Change. The one thing in life we can guarantee is change. Change can be good but change can also be extremely scary.
If you’d have told me in 2019 that by now I’d have a baby and I would be embarking on a very slow physical fitness journey, I wouldn’t have believed you.
For so many years fitness has been my main focus, not just to teach but for me to feel physically and mentally strong.
During my pregnancy I took a break from fitness for the most part. Honoring what my body needed, to be able to step back and shift my headspace was the most empowering thing I’ve ever done! I didn’t feel I needed to exercise everyday as my body simply didn’t want to. I was tired, big and taking a break from activity.
For so many years throughout my dancing career I’ve pushed my body to the limits and continuously been injured. Now was the time to sit back and let my body and mind be more in tune than ever.
Throughout my pregnancy everyone said to me “oh you’ll bounce back, you’ll be one of those”. What does that even mean?
Being in the fitness industry puts pressure on to “bounce back”. As women our bodies are criticised and judged, especially postpartum.
I was feeling the best I’d ever felt in my life but now I was worrying if I’d "bounce back"?
I continued to let my body grow a human (which still baffles me!) and tried not worry about my body’s appearance as I’d done my entire life.
The day Amélie was born is a day I will never forget. My mind changed, my perspective changed and my life changed forever.
“I’ll bounce back” wasn’t something that even crossed my mind - because I didn’t let it. There was no way I was about to let everything my body had done be thrown in the trash because I didn’t look the same as I once did. I grew a human for goodness sake. Eyeballs, toes, fingernails and a beating heart!!
Having a new perspective is when everything changed for me. My body needs to be strong to pick Amélie up and to play with her for hours on the floor. I don’t pick holes in my body now, my body created life.
Does it look different? Hell yeah it does, and I wouldn’t change it.
I await the day when Amélie says “mum your belly button looks funny” to which I’ll respond, “once upon a time, that connected me to my mum so that she could grow me in her tummy. You see your belly button, that was connected to me so that I could grow you. How cool is that!”
Jan Stancliffe thank you for that beautiful belly button story, I can’t wait to tell it!
Women, I ask you to feel empowered by your bodies, praise it for all that it does. It carries you throughout this life and the next. Be kind to yourself and celebrate all your wins!
Big love, Katie ❤️