How do we own what's ours within systems of unequal power distribution? Recently, a friend of mine and her partner found themselves in a fundamental disagreement over how to handle a situation. They're both white, cisgender, able-bodied, raised in upper-middle-class homes. The biggest difference between their social positions is that he is male, she is female. Additionally, he works in STEM and she is a social worker. Our culture values his work more highly than hers, so he m

A few weeks ago, over the holidays, I was in line at a Starbucks when the mother of one of the employees came into the store to surprise...

Last week, one of my clients was telling me about her past experience with a yoga teacher. “She was young, thin, her body could do everything, and she was just trying to push my body into different positions, like, ‘can’t you just do this,’ and it wasn’t working at all…” In that moment, not only was my client unable to do what her teacher was asking, she was also being treated as though she should easily be able to do it– leaving her feeling as though there was something wron

It’s Not Exercise, It’s Not a Workout, It’s Training (here’s why) When I talk about the kind of work that I do, or how I move my body, you might notice that I never refer to my “workouts” or “exercise.” This is a deliberate choice that speaks to the kind of work that I do and the ways in which we can disrupt what Decolonizing Fitness calls “toxic fitness culture.” Let’s take a look. Etymology of “Workout:” First, it might be helpful to look at the origin of these terms. The t

body neutrality picks up where positivity falls short. When I was a freshly-minted new yoga teacher, I had one goal with my students: to...

let's talk about yoga alignment Have you been told that there is a right way and a wrong way to do a pose? Maybe you were taught one “proper alignment” or principles that should apply to all bodies. Like so many yoga folks, I used to think that there were rules about how yoga should look– but I couldn’t make my body conform to them. Learning to let go of yoga alignment rules set me free to really enjoy my yoga practice, and to help others to do the same. Okay, journey back wi

You may not have heard the term, but you are already an expert in healthism. As invisible and pervasive as the air we breathe, healthism...

As I’m writing this, my dogs are barking fiercely: the lawn maintenance company is trimming some hedges around the house, and as the workers move past each window, it is FULL RED ALERT CRISIS TIME. You couldn’t have a conversation in here if you tried. This ability to perceive danger or threat is called neuroception. When something feels dangerous or wrong, my dogs react. Their senses heighten, their posture stiffens, and they’re ready for fight or flight. The hair on their b

In my last post, I mentioned that trauma was a particularly tricky word to define. According to the US Veteran’s Administration, 7-8% of...

Yoga, meditation and other somatic practices have long been part of indigenous communities' ways of healing and spirituality. If we're...

This week’s blog is inspired by an Instagram post by one of my favorite gyms-that-I’ve-never-been-to, 13th Flow in Chicago. I’m not sure how I had the luck to find and start following them a few years ago, but their consistent messages of positive empowerment are a bright spot of inspiration in my feed. Let me give you an example of their verbiage: their “About” page on their website says, ” Success isn’t built on shame and guilt, but on self-worth and pride in what you’re do

“I don’t want your love and light if it doesn’t come with solidarity and action.” -Writer and activist Rachel Elizabeth Cargle In the wake of the past week’s events in the United States following the murder of Mr. George Floyd, I struggled with whether or not to write a blog or a newsletter this week– as a white woman, it’s time to step aside and give the marginalized folks a chance to grieve, mourn, and be heard. It also feels important to use this (small) platform to speak

One of the defining moments in my yoga career happened in a far-away town, where I was visiting and attending a yin class. It was an evening class, and the room was full of people. The light was dim, the incense was thick, and there was an air of hushed reverence to better hear the teacher, a popular one who was known to offer deep spiritual insights along with the long-held poses. I was new to yoga and wanted to try it all. That first magical year of your yoga honeymoon– do

Scrolling through my fitness-heavy Instagram feed, I sometimes see "motivational" quotes like these: “Never miss a Monday!” “No excuses…...