When I was young, I was shy, ill at ease in my body and super skinny by nature. At school, I was always the last one to be picked in sport teams, and I resented so much the only physical activity my parents successfully pushed on me: tennis.
With years of distance, I now know I grew up in a very patriarchal sexist environment, where only boys were encouraged and celebrated by the sport teachers, and girls were heavily shamed. It led me to loose confidence in my capacities and strength. And, when it came to exercising, I simply and sadly perceived my body as weak and unable. Up until 2015, when two friends offered the guidance I needed to heal this narrow wrong vision.
I was 26 years old, living and working in Shanghai, when my colleague Hélène invited me to this great yoga studio she had discovered and which included an unlimited access to a SPA ROOM with a sauna, a luxurious lounge and a swimming pool overlooking the city (!!!). Well the girl knew how to motivate me. I invested in a set of classes (probably more seduced by the sauna than the yoga) and the journey to reconnecting with my body started. The teachers were incredibly skilled and very precise when it came to teaching the various yoga poses, taking it slow and one subtle movement at a time so we could learn right away the proper body positions. I couldn’t have dreamt of a better gentle re-introduction to sport.
A few months later, living with my friend Jeanne who had always been very active, she ended up convincing me to accompany her to a barre class at this -once again- elevated beautiful-looking fitness studio in the nicest Shanghai neighborhood. The first class went all wrong. The music was way too loud, the movement sequences way too fast, and the exercises way too hard. I left the class in a state of overwhelm and discouragement. But a little tiny part of me loved it, and was curious about this weird world of fitness. That same year, by total chance, I moved on the same street as that barre studio and bought the first membership of many more to come.
Since 2015, yoga and barre classes have become the most consistent pillar of my life, exercising around three times a week. Eight years later, in my most vulnerable days, I still carry the shadow of perceiving my body as weak, but I now have the real life proof that it is not.
More than that, gentle movement has uncovered along the years unexpected benefits that I would probably not have received otherwise. Here are 5 of them:
A PORTAL TO HEAL, RELEASE & GROW
A woman’s body is SO MUCH more than physical beauty. It is incredibly toxic and maddening that we are all, men and women, programmed to mostly focus on this one stupid limiting angle. Moving my body has been all about releasing my emotions (I cannot tell you the number of times I cried during a yoga class), strengthening my anxious mind and building a strong backbone to withstand chaotic times.
A FLEXIBLE MIND
Exercising has made me flexible mentally. I now rarely use words like ‘never’ or ‘always’, I try to keep it open. I have learned that nothing is set in stone, and that our reality is constantly evolving. So many times, have I been surprised by how much my perception radically changed in a matter of days. I would go to a class on a Monday and everything would hurt and suck, as if all my strength had left my body. On Wednesday, I’ll go back and be better than usual, going through the sequences with ease. It taught me to stop associating to the one achievement or fail of the day/week/month/year. It says NOTHING about what is coming next.
THE GIFT OF DISCIPLINE
It has been so comforting for me to do an activity where I can just trust the process and not overthink it. My life has mostly been around creativity and intuition, like a vast ocean of possibilities and ideas to question and explore, with no clear right or wrong. Sport classes came in with all their basic simplicity, and brought me a structure and the gift of discipline. They are repetitive, redundant or boring one might think, but putting in the hours just WORKS. For once, there is no extra secret recipe to unveil, what-a-relief! One class at a time, as simple as that, my muscles strengthen and my body expands.
A CONNECTED PRESENT & FUTURE
Investing my time and money today into exercising is truly part of a long term vision, and that is what motivates me. It teaches me to live in the present (fun!) while thinking far, being down to earth when it comes to my resources and plan for the future (not fun ahah!). It might not appeal to you and I totally get it. In itself it doesn’t appeal to me either! But the truth is: I want a life of adventures, and this I don’t want it to be only a dream, but a reality. My physical and mental health will be key. I will need my body to accompany me on the long road as best as it can, with its limits (kept in check) and with its strength (built over time).
THE POWER OF INVISIBLE TRANSFORMATION
Sometimes you work and work, give your best, your sweat and your tears, and nothing changes, no positive signal, no instant gratification, and you loose your hope, your confidence and your drive. Being a creative entrepreneur, it happens to me ALL THE TIME. Sport has been a much needed teacher to defeat these negative spirals. For months, I would exercise 3 times a week and only collect muscle aches, tiredness, and uncomfortable hours facing my body limits. But, what I won’t perceive yet in the present is the silent slow transformation of my body and mind. And, one day I would climb the stairs and notice I am not out of breath. Another day I would walk across Manhattan for hours, visit a museum and my back wouldn’t hurt. I’d feel more energetic, more optimistic and generally more emotionally stable. And slowly silently my life would be transformed.
If my letter planted a seed in your mind, here are some humble recommendations:
First do a medical check with your doctors before starting a new sport practice and follow their advices
Start slow and gentle, one beginner class a week of an activity that sounds fun to you
Match your new physical effort with an instant reward (remember the sauna that went with my very first yoga classes?!)
Stretch a lot before and after class
Drink plenty of water (offer yourself a nice water bottle and decorate it with stickers!)
Remember it will probably suck for the first 3 months (thus the needed instant reward to keep you going!) but past these, wow trust me, some magic will happen.
I am very grateful for my friends Hélène and Jeanne to have opened this door for me, and I hope, with this letter, to contribute to opening this door for some of you too.
Have a lovely Sunday and talk to you next week!
Laure-Anne
ps: and for some yoga classes videos by my favorite teacher in Shanghai (Jayna is now in Hong Kong!), click here <3
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