What happens when you let go of thinness?
Your world is about to change.
Community First
🔥 Tomorrow, June 21st, join the Argyle Walking Tour with Brick of Chicago to learn about the physical history of Argyle Street. It's like the architecture tour for non-tourists.
🔥 June 22nd, check out We Have Spa At Home, a radical rest discussion and workshop at Hai Bayo. Learn about lymphatic drainage, gua sha, self-massage, and curating sensory stimulation.
🎉 Happy Friday, Friend!
Today, let’s talk about what it looks like in the real world when you let go of shrinking. When movement because about presence and power instead of changing your body. Sometimes, it can be hard to imagine, so I’m going to paint the picture.
When you prioritize how you feel and what you can do over what you look like, the changes can start right away. You can walk away from your FIRST intuitive movement experience with the beginning of a new relationship with your body. The whole point is to start a dialogue with your body instead of trying to get it to look thinner, and you might be surprised by what it tells you.
1️⃣ You learn new ways to hold your body. When you let go of obsessing over your tummy, thighs, or arms, you’re free to try holding your weight on different limbs, throwing it back (pun intended) to let your glutes hold you, or forward to hold yourself on your toes.
2️⃣ You become aware of parts of your body you never thought about before. The area right below your armpits, every part of your back, and your inner thighs are examples of places that clients gain new awareness of when they start speaking with their bodies in my studio.
3️⃣ You release the burden of moving the way “everyone” does. First of all, everyone moves differently. And second of all, if having your wrists take the pressure when you’re on all fours doesn’t work – that’s TOTALLY fine! You will find ways to move that feel good and stick to those, eventually letting go of the “why can’t I do it that way” feeling.
4️⃣ And on that note, you stop hearing the fitness noise that makes everyone wonder what’s wrong with them. When you see a post featuring someone doing some kind of crazy weighted pull-up, you stop feeling like you need to get on that level. The separation between you, diet culture, and other people’s movements becomes greater. You develop a sense of self as a human in motion.
5️⃣ And finally, you notice daily changes. You move in a way that protects your body while using it effectively. Think the way that you go up and down the stairs, the way you carry heavy (or light!) things from one side of your house to the other, and the way you get out of bed in the morning or the position that you sleep in.
This is what strength training is about. Building autonomy, agency, safety, and power. It’s not a one-sized-fits-all approach like what we’ve been taught – it’s so much more, and so much better.
In my studio, we start with the basics: rest, breath, awareness, and care. And yes, we lift heavy things, too. But more than anything, we rebuild trust. We start the conversation with our bodies. And we keep it going in a way that feels good and keeps us moving.
Next week: more things to look for when you start training and moving intuitively!
With you in conversation,
Dana