Self care isn’t something that finds us.
It’s something we choose.
Sometimes that choice looks like a spa day.
Sometimes it looks like saying NO. And sometimes, it looks like laying on a Pilates mat, taking ginger shots, and committing to your wellness before the rest of the day begins.
This weekend I attended The Pilates Experience with Prive’ Fitness hosted by Rayy who’s popularly known as “your fave Pilates instructor”, and it reminded me that wellness isn’t just about movement. It’s about intention.
Prive’ Fitness
This weekend I joined dozens of women with Rayy inside of the St Louis Galleria Mall on the green courtyard. What could have easily been a slow paced Sunday morning, it instead became confirmation that wellness is often found in moments we intentionally create for ourselves.
Walking into a welcoming environment with the sounds of old school R&B echoing through the still mall, participants were also greeted with ginger shots prepared by Rayy herself and dirty granola bars made from scratch by nutritionist Jerricha Belk. The welcome was a true reminder that wellness does extend beyond exercise. Sometimes, the smallest habits become part of the bigger commitment we make to ourselves.
More Than Movement
I’ve been incorporating Pilates into my life for the past year atleast but this time it wasn’t my average Pilates experience. I know representation matters. Inclusion matters too, but this experience reminded me why representation carries so much weight. It was the first time I looked around and saw me. A completely different vibe entered the chat this time and I loved every second of it. Scanning the room as I bit into my dirty granola bar I saw women who had a collective goal in mind: show up, be yourself, move your body, and enjoy yourself while doing it.
There were a few moments during the session I glanced over to the woman next to me and all it took was one look and we both understood without words. As we both laughed ourselves out of the squat position I knew without a shadow of a doubt I was in the right place. That is what I love about community, representation, and a culture I’m proud to be a part of.
A space where code switching doesn’t live.
Judgement is not automatically assumed.
A space that feels safe.
An instructor’s encouragement that sounds like family. The kind that makes you laugh and snap back into position for 10 more seconds.
Choosing Yourself
What I appreciated most about this experience wasn’t just the movement or the vibes. It was seeing wellness reflected in so many different women showing up for themselves in their own way.
Wellness doesn’t have to be extravagant. It can be as simple as a walk around the neighborhood, a 30 minute gym workout, or a Youtube 20 minute HIIT session in the comfort of your own home.
Other times, wellness looks like a Sunday morning Pilates class with Dru Hill playing in the background.
Whatever it looks like for you, it all starts with a choice.
Keep choosing you. Keep pouring into you. Intentionally.
