explore her creativity, and discover new social hobbies. I miss “Keex”, the infinitely more fun, loquacious, and physically expressive version of myself. Right now I feel like a boring old fuddy-duddy. To me, reconnecting with my inner-child means temporarily detaching myself from expectations, responsibilities, and accomplishments. It’s about exploring the depths of my personality and the spectrum of possibility.

What depleted me the most in 2021 was NAVIGATING NEW TECH and TOO MUCH SCREEN TIME! When my 3-dimensional Pilates and massage therapy biz needed to survive this global pandemic; like many, I fled to the 2-dimensional territory of cyberspace. And because tech is not my “gift”, every day feels like a punch-the-screen, “WTF?” kind…