How I share movement
Accessible, inclusive, joyful movement experiences
When you come to my classes, you'll experience accessible, size/age & ability inclusive and gender affirming fitness experiences that celebrate body diversity! I honour, respect and welcome people of all races, body sizes/shapes, ages, dis/abilities, gender identities, sexual orientations, religions, cultures, castes, tribes, socio-economic statuses, physical and cognitive abilities and other human attributes. I want to make you feel welcomed, safe and valued in your movement experiences and am continuously educating myself to make that possible.
I intimately understand the physical, mental and emotional obstacles and challenges larger-bodied individuals (like myself) face both in everyday life and in fitness scenarios. I'd love to help you claim your right to joyful movement experiences where you can celebrate your body, and move away from punishing it. I put JOY at the forefront of every movement experience and know that my bigger body deserves to experience that joy just as much as every other body does. My classes are free of judgement so you'll never hear me talking about weight, diets, food or equating any behaviour with moral value. I've been to the dark side of body modification and now I choose to accept my body as it was intended to be.
I am proud to be a graduate of the Size Inclusive Training Academy and a member of the following organizations:
I am also a founding member of Nia International's former Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council as well as Reimagining Dementia: A Creative Coalition for Justice and am committed to creating classes that are size-inclusive, diet-free, trauma-informed, anti-racist, anti-ableist, anti-ageist and anti-oppressive. I'm actively exploring where healthism shows up in fitness to ensure I can be as inclusive as possible.
As a Health At Every Size (HAES) informed instructor I take an anti-diet, weight neutral approach to my life and to my teaching. I'm excited to be part of the HAES paradigm which is committed to advancing social justice and respecting the diversity of human bodies (including, explicitly, larger bodies). The HAES philosophy aligns with my own and with Nia in that we believe that, at a fundamental level, people can trust themselves and their bodies and that society should encourage such self-reliance. In this viewpoint, pleasure is prioritized over denial and you are encouraged to exercise agency and autonomy over your body and your experience. I intimately understand how people's lived experiences can create complicated relationships with movement and I strongly believe that our individual innate body knowledge can guide us to more rewarding exercise (and life) experiences.
Many people have complicated relationships with fitness.
Maybe you have experienced one or more of the following:
- An unhealthy or traumatic relationship with movement or exercise.
- An all or nothing relationship with fitness.
- Fitness Trauma (such as being fat shamed at a gym or being a target of racism, ableism, ageism, homophobia etc.)
- Trying to "fit in" and not belonging in fitness spaces.
- Family, internal or societal messages of body shame, hate, rejection or modification.
- Weight Stigma.
- Fear of failure, judgement, or injury.
- Social anxiety or inability to move like others which makes you feel nervous, intimidated or ashamed.
My own complicated relationship with exercise brought me to this place. So I get it. Your experience has also brought you here. And now you've found a place that welcomes you unconditionally - classes where you will be encouraged to come as you are and be exactly who you are. I want to share a welcoming, safe, affirming and joyful space with you to celebrate our bodies and our lives!
