she/her
I am a proudly Disabled, Queer, Muslim woman. The daughter of two public school teachers, one an immigrant and the other a first generation American, I was raised to love learning about my mixed Moroccan-Irish heritage. I have a deep appreciation for languages & food, two things that sparked my wanderlust early on. After graduating from Columbia College Chicago, I moved to London with no money and no job prospects, but soon jumped head first into a fast-paced corporate role. A textbook millennial, I burned too bright too quickly and within 5 years my underlying chronic health conditions worsened. After a three year medical sabbatical, I decided to change my life's course and study Pilates on my way to becoming a movement therapist. Pilates allowed me to combine my helper's nature, natural intuition, and lived experience with chronic pain in a way that bettered my own health as well as the health of those I work with. Chronically ill and disabled folks often find comfort in labels, as they give structure to a life that lacks it, and I am no exception. Some of my labels that I enjoy are: Enneagram 2; Aries Sun, Pisces Moon, Virgo Rising.
As a person with chronic illness and mobility issues, my relationship to movement and exercise has always been complicated; a delicate balance of managing pain and energy levels, but moving enough that I don’t decondition and lose momentum. And on top of all that, I often had to “figure it out” alone. Doctors, physical therapists, and instructors didn’t know how to help me create a realistic, sustainable and functional movement program for myself. After years of feeling this way, I figured there were probably so many others who felt the same. So I trained as a Pilates teacher and worked to build Aïn Pilates with a vision of helping feel seen and supported in their movement journey. I wanted to help others build body awareness and trust by harnessing their intuition and learning to honor their body’s needs.
Having a space in which to build my Pilates practice has meant there is a physical manifestation of the relationship I aim to build with my clients as well as my own body. I look at the Aïn Studio as a living, breathing, ever-evolving reflection of my community’s needs. If there’s anything someone needs in order to feel safe and better connect with their body, I will find a way to make it happen.
With the help of this Reclamation Ventures grant, I am so thrilled to announce the launch of the Aïn Pilates Community Movement Fund—a scholarship program that allows marginalized folks within the community to access Pilates classes for free or at a reduced fee depending on need. You can help support this work by donating to the Community Movement Fund at ain-pilates.com
Follow me at @ainpilatesbysarah on Instagram to find out about upcoming workshops and events, both online and in-person. You can find out more about purchasing private sessions at ain-pilates.com
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