When Your Body Finds the Right Soil to Flourish | Rosy Movement

The energy in our trauma informed pilates studio in Collingwood has been extraordinary lately. So many new faces discovering what it feels like to engage in movement within a space that truly sees them, mixed with the deepening practices of our longer-standing community members. Whether they're joining our small group pilates sessions or exploring private pilates, there's something magical happening when people realise they can trust their bodies to know what they need.

What strikes me most is how quickly people settle into their own rhythm here. In our size-inclusive environment, without the pressure to perform or conform, your body's natural wisdom emerges. You start making choices about exercise based on what actually serves you rather than what you think you should be doing.

I want to explore something that might shift how you think about motivation entirely—because what we've been taught about willpower and discipline is missing the most important piece.

Creating Conditions for Natural Motivation

Fitness culture teaches us to view motivation as something we need to generate through willpower and relentless accountability. When we struggle to maintain exercise routines, we're often told we're lacking discipline or not working hard enough. But what if the barrier isn't our effort?

What if we're simply trying to grow in soil that doesn't match what we need?

If you want a plant to grow, you can fuss over it every day—watering, weeding, moving it toward the sun. Or you can place it in the right soil and let nature do most of the work. Just as a seedling needs specific nutrients to flourish, your movement practice needs the right conditions to grow sustainably.

Research tells us that motivation isn't manufactured by rewards, punishment, or social pressure—it's intrinsic. It comes from within. Intrinsic motivation emerges when three conditions are met: autonomy (having choice in your approach to pilates or strength training), competence (experiencing meaningful progress in flexibility training or balance training in ways that matter to you), and relatedness (feeling supported and connected in our inclusive community).

Soil rich in these nutrients fuels internal satisfaction, personal values, and genuine curiosity, creating the foundation for sustainable motivation to flourish—whether you're discovering pilates for the first time or deepening your practice through private pilates sessions.

We've all felt how our energy shifts from day to day. Sometimes we crave intensity and the yearning to push ourselves. Other times we're moving slowly, feeling tired, or uncertain about what we even need. This isn't inconsistency—it's wisdom. When we can honour these natural rhythms instead of feeling pressure to perform regardless of our inner season, we create space for sustainable growth.

It's important to acknowledge that all of us have access to different soil—varying amounts of time, resources, energy levels, caregiving responsibilities, work demands, health considerations that shape what's possible. Bodies and minds also work differently. What feels nourishing for one person might feel overwhelming, while another might thrive in the intimacy of private pilates.

But here's what I want you to know—your motivation isn't lacking. By choosing to be part of communities that honour your complexity, you're already removing the rocks and weeds that make it harder for motivation to take root.

When you feel autonomous in your movement choices, when you experience competence through movement in ways that matter to you personally, when you feel genuinely connected and supported in an inclusive space—motivation becomes less about forcing yourself and more about following what feels alive and meaningful.

This is why we focus so much on creating the right conditions rather than demanding the right behaviours. When the soil is rich, growth happens naturally.

Building Inclusive Movement Communities in Collingwood

I had a conversation this week that reminded me why we do what we do. A client shared: "As a big woman I was terrified about being seen in public whilst exercising. I feared society's judgement and all the humiliation that comes with it. But then I found this sanctuary and safe space. I have been able to be myself in ways I never thought possible, showing my body in positions I only trust Alannah with."

This is what happens when we create size-inclusive environments where bodies are celebrated rather than scrutinised through a trauma informed approach. Where difference is welcomed rather than standardised. Where your size, your experience level, your limitations, your capabilities are all just information—not judgements.

Real support isn't about pushing you beyond your comfort zone through intense exercise regimens. It's about expanding what feels safe enough to explore through pilates principles, exercise science and optimistic fluid movement. It's about witnessing your courage to show up exactly as you are and helping you discover what becomes possible from that place of acceptance.

Every body that walks through our door carries stories—some of shame, some of resilience, all of remarkable adaptation. Our role isn't to fix or change those stories, but to create space for new chapters to be written. Chapters where movement feels like coming home rather than performing for others, whether that's through the supported exploration of small group pilates or the personalised attention of private pilates.

In our trauma informed pilates practice, we understand that healing happens when the nervous system feels safe. When movement becomes a conversation with your body rather than a demand upon it. When wanting to build strength, improve flexibility and balance training become acts of self-care rather than relentless self-improvement projects.

This is the soil we tend at Rosy Movement—rich, nourishing, and patient.

Are you ready to discover what flourishes when your body finds the right soil?