Trainer Helen Phelan on Body Neutrality, Body Image, And The Link Between Intuition and Exercise
New year, new diet? No, thank you. At Holisticism we're all for goal and intention setting, but so often capitalism and pop-culture aim to convince us that being healthy has a very specific look that frankly, we feel is just BS.
Today we're sitting down with Helen Phelen (@helenvphelan) a body neutrality pilates and movement instructor, to shine some light on the darker sides of the diet and goal-setting discourse that is spamming our inbox at this time of the year. Michelle and Helen discuss their shared backgrounds growing up as dancers and their experiences with disordered eating habits, as well as the toxic and insidious belief in society that equates thinness with health.
Helen Phelan is a pilates and movement instructor who believes that body neutral, high sensation, breath centric, muscle quivering movement strengthens the body, enhances intuition, and cultivates self-compassion.
Helen Phelan Studio delivers all the meditative, vitalizing, and restorative physicality you need without any of the body shaming of the traditional fitness experience.
You can also find her @helenvphelen for more inspiration on fine-tuning your intuitive exercise habits and learning to love and appreciate your body and its needs.
We'd love to hear from you! Text us @ +1 818-699-9735 about your thoughts and feels on diet and exercise culture, and if you text us a screenshot of your podcast review and we'll send you a special treat🌟
Helen Phelan believes that body neutral, high sensation, breath centric, muscle quivering movement strengthens the body, enhances intuition, and cultivates self-compassion. Helen Phelan Studio delivers all the meditative, vitalizing, and restorative physicality you need without any of the body shaming of the traditional fitness experience. You can also find her @helenvphelen for more inspiration on fine tuning your intuitive exercise habits and learning to love and appreciate your body and its needs.
You're proving to yourself that you're showing up, you're accountable and that's sending little messages to your brain that you can do the hard things. That's really what helps build your body image and heal body image through exercise. It's not that you're editing your body to fit what others are telling you is beautiful. It's that you're changing your relationship with your body and feeling like it's something that you're proud of. - Helen Phelan
Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Anchor, Breaker, Google Podcasts, Pocket Casts, and RadioPublic
SCROLL BELOW FOR LINKS AND SHOW NOTES…
If you're curious about diving further into connecting with your intuition and how it show's up in your body, check out our episode with Amanda Huggins "Anxiety vs. Intuition with Amanda Huggins, Anxiety Coach" where Michelle and Amanda discuss the sometimes treacherous waters of anxiety vs. intuition and how to differentiate the two to deepen your connection with your inner compass.
SHOW NOTES
Intention and goal setting for the new year and how it can dip into being toxic [6:54]
Finding your why when wanting to lose weight or become healthier [8:33]
The muscles of your pelvic floor and the importance of keeping them healthy [9:49]
Listening to the signs and signals that our body is trying to give us [11:13]
Intuition and body neutrality work [12:05]
Painful sex as a sign of disconnection from our bodies [13:24]
Fitness as the gateway to spirituality and other forms of wellness [14:56]
Working through epilepsy and seizures with somatic work and movement [23:37]
Body image and healing through adjusting your language and non-toxic affirmations [27:48]
How to go about intuitive exercise and it means to really love and heal your body through exercise [30:52]
Letting go of all or nothing mentality [36:10]
Healing while feeling good vs. the rhetoric of every type of growth being hard [40:42]
Experimentation vs. restriction in your journey to explore wellness [41:52]