Heroines and Heroes

Who is your hero? Can you think of someone who has inspired you today, or in your life in general?

Every day I get to work with amazing women and men who inspire me: my clients. I consider myself fortunate to be able to draw upon their life experiences, to enrich and inform my own and pass on inspiration to others. They are my heroes.

The work that I do requires that I come from a place of empathy. As a Pilates teacher with a focus on post-rehabilitation exercise, I find that many people come to me after having an injury that has stopped them in their tracks, or has altered their ability to function on a daily basis for years. I've striven to understand what it might be like all of a sudden to be unable to do the things you love to do, to live with constant pain or to face life-threatening, chronic, or terminal illness, as many of my clients have.  

It takes courage to heal--it is much easier to let an injury or illness take over and control one's life than it is to resist and put more energy into healing.  I admire their strength to forge ahead despite the obstacles that lie in their path to wellness.  

Having a reputation as "the patient one," I've had clients who were in need of careful instruction, sometimes spending half a session or more on just breathing and teaching very simple movements for weeks, months, or years. But this is the work I love and feel passionate about. I have a fresh start, an opportunity to reshape a person's experience of her or his body. People who have been in pain sometimes develop a fear of movement, and I have to help them trust their bodies again. This means moving slowly, and the very act of conscious breathing can be the catalyst to reconnecting with and trusting their bodies.

Rebuilding trust in their bodies not only requires empathy and patience, but also creating a safe place to share stories. When a new client comes to me, I take time to listen to her or his story. What brought them to me? How can I help them? This is particularly true for those with chronic pain: they need to share their journey. They've often been passed from one health care provider to the next, been diagnosed and labeled, and may feel as if no one understands them. If they have been referred to me from one of the talented physical therapists with whom I work, they have received good care and treatment, and are on the path to healing. What I provide at this point is a bridge from their experience as a "Patient" to one of a "Pilates student." This change in designation alone can help shift their perception of their bodies and themselves.  

Sharing stories also means that a client may need just to talk some times. I am not a psychologist and I refer my clients elsewhere when I feel they need help beyond my scope, but I can listen as a fellow human being, a friend, and someone who can try to understand. We feel better when we talk to someone who actively listens.  If a catharsis is what a client needs that day, I am happy to facilitate it.

To the clients who have shared with me their stories, allowed me to help them along in their process of healing, taught me patience and empathy, I thank you. You are my heroines and heroes.