December… the month of extra obligations. Christmas parties, dinners out, gifts, spending... all for other people.

REMINDER:
Take some time for yourself over the holidays. Allow yourself to connect with YOU and what’s going on in your body. Are you feeling frazzled? Excited? Sad? Pause and sit with it before getting busy with that to-do list that’s not going anywhere.

Whatever you’re feeling, FEEL IT.

It’s the busiest time of year, sure. But that doesn’t mean that taking a moment for yourself is out of the question. In fact, it’s one of the most important things you can do for yourself right now!

The act of slowing down is self-nurturing. It allows you to really connect with how you’re feeling and what’s going on in your body. We’re so used to just going through the motions.

Pause.
Breathe.
Check in with yourself.
Observe with kindness.

Do a mental body scan from head to toe! Set a timer for one-minute, then sit with yourself. What are you feeling? Where are you feeling it in your body? Do you feel stiff? Do you feel loosey-goosey? OBSERVE. Give yourself the space and freedom to feel whatever it is that you’re feeling.

When you really focus on how things feel in your body without trying to fix it or change it, you’re giving yourself the space to connect with yourself and who you innately are.

Connection with yourself — mind, body, spirit — will translate in how you move. Those movements are a physical representation of who you are inside and what you want to express. Dancing gives form to all of those feelings and desires that have been locked away.

Once again, this is your reminder to focus on YOU. Quiet the noise and those other voices and tune into yourself.

As the new year approaches, I invite you to adopt a beginner’s mindset once again. Approach every class and every pole trick as if you’re doing it for the first time. Take the pressure off. Savor the moment and reflect back on your journey before setting another big goal for yourself.

I can’t wait to see all of you in the studio! Let’s slow the fuck down together, shall we?! 💜

You know what’s pretty cool? Learning new pole tricks.

And it’s something we’re here to help you do… but that’s literally the bare minimum of what happens in the studio.

You might walk through our doors with the expectation that pole is a fun, new way to exercise or get out with the girls. But when you’re in our space, it won’t take long before you realize there is SO much more to it than that.

There’s a progression that happens over time.

The initial thoughts you had around pole dancing— “It’ll be fun! I want to feel sexy.” — will shift. The superficial reasons that likely brought you to our studio in the first place, will change.

“I feel connected to my body for the first time in years!”
“I AM really strong. I’m so much stronger than I thought I was!”
“Wow, I’m capable of so much! What else can I do?”

This isn’t an immediate gratification kind of space. The progression you see and feel happens over time. You’ll develop such a strong relationship with yourself, in mind, body, and spirit. And THAT is a strength that can never be taken from you. It’s something that’s with you constantly.

You’ll start to make healthier choices; from what you eat, to the boundaries you set in relationships. You’ll start to discover and rediscover the things that give you joy and pleasure — in yourself, FOR yourself. YOU are the most precious gift that you can give yourself!

We spend our entire lives trying to adapt, modify, and hide parts of ourselves in hopes that we’ll be loved and accepted by other people. And then one day you wake up as an adult with little pieces of who you once were buried deep inside. All of those things that brought you so much joy when you were young, before the world said, “Oh, that’s so stupid. How annoying!” — those things are still inside of you! And they need to come out.

When you start to move your body in a way that feels good and natural to you, you’ll start to soften. The protective barrier you’ve built around yourself will start breaking down. The parts of you that have been tucked away for so long will start to emerge.

Our studio is a safe place for you to reconnect and rediscover yourself.

What do you truly want to express? Who are you? No, really — who are you?! What do you feel? What do you think?

The most important thing we can do for you in the studio is to meet you where you’re at. We give you the space and the tools you need for rediscovery, but YOU are the one who does the work. So, join us! Come as you are.

We want you to fall in love with yourself, again and again!

You’ve lived a life of prioritizing everyone else’s needs over your own. You’ve wasted years trying to find acceptance outside of yourself — from friends, family, relationships… but what we want you to realize is the love you have for yourself is stronger than anything you’ll find from someone else.

When you tune into yourself, you’ll get what you’ve been seeking from others. Acceptance and nurturing are things that you can develop and give to yourself.

With the holidays right around the corner, make sure you’re still making the time to show up for yourself. While it’s a jolly time of year (for most people), it can also be depleting. Carve (pun intended — Happy Thanksgiving!) out the time to nourish yourself BEFORE nourishing others. When the weather shifts and it’s dark and grey outside, it's harder to find the motivation to leave the house. It’s easier to sit on the couch and get lost in your thoughts… It's such a good time to turn inwards. Give yourself time to observe what’s going on inside of your body. So many emotions come up at this time of year. How can you nurture yourself during this time?

If you can, get to the studio. Pole has a wonderful way of making you feel very grateful for what your body can do for YOU. Shift negative focus to all the wonderful things your body does for you every single day! Give energy and attention to what you and your body are capable of, instead of obsessing about how you look.

Sway your hips from side to side.
Close your eyes, savor the moment. Think about how it feels!
Put your hands over your heart and thank your body for carrying you through another day.

See you soon!

(Oh, and if you enjoy reading our blog, you’ll LOVE our Instagram. Check it out!)​

One of the most beautiful things about our studio is the shared experiences we are a part of. I’ve shared so much of my story, I wanted to take this opportunity to shift to some of the beautiful stories I’ve had the honor of seeing over the years. 
 
To the students who…

-Came to classes feeling awkward and light up when you find yourself flowing from one trick to another.

-Started out so quiet and shy, but now use your voice to encourage those around you.

-Said you’d never feel sexy, but get lost in your sensuality when you dance.

-Were in awe of advanced students and proclaimed “I’ll never be able to do that!” and have since nailed every one of those moves and more.

-Are so busy in your career/homelife but stay dedicated to your practice and find moments of joy just for you

-Would tell yourself things like “I suck, I’m not good” who have since stopped and now remind your classmates it’s ok to feel frustrated and to talk about themselves with kindness when you see them struggle.

-Walked into  the studio for your very first intro class, unsure you’ll be able to do anything and walk out realizing you’re capable of so much more than you thought. 

-Are so beautiful and full of love, but not appreciated in your relationship. You chose yourself first, hard as it was, and you blossomed.

-Could barely hold on to the pole when you started and are now swinging around and spinning over and over again with ease.

-Used to be distracted by your insecurities in the mirror, but now admire the beauty you found in yourself.


You are seen. More than that, you are witnessed and you inspire those around you more than you realize-just by being you!

You see, gaining physical strength is only part of what happens in this space. Trust me when I say you don’t even need it to start. Pole moves are just the beginning. Where you go from there is up to you. Your pole journey grows and changes with you, that’s the beauty of it. Just be you and trust where your journey takes you.

​

During yoga teacher training I happened to fall in love with the word santosha (sanskrit for contentment). Even pronouncing the word itself brought me a sense of content calmness. Go ahead, try it out for yourself. It feels good right? 

That time in my life was anything but calm and content, but amidst everything life was throwing at me I had my little word that magically made me feel grounded and secure. No matter what was going on around me I now had the ability to create a state of peace inside myself. 

For me, contentment meant being accepting of life’s ups and downs knowing I was capable of being ok. It was letting go of things out of my control and staying grateful for every little pleasant moment. 

I meditated santosha. I journaled santosha. I mantraed (yeah I know that’s not a real word) santosha. I was one with santosha. 

So what did I do after teacher training? Teach yoga? Nope! I took my ass back to pole classes with a dedication I never had before, because you see, as content as I was there was something missing. I missed undulating my hips and flipping my hair and wearing the tiny shorts. I missed feeling more than just contentment. I was missing pleasure.

I, a previous “I just do tricks, I’m not really into that sexy stuff” poler found myself craving all the sexy stuff. I had come to the part of my (very long and ongoing) journey where I discovered my body was all for me and I couldn’t stop exploring. 

I felt pleasure as I watched myself learn to do leg waves and wiggle my ass and run my hands and fingers wherever they were drawn to. I felt pleasure as my hands explored and explored without shame. As I started teaching I felt tremendous emotional pleasure watching others discover all of these things for themselves on their own journeys.

Contentment is a beautiful way to move through your day, but pleasure is what gets me out of bed in the morning. Pleasure keeps me present in my body. Pleasure is what drives me to keep exploring and keep diving deeper. Pleasure brought me back to me. And it’s my wish for you all to find pleasure just for you. 

Want to explore pleasure a little deeper? Join me in our After Dark Workshops

​

When you first came to pole, it could have been for a bunch of reasons… a fun new way to exercise, a bachelorette party, to try something new — the list goes on. (In case you missed it, read this post to find out how and why I got into pole!)

No matter what brought you here, what likely keeps you coming back for more is the joy and playfulness that came along with the experience. You found yourself becoming more self-aware and started going through a true-to-you transformation.

Sounds pretty familiar, doesn’t it?

I want to remind you to keep that playfulness and sense of joy in your practice. As you progress, it’s easy to lose sight of what’s really important. We all start to focus on the next trick or big accomplishment that we gotta reach. 

“I’m not gonna be good until I learn ____ / accomplish ____ / etc..”

STOP.

What are you doing with all that time in between now and reaching that goal?! We all tend to stop appreciating the tiny wins along the road to those bigger goals.

This is gonna sound cliché as fuck, but remember your why.

Why did you start pole dancing? What has evolved for you since then? What is true to who you are when you strip away the bullshit; when you strip away the weight of everyone else’s opinions and expectations?

We spend SO MUCH TIME trying to be something for someone else… even on superficial things, like being attractive to someone else. In every aspect of our lives, we’re being something for someone else.

And in the studio, you get to set that aside. You get to turn that attention inward and really savor the opportunity to be who you truly are. You get to take the time to nurture your true self and really step into that! And there’s so much power in knowing who you really are.

If you’re in a room alone — with nobody there to validate you, to judge you, to have an opinion of you — what do you feel? What do you want to express? What do you want to say?

Use your studio time to nurture that, not all of the other bullshit.

This is a space that is safe and non-judgmental. And when we feel safe and seen, that’s when we can start exploring and nurturing who we are. That’s when we go inwards and get deep… that’s when we become who we were meant to be!

There are days that I need a reminder of the joy and playfulness that pole brings, which is why I’m sharing this reminder!

Over the weekend, I attended a summit where I was witnessed and got to watch others be witnessed too. It’s extremely powerful to be witnessed — and it’s much deeper than being seen.

It’s being seen and being honored for who you are at that moment, without expectations. And it’s not about being seen for accomplishments or what you’re doing… it’s who you are, right now, in that moment.
When you experience that, you can really grow and transform.

At the summit, not only was I witnessed, but I got to see others be witnessed too. There's such beauty in that! You get to see how BEAUTIFUL everyone is. Our ideals of beauty and strength are fed by mainstream media (and it’s fuckin’ bullshit — it’s all a fuckin’ lie!); watching everyone over the weekend cut through all of that shit again for me. It was incredible!

When you witness all these beautiful humans doing things that they never thought they’d be able to do, it changes how you see yourself and how you view the world.

So, let me remind you again:
Strip away the bullshit, the expectations. It’s not going to happen overnight — it’s an ongoing process that you take with you. But it’s safe to be yourself and express yourself.

Take the time to learn who you truly are. Honor it! It’s the most precious gift you can give yourself.

We spend so much time trying to give to others and to BE for others… and when that’s turned back inwards and we give it to ourselves — it’s the most precious and important thing you can do.

When’s the last time you checked in with yourself? Like really checked in? Not for skills — a spiritual and emotional check in.

Who gives a shit how many pole tricks you can do if you’re still disconnected?

And I know looking inside is HARD. But I encourage you not to lose sight of the joy and playfulness that drew you to pole. Tap into it — it’s the most important part!

Do a silly dance.

Forget about what you look like — move your body!
… while you’re washing dishes, cooking dinner, or whatever else is included in your daily routine.

Incorporate movement!

And for crying out loud, don’t take yourself so fucking seriously. Have FUN.

Drop what you’re doing and move your body. Notice how good it feels. Observe with kindness. It’s safe. It’s healthy!

Get back to the path of being you. 

You’re SO much more than a trick or a big, audacious goal. You’re YOU! And that’s a pretty incredible and beautiful thing, don’t you think?!

If you're new around here and would like to learn a little more what we're about or if you have any questions, we're always hanging out on Instagram! Head on over.

If you're ready to get back in class (or join us for the first time!) click the button below for our class schedule. We're excited to see you in the studio SO SOON!

Ever notice how we tend to dim our sexuality and feminine energy?
 
We grow up thinking that those are the things that will get us in trouble, that those are the things that will put us in danger.
 
And so, we put this wall up. Self-exploration is taboo.
 
That was me, for YEARS. My wall, my barrier, was this super masculine energy. I was a Muay Thai fighter. And in that space, I felt safe. I felt strong.
 
But there was something missing — a disconnect inside of me that kept growing and growing. And I kept putting out that masculine energy, not realizing that was the disconnect.
 
And then I tried pole.
 
Not because I sought it out. Of course not! It wasn’t even on my radar. The only reason I tried pole in the first place was because a receptionist at a beauty salon told me how fun and hard it was. So, naturally, I thought, “Well, I can do that! How hard can it really be?!”
 
The LAST thing that I expected was how much it would change me, for the better. It had been so long since I got to move my hips; it had been so long since I got to stand with that little arch in my back — you know, the posture that exudes feminine energy! I didn’t know what the fuck was going on, but it felt like I finally found that thing that I’d been missing.
 
These classes were incredibly eye-opening to me. I realized that I could be sexy and feminine and STILL be super strong. It didn’t have to be one or the other!

But let me be clear:
Transformation takes time and a real devotion to yourself. A devotion to dig deep. Maybe it's relearning who your true self really is when you take away all the influences and bullshit in your life. It's finding what speaks to you, inside. It's a devotion to uncover what you see for yourself in life.
 
It’s not scary to be sexy! We are beautiful, sexual beings. We spend so much time trying to hide that from the world because the only message we ever get is that it’s bad, it’s wrong, it’s our fault. So, we dim it down.
 
But for me (and for so many others!) when I turned that switch back on, I had a new confidence about me… a bigger, better confidence! I felt like myself again. Well, a better version of myself, that I had never been before. And it’s because I was embracing the amazing, natural energy inside of myself.
 
Your sensuality and the way you want to feel and explore belongs to YOU. It’s not up to anyone else to dictate what those things mean to you. And it’s different for everyone!
 
For me, it’s movement. But I want YOU to find out what it means for yourself. As hard as it can be, try to un-program your brain from the message to “dim it down”. Give yourself some freedom to explore yourself as a beautiful, wonderful, sensual being. Fall back in love with yourself. Play! Have fun. Let the walls fall down and become who you’re innately meant to be.
 
I’d love to see you in one of my classes. And once you realize just how badass this is, well, there’s no fuckin’ going back!
 
Sign up here. I can't wait to dance with you soon!! 💃