Momentumfest 2019
Sitting on the plane coming back from Momentum fest and I feel the need to write about it and share my experience.
Based in Denver (or just west of the city at a hotel in strip mall land) this year is the second year of this event. Pilates instructor Jessica Valant and her husband Jon set up Momentumfest, a Pilates inspired celebration of movement for instructors and enthusiasts alike. Over 3 days there are more than 50 hours of classes to attend. There were a plethora of movement based classes and non-movement based discussions about relevant topics. Some classes were all levels and some were really effing hard!
I was on my own and even though Denver and Boulder are my old stomping grounds I felt nervous as a first timer at this festival wondering what to expect. Honestly, I wondered if it would be a bunch of chiselled Pilates obsessives doing five hours of Pilates a day and judging everyone around them who did not.
I’m pleased to report it was actually the exact opposite. A movement celebration is exactly what it was. There were people there who were all shapes and sizes, ages, from different training backgrounds and abilities who came together to laugh, cry, sweat and experience how great it feels to be part of a community in a warm and welcoming environment.
The only thing that I noticed and wished was different was…. where were all the men?! Out of about an estimated 3-400 attendees, I counted exactly 4 men. (excluding Jessica’s husband who was working the event and not taking the classes). Please refer to my previous blog about men and Pilates…Jeeze.
On day one, I didn’t plan my movement class schedule that well. I started off the first day (after having late drinks with an old friend the night before) with a class all about the teaser and 3 more movement classes booked after lunch. Not my smartest move. The good news was that it was easy to switch to less physically demanding classes and I went from an Acro Yoga class (next time!!) to a lecture on Diastasis Recti (keep an eye out for my next blog on this subject)..that was a HUGE relief.
The second day I was much smarter. I alternated each session, non movement, movement and so on and even though my butt was kicked in my first class, I had enough rest in between to get the most out of my remaining movement classes. The non movement classes might have been the best part of the whole thing. This included, as a community of mostly Pilates teachers, what it means to be confident as a teacher and as a person, and a workshop that touched upon the Vagus nerve and how it can drive the reactions and behaviour (in certain circumstances) of some of our clients.
This festival is for everyone who loves to move and or is interested in being immersed in a movement community. If you want to feel all the physical and emotional feel-good vibes, you should totally go next year (especially if you’re a man!). I will definitely be there 😊