Pilates Self Care Saturday: No Should's No Musts

No should's, no musts, just cosy snuggles and a well-deserved rest day.

Let’s be honest. We spend most of our time thinking about what we should be doing. We must clean the studio. We should be replying to that email. We must plan Monday’s class. And if you are anything like most Pilates teachers, your to-do list is never quite done.

So this Self Care Saturday, we are doing something radical. We are throwing out the shoulds and the musts. They are not invited today.

The laundry can wait. The class plan will still be there tomorrow. The Pilates Method will not collapse if you take a day off.

Instead, today is about doing what feels good. What feels easy. What feels like a soft exhale.

Here are a few ways to celebrate your no should's no musts Saturday:

1. Do nothing: Truly. Lie on the floor. Stare at the ceiling. Breathe. No agenda. No timeline. Just be.

2. Watch something ridiculous: Something that makes you laugh. Something that makes absolutely no sense. Bonus points if it involves dancing animals or people baking things that fall over.

3. Move how you feel: No choreography. No flow. Just move. Wiggle your toes. Roll your spine. Do the bit of Pilates you love and skip the rest. Or do none at all.

4. Eat the thing: Yes, that one. The one you usually save for the weekend or avoid altogether. Today is that weekend. Eat it with joy and absolutely no commentary.

5. Make mess: Creative mess. Kitchen mess. Blanket fort in the lounge mess. Whatever it is, do it without cleaning up straight away. Let the mess be part of the fun.

6. Say noTo plans. To people. To things you do not feel like doing. Say no with love and without explanation. It is your day.

7. Say yes: To naps. To quiet. To not wearing proper trousers. To sitting with your cat and having a chat about the weather.

Today is not about productivity. It is about presence. It is not about being a teacher. It is about being a person. A soft human who sometimes just needs a rest.

So give yourself permission to do absolutely nothing of value today. Because that in itself has value.

Happy Self Care Saturday,Michael