When I met Michelle in 2018, 6 months after her back surgery, I was touched by her story. Being told by her Dr. that she might look into fusing her discs in the future was not an option at all for Michelle, which is why she looked into Pilates. I remember how tough it was for her to come out of a roll down, but with persistence and courage, she kept going. Week after week, as she continued to practice 3 times a week, she began to feel more dynamic in her spine. Six months into her practice, Michelle embarked on a 12-month Advanced Teacher Training program. By the end, Michelle was doing a backbend and high bridge – all big extension exercises that are challenging on the spine.
During the program, Michelle had various meltdowns. It wasn’t because of how tough it was; Michelle knows all about pushing boundaries; she has been a dancer since she was three years old. Going through auditions and rejections builds a dancer’s character and resilience muscle. Michelle performed as a professional dancer on a cruise ship for ten years and managed her own dance studio, Prima, performing art for ten years in Dubai. So yes, she knows what being challenged means. But when movement is everything you’ve known all your life, and suddenly you’re incapable of moving the way you remembered, it turns your world upside down. Diving into the classical Pilates teacher training program meant opening up to her vulnerable self to face what happened to her. This also meant that she had to let go of the emotional trauma that lived in her body.
The journey of letting go!
From the moment you’re born, your body carries everything within itself. And for you to heal from trauma, every muscle, joint, organ, and emotional centre need to shed tension. When you’re ready and willing to do the work, it’s not only a fun journey, but you can get back to the body that you remember, if not better than before. But first, you need to let go of “what you think you know “and trust the journey. And when you do, Pilates will do what it does best – break you down before it rebuilds you back up, which is one of the hardest things to do because human beings resist change. Yet, when you give the body the right tools, anything is possible.
Michelle came into my life at a time when I needed companionship, and it was a pleasure to witness her transformation during the 12 months of intense training as her mentor. Having her be a part of my studio was an honour and a privilege. Michelle is a great teacher, mover, and entrepreneur with a kind heart. She’s now using Pilates to make a difference in other people’s lives. This is her story.
In November 2017, I had back surgery 😱😱😱. I had a microdiscectomy of L4-5. Being a dancer, I hurt my back when I was 15 years old in a dance competition. I had no idea how to hold my core when I was young!!! As I continued to dance in college, I always had pain. Until my amazing teachers at “The Centre of Performing Arts” taught me how to hold my centre and my core while I continued to dance. But being young and not taking care of my body, I continued my career as a professional dancer, and the pain in my back came back now and then !!
I have always been a mover and then to not be able to move was very hard !!! I could not cope with the pain and not much movement.
After my son’s birth, my back is now in so much pain, and like so many of us, we ignore and carry on with life until it takes me down. The herniated disc L5-4 was protruding so much that I only had 5m left for my nerves to travel down my legs. After my surgery, it sent me in a spiral downhill 😢😢😢 I have always been a mover, and then not being able to move was very hard !!! I could not cope with the pain and not much movement. It was like a light 💡 bulb that went off in my head, and I went searching for something and someone to help me! I tried a few different Pilates venues, and then I was advised to try Classical Pilates, which I had never heard of before.
I was still searching, then I found Jeanique Classical Pilates, and she truly changed my life! I believe in it so much that I am now a qualified Classical Pilates teacher. I never felt in a million years that my spine would be back to doing the things I am doing now! It wasn’t easy, though; I’ve had emotional meltdowns and had to go through pain for them to release…. but I got there, and still, my journey will continue. I truly believe “you can heal your body through movement,” but you need to believe in yourself along the way.
