A few weeks ago I was scrolling Instagram and came across my good Pilates teacher friend, Anula Maiberg, teaching a beautiful and strong move on the reformer.

Within the 20 comments about how the exercise and post were appreciated, there was one focusing on something else.

Anula’s beautiful body.

Anula knows I feel strongly about the culture of positivity and vulnerability and shame online, so she tagged me and we ended up having a conversation.

I personally had been shamed online myself a few months ago for posting a picture in a sports bra when talking about my endometriosis and surgery.

It doesn’t matter if the comments involve someone’s weight, their looks, their job, their priorities, their femininity or their beliefs.

Shaming is rampant, and it’s something I feel very strongly about.

We all know that you can be told something wonderful 30 times, but it is unfortunately that one negative comment that you will remember throughout the day.

When you add that to the craziness and pain that is going on in the world, I ended that particular day feeling incredibly sad and incredibly helpless.

I’m tired of the negative voices being louder than the positive ones. I’m tired of love taking a backseat to people spouting negativity and hate.

So I decided to something about it.

I don’t have a lot I can give during this hard time in our communities. I don’t have a big voice, I don’t have a large platform and I don’t have a lot of money.

But I do have a passion.

I have a passion for what I do for a living, for my friends and peers.

For you.

I have a voice, even though it isn’t big.

I have pride in being a woman, in being a mother and in being who I am, with all the crazy and weird that involves.

So I reached out to a few of my fiends in the Pilates community with this idea of bringing teachers of different backgrounds and styles together to teach ONE mat class. A class for EVERYONE. A class that could maybe help promote a little love, diversity and acceptance in our world.

The Pilates Love Movement was born. #PilatesLoveMovement

 

On February 12th I will be teaching a free Pilates online mat class LIVE with three of the most amazing and energetic instructors I know. We live across the country, from New York to Southern California. We teach differently, speak differently, move differently.

Which is kind of the point :).

The class will start at 3:30EST on Anula’s Facebook page. After 20 minutes, you’ll move over to Carrie, then Lesley, and finally finish the workout with me on the Jessica Valant Pilates Facebook page!

At the end of it all, I’ll be taking questions live on Facebook for anyone who wants to chat.

This is a first of a kind opportunity and I would LOVE to have you join us!

The details are listed in the flier above, and also the event link here. You don’t have to register, but feel free to RSVP to let me know you’ll be there :).

It’s ok if you can’t attend the entire workout. Just come as you are when you are. You just need a mat, a wi-fi connection and a heart that wants to move.

I truly hope you can join me so we can do some Pilates together! Use the hashtag #PilatesLoveMovement on Instagram and Facebook so we can see you and chat!

ps – If you haven’t used Facebook Live before, it’s easy!! You just log in to your Facebook account and find the account you want to watch first. Their video will live stream at the appointed time. You may need to request to be the “friend” of the page first, so plan ahead if you want to join! For my portion of the workout, all you have to do is “like” the Jessica Valant Pilates Facebook page. Event description is here!