Jennifer Winter sought solace in Pilates. “It’s my therapy,” she says. “Instead of being on a sofa, I am on a mat returning to my breath and my universe.”
However, attending classes as a black woman, she often felt out of place in predominantly white Pilates spaces. – and longed a more inclusive environment. “Sometimes the Pilates world can feel like a secret book club where they ask you for a password at the door,” says Winter. “I experienced a lot of access control and tokenization on my movement journey. If you don’t see yourself represented, it usually turns into a world of doubt, and I just got sick and tired. “
And so Winter decided to open her own Pilates studio on King Street East in Corktown. “You can’t be what you can’t see,” says Winter. “That was really the jet fuel and connective tissue for Have a Nice Day Pilates. I wanted to create a space that accepted inclusion and authenticity. Everything you need to know is in the name. It’s not that you have a perfect day or that you have the best day. We like to think that we are dismantling perfection one fine day at a time. “
The opening last January offered an unexpected blessing for Winter: her virtual classes were accessible to Pilates fans around the world. “I was amazed at how many people it was reaching from all over Canada, New York, Antigua and Europe,” he says. “Virtual offerings put the participant in the driver’s seat of effort and curiosity.” Even while moving on to in-person sessions, virtual ones will always have a place in Winter’s studio. “Our accessible virtual platform of sliding scale of payment what you can challenges the notion that it is a unique form of movement,” he says. “No one is out of price and everyone is welcome to give it a try.”
Winter prides itself on a gentler and more empathetic approach than many Pilates studios, offering movement sessions “designed to fill your cup, not empty your cup,” she says. “We believe that movement is liberation rather than punishment, and tenderness is the key ingredient for sustainable self-care.”
Winter is expanding with a retail and lounge space offering one-of-a-kind personal care must-haves like rugs, loungewear, candles, coconut water, and affirmation cards in 2022, and is excited to grow the studio with more events and workshops. , in addition to a BIPOC tutoring. movement master and program course. “A good friend mentioned that it was very rewarding to find a study where people looked like them,” says Winters. “This caught my eye on a personal note because I would have benefited a lot from a studio space like this growing up. Pilates supports me and I learn something new every day. I think that’s why I also love sharing this technique with the world: infinite possibilities. “
Reference-www.thestar.com