Newsletter 15: What If We Focused on Our Strengths?

Hi friends,

We all have strengths and weaknesses. Our bodies are no different.

It's easy to focus on the things we wish were different. Maybe it's a tight hip, a stiff back, a movement that doesn't come as easily as we'd like, or a part of our body we wish we could change. We spend so much time thinking about what isn't working that we sometimes forget to recognize everything that is.

But what if, just for a moment, we shifted our focus?

What if instead of asking ourselves, What can't my body do? we asked, What CAN my body do?

Amie had a little reminder of this just this week. After struggling with some sciatic pain in her hip from running, she found a little time yesterday to practice on her ladder barrel. As she moved through some exercises she hadn't practiced in a while, she was pleasantly surprised by how much stronger she had become. Movements that once felt challenging were now feeling more accessible and controlled.

It was such a great reminder that sometimes we get so caught up in what hurts, what feels tight, or what isn't working that we forget to recognize how far we've come. Even when one area of our body is asking for a little extra attention, there may be so many other areas where we've grown stronger.

Think about the strength in your legs that carries you through your day. The arms that lift, hold, and embrace the people you love. Your spine that bends, twists, and supports you. Your breath that keeps you grounded. Your body is constantly showing up for you, often in ways you don't even notice.

This doesn't mean ignoring the areas where we need support or where we want to grow. It simply means giving our strengths the same attention we so often give our weaknesses.

Why this matters for your habits, too

Here's something we love about this shift: it doesn't just feel good — it actually helps you build the habits you're working on.

Our brains are wired to repeat what gets noticed and rewarded. When we only pay attention to what went wrong — the class we missed, the movement we couldn't do — the whole practice starts to feel like evidence against us. And things that feel like evidence against us are very easy to quit.

But when we deliberately notice what went right — I showed up. I breathed through that hard set. My balance was a little steadier today — we're giving our brain a small reward to attach to the behavior. That little spark of "that felt good" is what makes the brain file the experience under worth doing again. Repetition is what builds a habit, and we're far more likely to repeat what feels encouraging than what feels like a failure.

This is why, in our habit coaching, we ask you to end each practice by naming one thing that went well — no matter how small. It's not just positivity for positivity's sake. It's reinforcement. You're training your brain to want to come back.

So the next time you catch yourself cataloguing what's not working, try adding one sentence: and here's what is. That one sentence, repeated over weeks, is quietly building the habit of coming back.

In Pilates, we talk about working with our bodies, not against them. Every body has a different starting point, a different story, and different abilities. The goal isn't perfection. It's discovering what we're capable of, building on what is already strong, and finding new possibilities along the way.

A little challenge for this week:

Celebrate one thing your body CAN do. Write it down, say it out loud, or tell a friend — and notice how it makes you want to keep going.

With you in the practice, Amie and Amy

P.S. Our next ALIGN Weekly Session is Monday November 2 @ 6:00. Bring your breath. We'll handle the rest.

Gather and ALIGN is in just a few weeks! November 21st from 11:00-1:00. Sign up at www.alignwithamieandamy.com/gather-and-align

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