Pilates & Lobsters
A gifted storyteller, Pastor Diane Baldwin, reminded me of the amazing transformations of lobsters.
In order for lobsters to grow, they must shed their exoskeletons - however it’s a very vulnerable time in their life. I feel the same way about Pilates.
The lobster swallows an incredible amount of water to make their body swell and press upon the outer shell until it cracks. Then, they push their eyes out of their sockets (eek!). Blind and exposed, the crustaceans endure a hostile environment until their pink exposed body forms a new shell.
Transformation of any kind is a traumatic process. As humans, we swell to a point that a new direction must be reached and we grapple with the darkness. Where will we end up on the other side? What will the other side look like?
When I started Pilates, it was to find solutions to eliminate pain in my body. Those first few months, I drank in every ounce of instruction I could. I assumed I knew enough to embark into Teacher Training.
As I began my first nine months in Pilates teacher training, I shed my first layer of protection to realize I knew nothing. In May 2023, that shell was crushed. Hadn’t I stretched and grown enough?
I floundered in the water, thrashing and fighting. Anxiety wrapped around my Pilates practice and teacher progress. I thought I knew where I belonged in this world, how I could relate to my body, and in turn, compassionately to my students.
In complete defeat, I confessed to my teacher, Hilary Opheim, that I knew nothing. Little did I know, I was declaring my lobsterhood.
Hilary, her students, and her studio brought me into their fold. They taught me a new way of thinking and seeing Pilates. Pearl Lim, one of her student graduates, is now my personal teacher. We meet via video conference, she directs the exercise and I ‘molt’
I started again. Practice, observation, rereading, re-learning. It was my emerging shell in my new world.
I love this lobster analogy. Each day, we are shedding the exoskeleton of yesterday. We’re moving in a different way. We might be tired, hurting or immobilized and have tried everything. This applies whether you are a Pilates teacher or student.
It also applies if you are human.
I love this natural picture of Pearl. Her confidence inspires me with our weekly Pilates private lessons.
A thousand failed diets. Expired gym memberships. Well-meaning family members commenting on our body appearance, or even bullying remarks from childhood echoing in our subconscious.
There are thousands of reasons to be afraid that this won’t work either. I encourage you to try again at whatever it is that you think you want or need. Fail your way to success. Fail forward.
It might be Pilates; a cross country move or ——— (insert idea here). Shed your protective layer and try. At worst, it fails and prepares you to try again.
◦ You might improve the muscles that make your arthritis quieter.
◦ Perhaps, your back will not groanas much
◦ Maybe, you will discover your body is just fine, exactly as it is.
◦ You might gain flexibility to squat to the floor to play with your kids.
◦ You could gain some confidence or reduce your stress
◦ You might even succeed!
Or, like me, you’ll learn that you can keep growing a new shell for each opportunity life gives you.
In Pilates and in life.
Go lobster go!
Hugs, Love and Health,
Bett
