Dear Swimming,

You are a perfect counter to the challenge of keeping the hips stable in the Hip Twist. Flipping over onto my stomach helps me to take stock once again of where my hips are on my body and in space. As I lay on my stomach and move my legs and arms, I let the feedback of the mat tell me if my legs are moving inside my hips or my hips are moving to move my legs. I do my best to find the freedom in my joints, especially with you Swimming, rather than gripping and restricting the movement. Spending time on my stomach like this helps me to reflect better about what is happening in my own body if I’m around others. Swimming, you remind me that no matter how you do it Pilates is not a race, a competition or place to prove yourself to others. Pilates is my relationship with my mind, body and spirit through movement.

Cheekwood has always been a natural place for me to spend time in reflection on life. I have a love hate relationship with nature, thanks to a tick that tried to kill me. But Cheekwood is the place where I can feel safe in nature and take time to think about where I’ve been and where I’m going. I love Cheekwood on a Thursday afternoonin January, when no one is there but the gardeners. This is when I get my best reflection time. I can spend time reconnecting with the outdoors in the most beautiful atmosphere, even when the plants are mostly dead and being cleared away for the spring Tulips. I can think about how I survived that nasty tick and all the things I have overcome since. I can write poems about the turtles hiding beneath the surface of the pond. I can plan what I want to do next. Just like Swimming helps me reconnect to my body, Cheekwood helps me reconnect with the world around me that I would do my best to avoid. Thank you Cheekwood for all your beauty, even in the middle of winter.

Love,

Heather