When I walked into my first barre class in 2015, I had a toxic relationship with exercise, I avoided mirrors like the plague and felt uncomfortable in my body. Walking into the class gave me such anxiety BUT I’d seen it on class pass and figured it was ‘basically ballet’ so it would be familiar to me as a dancer. I never pre-empted the epiphany that would come next... Despite finding it insanely challenging and despite swearing out loud a few times from the burn... For the first time, exercise didn’t feel like a chore, it felt joyful. POWERFUL even... Moving to the beat made it feel different. Meditative. Mindful. Transcendent at times. And so I went back that week. And I went back again the next week. And I continued to show up week on week and couldn’t believe how quickly I felt stronger. I even started to catch myself in the mirrors in the studio without feeling that familiar sense of shame or self-loathing. I was connected to my body in ways I’d never experienced. And the most amazing part? I’d realised that not once had I even thought about the fact I ‘should work out’, I didn’t think about ‘burning calories’ or ‘sculpting my body’. That was happening as a result of genuinely showing up for the love of it. Barre is part of my lifestyle now. I do it 4-5 times a week with love. It’s not a chore, it’s not an obligation, but instead it’s a highlight of my day. Time for me. Time to escape the physical world and to go inward, to remind myself of my capabilities and my strength, to celebrate my body, to boost my energy and shift what isn’t serving me. If you still see exercise as an obligation, I urge you to re-write that narrative now. We were MADE to move. So find a way of moving that you connect with and do it with love ❤️ #lifechanging #gratitude #movebecauseyoucan #barre #transformation #transformationtuesday