So yesterday was all about the amazingness that is Balanced Body and Pilates on Tour. I can understand how people become POT heads. I'm thinking that maybe I'll have to work at least one more Pilates on Tour into my schedule per year.
Today I'm struck mainly by one thing: My fair city of Chicago. Compared to the coasts, Chicago is young as a Pilates community. When I first started training, I had to explain what it was to most people. It was exciting to be studying this thing that was kind of obscure to most. I know that I didn't start at the beginning of Pilates in Chicago, there were lots of amazing instructors long before I started taking classes in 2000, but I have watched it evolve from an obscure workout that the Joffrey dancers did. Yes, as part of my checkered past I worked as a wardrobe person for the Joffrey. My favorite part of that connection to Pilates, is that when I asked the dancer about where I could try a class, she said, "You wouldn't like it. It's very hard. It's not for normal people."
Because I'm sweet and naive, I refused to take that as any kind of insult, but instead as a realization that she didn't know me at all, and found my first mat class shortly after.
I digress.
What I realized today about Chicago's Pilates community, as I was driving home as the sun was setting, able to really take in all of the autumn colors for the first time this year, is that what I love about it's people is what I love about my town. They have heart. They are strong. On one side we embrace the flow of nature, on the other side we love our machines and architecture. We exude that almost wholesome Midwestern friendship, but we're still rough and tumble.
So apart from some very valuable lessons on alignment from the hand to your center, a charming exploration of stretching fascia to clear the "fuzz", making more friends, reconnecting with a couple more old ones...I learned that I am here because it's really the place in the world that I love best.
And this is the view of the back of our apartment that greeted my after my thought filled ride home.
No comments:
Post a Comment