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Celebrations & Challenges I
Elizabeth Hoesley • July 11, 2024
What a wild ride!
Celebrations
My little studio opened in 2019, not long before Covid took us all in unexpected directions. I taught Pilates maybe three hours a week, and at first, only had a mat, a spine corrector and a few small props. I picked a studio name, formed an LLC and opened a bank account. I snagged my domain name, but didn't attempt a web site for literally four more years.
Today, I'm definitely still in growth mode (yes, I'm taking new clients - pass it on!), but in my wildest dreams, I never thought I'd develop my own BRAND, using a branding identity maven, and a business coach, with short-, mid- and long-term ideas and plans for growing my business. What a proper business owner I'm becoming!
I just want to take a moment to celebrate the hard work and support of so many people who have helped me get this far.
ADH, AMH, BB, AV, AC, SWB, KD, LN, JR, SW, NC, KK, DR, CPR, JH and so so so many others. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.
Challenges
This balancing act is no joke. I never realized how much behind the scenes work goes into actual business growth, and indeed, how much of it goes unrecognized and unpaid! I'm not sure why I chose summer time, when school is out, to take on this huge project, but I guess that's how it goes. Trying always to be the perfect mama (I know, I know), train a puppy, stay connected to friends and family, make time for self-practice, make time to ride horses, make time to travel, make time to rest. And always with the laundry! Full transparency, some days I feel like I can't see straight.
Y'all. The holidays send me into a tailspin. Beginning with my birthday in mid-November (yes, I include that in the holidays ;), I am a nonstop bundle of nervous energy. Hosting Thanksgiving, sending out holiday cards, putting up Christmas decorations, planning for travel, buying and wrapping gifts for my daughter, my husband, my dog, my parents, friends, clients, self-care providers, school teachers, babysitter, neighbors, the mailman, sheesh. By the time Christmas arrives I'm seeing stars and feeling broke. To make space and energy for all of this I let go of my exercise routines and healthy habits that keep me balanced throughout the year. True to form, I jettison my needs first in order to get the work done. Without realizing it I haven't done Pilates or ridden a horse in weeks, I've forgotten to drink water, and instead of good nourishing food, I'm eating Rice Krispies for dinner. My goal for 2025 is to pare all of the above back to a more sustainable amount, but we'll save that for another post. So now it's January and I'm eager for the new year, bubbling with excitement at the possibilities that lie ahead. How do I get back to taking care of myself? How do I say no thank you to that craziness, and yes to meeting myself with more care in the new year? For me it's very specific: I must make concrete plans for fitness that require commitments to other people. Today, I had a Pilates session with my teacher. Tomorrow I have a riding lesson, Thursday a walk with a friend. I'm signed up for things that will either force me to pay a fee or cancel on a friend if I bail. The mere thought of canceling on someone gives me heart palpitations, and so making a plan with someone to hold me accountable is the very thing I must do to get back on track. Still working on a way to commit to meal planning though. Open to suggestions :) I hope this helps you find balance in the new year. xoxo Elizabeth
I am loving the book Modern Friendship by Anna Goldfarb . She dissects the challenges of maintaining friendships in our culture of social media, lightning speed technology, and breakneck pace of life. But she also digs into the changing nature of friendships as we age, and our life situations and experiences inherently affect who we are and what we look for in friendships. The thing I really loved about this book though is the focus Ms Goldfarb puts on creating "wholehearted friendships," ones that are meaningful, honest and create a genuine connection. Social media makes it so easy to feel like we're connected to people, but we all know the studies talking about how curated instagram feeds are, and the isolating affect social media can actually have. And so the emphasis on true connection really strikes a chord for me, as connection is one of the pillars of my personal values. I feel fortunate in that a lot of the things Ms Goldfarb discusses come pretty naturally to me. I tell mi amore frequently that connecting with people is my superpower. I can stick my foot in my mouth like nobody's business, but I can laugh at myself really easily, and I think this helps people feel generally comfortable around me (I hope?? Maybe this is just wishful thinking?!). But I recognize in a lot of people around me that it's often not natural to communicate with honesty, to know how to show true interest, to make new friends, to reconnect with old ones. This book is a really cool reminder of why true, wholehearted connection is important. If you feel like you're missing that in your life, maybe this is a good place to start! xoxo Elizabeth
Today I had the chance to ride a fairly green horse. I know Dylan pretty well, but this was my first time riding him. He is quite nervous, wanting to do right by his rider, but really fearful of making mistakes, of doing the wrong thing. Not knowing exactly what is being asked of him - that uncertainty - makes him reactive, skittish and a little unpredictable, as he tries one thing after another to see if that's what he should be doing. Right now, Dylan needs a rider who is confident and clear in their communication and direction. I'm a movement teacher. I can manage my body really well. I have solid awareness of where my body is in space and can selectively control most of my body with ease. Today though I'm really considering and pondering how my movement, my selective control and my proprioception are tools of communication, not simply concepts that exist in a vacuum. To the horse, a leg fixed against the shoulder means don't go this way. A firm seat means slow down or stop. Hands bouncing all over the place means his mouth is getting jostled and pulled on. My ability to selectively control (or not) my legs, my hands, my torso, my pelvis, has a direct impact on what I'm telling the horse to do. If I'm unable to abduct my legs enough to keep my calf free from his flank, then I'm constantly telling him something. If I'm unable to sit heavy in the saddle, and instead keep posting with his movement, I'm telling him he is right in trotting, even though I actually want him to stop. My ability to manage my body in space, and in contact with my horse, has impact far beyond how it feels to me. It's my direct line of communication with my horse. xoxo Elizabeth
Lately I have been spending a lot of time with my spine corrector. A couple of weeks ago, I fell off Skittles (yes, the pony. PSA, the ground is still very hard, even when the pony isn't very far off the ground!), and since then, my pelvis just feels wonky. So I'm focusing on creating symmetry, balancing the left and right hemispheres of my body. I'm working toward fluid, sequenced movement that feels comfortable and fulfilling. Summer self practice has been really spotty, as is much of my schedule. Though I'll really miss having mi amore with me all the time, I do crave the routine and predictability of the school year, where I can count on having a few hours per week of dedicated movement. If I'm being honest though, adding a second dog to the mix has been a large part of the spotty schedule - the puppy takes so much more time than the senior!! xoxo Elizabeth
Introducing Equilibrium | Movement with Intention. All my life has been a search— and at times, a struggle— for balance. Life can feel overwhelmingly busy, with constant and increasing demands on our time, energy and mental focus. My pursuit of balance shows up in different ways: teaching clients vs. attending to family needs, rest vs. movement; self care vs. work, the need to show compassion vs. the need to hold a boundary…every day looks like a unique mix of all of the above. The longer I’ve been on this journey for myself, the more deeply I’ve recognized these needs in the clients I work with. Equilibrium is my response to what is present in all of us: a n awareness of the need for, and an invitation into balance. This community, formerly Mountain View Pilates, now Equilibrium, continues to hold space for meaningful connection, exploration, understanding, insight and growth. Together we continue to honor our unique experiences and needs inside the bodies we have — through the lenses of curiosity and honesty, playfulness and empathy. I am wildly proud of the connections, learning, and growth my clients and I have experienced over the years, and I’m eager to continue to expand from the fortified foundations we’ve built. We continue to focus on Pilates and movement, and will be introducing additional modalities over the coming months and years to continue to offer this meaningful work. As we move forward together into this new chapter, one thing remains: in radical acceptance, we work together to create balance; to find equilibrium . xoxo Elizabeth
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