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on planning not to plan ...

12/1/2022

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I'm a "wing it" kind of gal. I could spend hours preparing for every class (and I've tried that), but you know what works best for me?

Showing up.

Feeling the feels.

And going with the flow.

I can't control who's going to be in one of my classes, or the energy that they bring.
Whenever I try to plan, things get sidetracked... so I've stopped.

We're going into one of the planniest times of the year. You've got obligations out the wazoo. And to some extent, you can pick & choose what works for you and fills your cup — but at the end of the day, there's no getting around the fact that you're going to spend SOME energy in situations or around people where you'd rather not be.

Here's what you need to do:

Before you leave, take ten minutes. Move your hips. Wiggle your ass. Shake out all the crap you need to shake out and THEN go see your family.

You don't need a pole to release this movement — and you'll feel much less like you're going to stab them with your fork over Christmas dinner.

And when you leave, let it go. What happens at the crazy relative's house stays at the crazy relative's house.

There are things that happen in your life that are beyond your control. Don't take them on as your own. Don't let them shake your precious energy. Don't own them or let them dictate how the rest of the season shakes out.

It's so important to spend time sitting with yourself and really thinking about what you want for you. What would bring you joy, just for you?

If that's a tough question to answer, that's totally okay. You know what we're going to do? We're going to try stuff and see what happens. We're going to chill the fuck out and stay expansive in our thinking. We're going to clear space for goodness that's going to find its way to us.

Oh, and we're going to try to stay out of jail. That feels like a pretty solid plan to me.

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Your energy is sacred, not an obligatory gift...

11/15/2022

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So many women struggle with developing healthy boundaries, whether it be in romantic relationships, family dynamics, and even friendships. We have been raised to be in service to others, to make others happy, to do our very best not to hurt anyone’s feelings. The depth of this mindset may vary based on your cultural and/or religious familial background, but it’s something we’ve all experienced. 

We are born to be good daughters, raised to be good partners, good mothers, good friends, etc: no matter the cost to our own well being. It is ingrained in us that being a “good_____”  means putting others' feelings and needs ahead of our own. 

Now, there is absolutely nothing inherently wrong with any of those things. Nurturing, giving, and being kind are beautiful things-when done on our own terms in a way that doesn’t leave us feeling depleted (caveat: if you’re a mom you’re absolutely going to feel depleted sometimes especially with a newborn, there’s no work around for that one-but you can still find ways to fill your cup). 

You do not owe anyone your energy. 

You do not owe anyone access to your energy.

Your energy is sacred. Be intentional with it. 

At a base level, boundaries give us permission to say no, something most of us have not been encouraged to do most of our lives.

Boundaries not only keep us more centered and at peace, they are an incredibly useful tool for self exploration and discovering what truly feels aligned (or not) for us. 

As a recovering people pleaser I know it can be really hard to start setting boundaries, but once you begin I promise it gets easier. It truly took years of work to get to the place where I truly felt my body is sacred, my energy is sacred, my home and the studio are sacred-these are all non-negotiable and I don’t feel obligated to give everyone access. Did this piss some people off? You bet it did, but that’s ok. Getting to a place where you’re ok with people not liking everything you do and not being for everyone is a whole parallel journey of its own-more on that another day.

It’s an interesting journey to dig deeper inside to develop tools to protect yourself from things outside of yourself, while staying connected to yourself. 

Instead of thinking of finding your boundaries like putting on a suit of armor, think of it as a way to discover and nourish our most authentic selves: emotionally, physically, and energetically. 

Being intentional with our energy and protecting our energetic space is an important practice in every aspect of your life. Your body not really feelin what’s going on in class? Ask for a modification. Friends want to hang out when you really need to rest? Reschedule. Scrolling pole videos on ig have you feeling less than about your own movement? Unfollow. Don’t like this newsletter? Unsubscribe. It’s ok! I promise.









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Less: It Really IS More...

10/21/2022

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A few months ago, after watching water damage continually wreak havoc, I had to make the decision to downsize the studio — and it's been a whirlwind. Physically, of course; but emotionally too. Downsizing is weird. Letting go is weird.
We are soooo programmed to think that more is more, and more means successful. The more stuff you have, the happier you'll be, right?
That was my initial mindset when I realized we had to consolidate the studio spaces — and it was terrifying. But once I decided to go ahead, some pretty cool things started to happen. I realized, even in one space we were able to create and offer more than ever before. Now, I am literally counting the minutes till the move out is done.
When you're making a big change, it's great to take a step back and re-evaluate your priorities. It's way (way) too easy to hold on to the things that we're familiar with... even when they're not good for us. Whether it's stuff, or relationships, or commitments, letting go can be scary AF.
I encourage you to stop & check in on what's on your plate right now. Are your goals actually for YOU? When you simplify, you'll be able to offer even more to your world, because you're setting boundaries and prioritizing the way you should.
You won't be distracted by the million plates you have in the air. You'll be able to breathe again.
And isn't the same true for moving and being in your body, too?
Every day, we see women experience the utter RELIEF and JOY that letting go can be. Honestly, it's what gets me up in the morning.
When new students join us, they spend a lot of those first few classes looking in the mirror, checking their technique and making sure they look good. And there are awkward moments, for sure. Some of the moves are going to feel weird at first (or, frankly, forever) - and that's a-okay!
Catalyst Movement Arts is a space for you to build physical trust in your body. When you build that trust, you'll start feeling safer in exploring more emotional connection for your movement.
Growth is messy - oh, is it ever fucking messy - but it's also where all the best stuff happens. And not just in the studio... it carries through to your entire life!
When you are secure in who you are and what feels good for you (just for you!), you CANNOT return to your day-to-day life and shake yourself back down. It's impossible. You can be wearing a tattered paint shirt and ancient slippers, and when you feel good? THERE IS NO STOPPING YOU.

(Seriously, come hang out with us. You're going to love it here.)

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When Red Flags are Actually Green

9/29/2022

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Making the choice to try something new and different is hard. You want to do it, something keeps pulling you to do it. Maybe it’s not something  that people expect from someone like you. You know that you're capable of great things, but sometimes... well, sometimes it's really fucking scary. When we feel that anxious feeling in our chest or pit of our stomach we quickly label it a red flag, so maybe we don’t do the thing or put off doing the thing we were just so excited to try.
You can hesitate to try something new and different because you know you're going to get pushback and judgement from others.

Sometimes (a lot of times), that's a sign that you're on the right track. You need to really need to fucking do it. When you're terrified because you know people are gonna talk, that's your GREEN FLAG.

On the other side of that fear, everything blossoms. Feeling anxious to start something new is normal — but you'll flourish from there. It's pulling on your heart for a reason.

This is why I love pole. Yes, I started out trying to learn some new skills. Yes, I wanted to be physically active. But the REALLY cool part of it? It's the mind-body-soul connection. It's the way that through the things you learn in your classes here, you can unfurl the best parts of yourself.

Being rigid — inside and out of the studio — can feel like putting on your armor. You want to look a certain way. You want to master a technique because it looks really fucking  cool. You want to be steady. Strong.

We all crave that, sometimes.

But life's not about checking off a list. When you pay attention to where the tension is, when you observe it and own it, and then intentionally  LET IT GO — that's where the magic REALLY starts to happen.

You can build and grow in a way that feels GOOD instead of being constantly frustrated. When you change your focus to observing the feelings within, rather than what your technique looks like in the mirror (or, y'know, to other people), it changes the whole game.

Open your heart & mind. You can be soft and strong. Release the notion of rigidity meaning strength. Bring softness into your life.

Slow down. Find your flow state. Commit to a daily practice of bravery. Give yourself time to feel what's actually aligned for you.
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This? This is the stuff that makes you UNSTOPPABLE.

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Abundance in Simplicity...

9/14/2022

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We live in a world that’s telling us to always look outside ourselves for more. More money, more things, more beauty products, more clothes, more of everything-pole tricks included. We are constantly bombarded with messages that whatever we are and whatever we have is not enough.But what if we stopped chasing after more and instead started appreciating what we have? Like REALLY appreciating what we have, not a half assed superficial assessment then go about our day. We might just find that we have so much more than we’ve been led to believe . 
One of the most powerful tools to appreciate ourselves as we are right now is by taking note when our bodies FEEL good—whether it's dancing in classes or taking a nice warm shower. When we live sensually, we're more in tune with our bodies and our surroundings—and that can lead to feeling more abundant with what we have. 
I know I shared this before, but one of my go to personal abundance practices is as follows: I think of one thing I’m grateful for and write that down. Next I think of as many things as possible that I appreciate about the thing I’m grateful for. What started as one simple statement has become a list of many things that already existed, but maybe haven’t gotten enough appreciation. It only takes a few minutes and you can do it anywhere. 
So right about now you might be wondering “wtf does this have to do with pole dancing and sensual movement”. 
In the pole realm, it’s hard not to fall into the trap of thinking more is more (esp with ig and tiktok). More tricks, more flexibility, more strength, more dance moves, more outfits-only when we have more will we be “good at pole”. Fuck, most of us thought we needed more of half of those things before we even took our first class. (If you haven’t taken a class yet, trust us-you don’t need any of those things to start)
That’s not what we’re about and that’s certainly not how we want you to feel in our space. This is a space for you to slow down and appreciate where you are and all you can do in that given moment of time. It’s a space to let go of the pressures of chasing after more and feeling abundant as you are right now.

If all you have in you is the energy for a pole walk or a simple spin, how can you make the most of that instead of trying to force anything more? Have you ever taken the time to explore your fullest expression of the things we cast aside as “simple”? There is so much beauty to be found in simplicity and if no one else has told you, your beauty is abundant af.

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gratitude and appreciation...

9/2/2022

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When it comes to being more mindful and connected to our movement, two of my favorite practices are gratitude and appreciation. No matter how shitty my day has been or how off my dance practice felt, I can always find things to be grateful for and appreciate.    When we think about being thankful, appreciation and gratitude are often used interchangeably.

However, there is a subtle  difference between the two concepts: 
Appreciation is about recognizing and finding pleasure in the finer details. Sensual movement is pleasure in action. When we dance, we can focus on appreciating all the details of our movement- how our muscles contract and release, how much space we can take up with nice full extensions, the way our skin feels as it slides against itself, that feeling when we have the perfect grip for our pole tricks, that awesome whoosh sound as your heels glide along the floor-and yes, the sound of a well placed heel clack too.   

All of these sensations help us to connect with our bodies and learn what truly feels amazing for us. No one else’s input or approval is needed. By focusing on connecting through our senses we can also see the beauty in the everyday details that we might otherwise overlook.  

Gratitude is a larger sense of thankfulness and another way to connect with the present moment.  Gratitude helps us from always chasing after the next shiny new pole move instead of slowing down to take note of where we are right now-and how far we’ve come already. By taking the time to be grateful for all the incredible things our bodies can do, we can create a more loving and compassionate relationship with ourselves. And that is cooler than nailing the newest tiktok/ig pole trick.  

Here’s one of my favorite Gratitude and Appreciation practices I want to share with you: I know one of the go-to tools for our gratitude practice is keeping a gratitude journal. Over the last month, I’ve tweaked that practice a bit to let appreciation have some attention too. I’ve been writing “What I’m grateful for” and “What I appreciate” side by side. “What I’m grateful for” gets one statement then I use the “What I appreciate” column to expand on my gratitude statement. Try it! You’ll be surprised at how many things you’ll come up with.  

This month we’ll be exploring both in classes and as always, I invite you to try these practices outside of the studio too. We have so many amazing events and workshops coming up as well as some surprises for members throughout September  to remind you all how much we appreciate you.   

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fear is natural, but so is pleasure...

8/18/2022

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When it comes to sensuality and sexual energy, we may have been taught to be fearful of exploring these parts of ourselves. We may have been told that it's not proper or that we'll get in trouble if we do. But what if we were brave enough to reconnect with ourselves in this way, this time on our own terms and a focus on feeling good just for us?
 If the idea of taking a deeper dive leaves you feeling a bit apprehensive, you are not alone. I know it doesn’t seem like it now, but the thought of exploring these things was terrifying to me! I had written myself off as someone who “that deep sexy stuff” wasn’t really for. That was easier for me than facing the fact I was scared of being judged, had lingering shame around even wanting to feel sexy, and didn’t have a clue how to even begin.  
 Self-love and self-nurturing are key when it comes to exploring our sensuality and sexual energy. By taking the time to nurture ourselves, we can begin to let go of the fears that have been holding us back. Take that a bit deeper even, we begin to observe how many of those fears may have come from something outside of ourselves. This can be a freeing experience, one that allows us to connect with our true desires. The feeling of embodied desire in our own skin is so delicious and powerful. It’s a journey to get there, but I promise you it’s worth it.
 When we allow ourselves the freedom to explore our sensuality and sexual energy, we can begin to feel more alive, like we’ve discovered a precious treasure that’s been hiding. We can connect with our bodies in a new and exciting way. We can discover what brings us authentic pleasure and joy. 
 So, take a deep breath, give yourself grace,  and allow yourself to explore. It may just be the most self-loving thing you do for yourself.

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the cost of comparison...

8/9/2022

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As humans we can’t help it, we’re going to catch ourselves comparing ourselves to others. We know this is not helpful to our own personal growth and few things can frustrate us or lead us to feeling “less than” faster than comparison. We may feel no matter how hard we try we will never be as (insert word of choice) as someone else.

Your personal journey, whether it be physical skills or sensual reconnection is your own. How could it possibly match anyone else’s. Could you imagine how boring classes (and life) would be if everyone did the exact thing at the exact time all the time?

So what does comparison take from us?

Appreciation:  When we get stuck in the comparison trap, the first thing we’re losing is the appreciation for our uniqueness. That energy you’re spending wondering why you can’t ____like someone else is costing you an opportunity to reflect on what makes you special. What is it you do that feels absolutely amazing in your body? You move in ways only you can move, and that is more precious than getting your full splits. 

The value in exploration: This may trigger some, but comparison can lead to jealousy which de-values not only your accomplishments, but that of the woman you’re comparing yourself to. Again, we’re human, it happens, but the more we can catch ourselves in these moments the more we can reframe and take back that energy for self exploration.  

Embodiment: Comparison will keep you in a performative state and away from embodiment. Read that again. And again. Save it somewhere while you’re at it. 

Presence and joy: It can also cost you all the joy of being fully present in your own movement and celebrating your own accomplishments. One more time for the people in the back: You don’t have to keep up with or move like anyone else in the room-as a matter of fact, it’s the opposite of what we try to achieve here. 

Authentic connection: Instead of spending time and energy getting deeply acquainted with yourself, comparison will have you trying to keep up with other people-taking you further and further from authentic connection. We spend so much of our lives trying to play the keep up and fit in game (especially when it comes to sexual energy, but more on that soon) -this is a space to leave that at the door. 
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So, the next time you catch yourself having a comparison moment, take a breath, remind yourself you’re a normal human having a normal human feeling, take a moment and reflect on a movement or trick that FEELS really good to you and carry on being your unique badass self. 







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Focusing on reconnection and reclaiming our sexual selves!

7/22/2022

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It’s time to focus on reconnection and reclaiming our sexual selves. 

On the surface, it sounds cutesy — but it’s not fuckin’ cutesy. It’s connecting to your most raw, authentic, erotic self. It’s NOT defining yourself based on the opinions of others.

Our whole lives we are judged based on who we are in relation to others. Are you a good daughter? Wife? Mother? We’ve been told our value lies in how valuable we are to someone else. But that’s a fucking lie.

Remember that very first feeling of being attractive, worthy or sexy?! Was that feeling based on someone else's words or actions?

When we start to modify how we act or look in order to become more desirable to other people, the further away we get from our authentic selves. When we present the TRUE version of ourselves and are met with rejection, we start to question it — we hear you, it’s scary.

I stand by these words spoken by Sahiba,

“An unexpected independence comes from rejection. When someone stops seeing your worth, you learn to see it from your eyes.” — 

When we’ve presented our most authentic selves and have been met with rejection, we may have tried to alter ourselves in some way to be perceived as more valuable or more palatable to others. Over time we come to realize that shit just isn’t working and maybe it’s time to turn all that energy inward and start the journey back to ourselves.
 
We’re constantly told to dim ourselves down — and I’m here to tell you to stop that shit. Sexual liberation for women has become something that is defined by society. The media dictates that in order to be sexually liberated, you need to be promiscuous — but that’s kinda bullshit.

When we reconnect with our bodies, just for us, we reclaim our sexual energy, just for us. It’s this beautiful form of rebellion. We may not be able to change society, mainstream media, or the world outside.

But no matter what’s going on outside of us, we still have the power to reclaim our sexual energy and reconnect to our bodies for ourselves. That’s something that CAN’T be taken away by anyone — no individual, no system, no media.

If you want to “rebel” against societal expectations and twirl your way into your best self, we’re the studio for you. Join us!

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For real-time updates on what’s happening in our West Town studio, follow us on Instagram and Facebook.

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3 LOVING REMINDERS...

7/12/2022

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3 Loving Reminders when you’re feeling frustrated:

You’re unique! This is a beautiful thing! It’s so easy to start comparing ourselves to others, which often leads to us feeling some kind of way about ourselves. There is not one other person with your exact life experience, personality, body proportions (and so on and so on). This is a space to flourish in your you-ness (yes, I know that’s not a real word). When we are giving attention to what others are doing instead of what feels right for us, we’re cheating ourselves out of all the yummy, juicy, embodied pleasure our bodies are screaming for. 

Don’t fixate on expectations and outcomes. Sometimes shit is just not going to work out on any given day. That is normal! What is not ever going to happen is feeling like a strong, confident, capable, sexy, goddess 24/7.  Didn’t nail that skill you wanted to? Your dance didn’t happen like you pictured in your head on the way to class?  Put it away on a shelf and stay open to what your body wants to do that day instead. Devoting time to yourself is always the biggest win. 

Above all other things, give yourself grace! Just as it’s not practical to feel strong, sexy, etc. 24/7. It’s not sustainable or attainable to feel puppies and kittens and rainbows self-lovey 24/7. We show up and do the best we can with where we’re at on any given day and that is more than enough. Days where we feel off are going to happen. Talk to yourself the way you would the woman in class next to you when you see her struggling. 






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