For those of you seeing me this week and asked after our new permanent location, my reply has been along the lines of, “I’m awash in abundance!” Similarly to the celebration of Sukkot, I’m grateful for the opportunity to welcome new movers to our group classes and appointments, loving making decisions on finishes for the new space, and appreciate learning more about the SF permitting process. Thanks for sharing in my enthusiasm!

In my reading this week I learned about the technological potential to recapture wasted heat energy from appliances like refrigerators and using it for heating homes and businesses. There is something so perverse about creating heat while refrigerating, so I’m excited scientists are figuring out how to recapture that energy. It got me thinking about how much wasted energy our bodies generate while clinging to old movement patterns that no longer serve us, and what if we could find better efficiency through our movement patterns, saving energy in the process? In trying to strengthen our hamstrings, how much do we spin our wheels because we’re gripping our hip flexors? What happens when we hold our breath when doing abdominal work — are we really working our “core” efficiently, or are we working against ourselves?

GYROTONIC® exercise approaches this energy loss by seeking more economy of movement. We use rhythm to ride on through the exercise sequences, and imagery to bridge the rest. You’ll hear me say ridiculous things like, “imagine that you are only a skeleton, no muscles,” or “don’t worry — no one has ever crumpled into a puddle from being too relaxed.” But wait. Don’t I teach exercise, which implies increased muscular effort? How can I exercise and be relaxed?

We've been talking for weeks about who gets to define exercise for you and your body — the listicles, the trackers, the clickbait. Cutting out that noise is freeing, but it raises a deeper question: without a device telling you it's time to move, what's actually keeping you honest?

"Most of us assume meditation is supposed to help — better sleep, less anxiety. For some people, including me, it does the opposite. A rabbit hole into an Atlantic article on the dark side of mindfulness led me back to the one moving meditation that's actually worked for me all along: the ballet barre, and now, Gyrotonic.

Movement For Everyone has signed the lease on a permanent Gyrotonic and Gyrokinesis studio at 3692 20th St, San Francisco — opening October 2026.

At Movement For Everyone, we teach one modality per session — either Gyrotonic or Pilates — and choose the system that best serves your body. Pilates here isn’t about big reformer sweat-fests; it’s about closed-chain strength, stability, and clarity in movement. Our focus is always you, not the method.

This week’s reflections touch on fatherhood, presence, and the quiet work of relearning what care can look like. Studio updates and schedule included.

This week at Movement for Everyone, we’re exploring support systems — in the body, in our relationships, and in our community. Our new Monday 12:30 PM hybrid GYROTONIC® class with Harriet focuses on floor work and deep core integration to help you build internal support from the ground up. Saturday’s 9:00 AM Community GYROTONIC® class offers a sliding-scale, inclusive space for anyone looking to reconnect through shared movement. In honor of Pride Month, Father’s Day, and graduation season, we’re reflecting on how movement deepens our personal and collective support systems. Bring a friend and move together — shared experiences can strengthen bonds, regulate the nervous system, and create lasting connection.

This week’s update includes a Memorial Day reflection on service and small acts of civic care, plus June and fall class enrollment info for GYROTONIC®, Pilates, and GYROKINESIS® in San Francisco. Sophia is available on Memorial Day and will be away early June; Harriet will sub. Don’t miss this week’s curated reading list on remembrance and resilience.