Will I Be The Only Fat Queer At Pilates?
Welcome to the Yes Yes Advice Column for paid subscribers of the Monday Monday newsletter. I write to you from the darkness of the early morning hours where I am my brightest most quick witted self, sifting through my spreadsheet of questions. Today’s is very tender and about Pilates, my current favorite thing to talk about. Before we jump in I have a few things to share.
Announcements :🪞 Registration is open and flowing for Mapping Your Creative Business this weekend August 9+10 RECORDED! LIFETIME ACCESS! This class is limited to 50 participants and there are 14 spots left.
We’re going to have a lot of fun playing with index cards and markers and a very cool google sheet template I created to vision the last few months of the year and manage your projects and timelines. It also includes bonus office hours Tuesday August 12.
🪞 I am hosting open gallery hours at Cedar North this Friday 10-2 and quilts are still for sale!
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If you have a question for the next Yes Yes Advice Column you can ask it here.
I am not a therapist and I have no training in advice giving. I am an artist, a writer, and a teacher of creative practice with a devotion to how we live. These are my opinions, my best shot at hope, and what I know from 37 years on the planet. As always, may you hold a gentle spirit while reading, take what you like, and leave the rest. Let’s dive in!
Hi Cody, I've been wanting to try out Pilates for a long time, and have taken lots of Pilates-adjacent classes in the past, but I'm nervous about going into a space that has traditionally centered thinness and straightness. Do you have any advice, tips, or resources on how to find a queer and fat-friendly Pilates studio or class near me? Thank you!
Dear reader,
Before I share more, I want to offer you a free gift: a guided Pilates warm-up I created for anyone who’s curious about Pilates but unsure where to begin. It’s gentle, simple, and designed with queer, trans, and fat folks in mind. You can get it [here]—it’s my way of saying welcome. You are not the first person to ask me - Will I be the only fat queer at Pilates? This rings true in our hearts, and we must address it!
I will do my best to talk through my own experience of Pilates and where it all began, what I have noticed, who I have found to be profundly helpful teachers in the lineage and in the current field, and how I cultivate a solo practice.
Solo PracticeI’ll start by saying what I believe Pilates to be, which is not a get skinny and get fit quick trick. It is a system of movement that emphasizes breath, core strength, posture, and mobility—especially of the spine. It was originally developed as a rehabilitative practice, and at its best, it offers a supportive way to move with more awareness and less pain, regardless of body type, age, or experience level. For me, it has been a doorway to less inflamation and daily discomfort, a pathway to more freedom.
