Stressing About Stress

Want to know something scary? Grief, stress, all those negative feelings aren’t just feelings. Studies have shown that chronically experiencing these emotions has tangible, physical consequences.This isn’t meant to stress you out, but stress can literally make you sick! In her book The Year of Magical Thinking, an insightful autobiography about grief, Joan Didion writes openly about the physical symptoms that manifest themselves when the body is battling the mind’s onslaught of negative emotions; shortness of breath, headache, coldness, confusion, lack of coordination, fatigue, loss of appetite- it sounds like the flu. The National Academy of Sciences’ Institution of Medicine even found that grief, with its combination of symptoms, can precipitate the end of someone’s life regardless of age (Bereavement: Reactions, Consequences, and Care).

So what does this have to do with Pilates? Joseph Pilates, the creator of Pilates, considered this exercise to be a practice of not only the body, but also of the mind and soul. Pilates incorporates all muscle groups, moving the body through natural feeling positions, while strengthening and stretching. Unlike other exercises, Pilates creates limited stress on the body and can be therapeutic when healing injuries. In addition to all these benefits, it’s a fun way to encourage your body to produce the serotonin hormone, your body’s frontline against anxiety and depression. 

While Pilates is absolutely an incredible stress reliever, sometimes it’s hard to avoid perfectionism in the studio. When you’re expanding your practice thoughts about getting a move absolutely right, making each session, and just generally being self conscious can interrupt your flow. It can be difficult to fully relax and focus on your workout. We totally get that at Iron Butterfly and we wanted to reassure you that our studio is 100% judgment free. All experience levels are welcome and our small classes will ensure that you’ll never feel lost or left behind. So come in, be yourself, and never feel bad about learning. Good vibes only!