Playing at Bumbershoot
Exercise needs to cease being known as exercise.
…or fitness, or any other word that might drudge up feelings and prefaces like “should” or “have to”.
Fitness is more than just a treadmill. It’s a pause to take a breath of fresh air, to look at your surroundings and smile, to be compelled to pursue something that makes you a stronger person inside and out. Fitness is caring for The Self, and “Doing” that’s playful, enriching, and at it’s finest moments, an art.
It’s something that makes you forget about exercise and fitness, as we know them.
Joelle Pendergass brings this to St. Louis. Her new studio Bumbershoot Aerial Arts is a school of all things playful and fun, for adults. Yes. That means you.
Let’s be honest. Along the way it becomes hard work to “have fun”. Much easier to find excuses not to try. Letting go of carefully woven inhibitions can be our biggest challenge and the staunchest foe. And besides, “I can’t”, “there’s no way”, “not at my age”, “I’d need to get in shape first”, and the always present “I’m too ______(fill in the blank)”.
In the blink of an eye, we have defeated…ourselves.
Anyone who is able to relinquish their self doubt just long enough – like the boulder closing in on Indiana Jones’ hat – can find a whole world of creative possibilities open up. For inspiration, I recommend reading interviews with Bunny Herring, here and here.
Joelle gives people the gift of that moment – letting their guard down just long enough to discover new sources of inner strength, creativity, and fun.
Bumbershoot is on one of those places where exercise ceases to be exercise.
If you live in the St. Louis area stop by and meet Joelle at Bumbershoot. She offers a one time free class Saturdays at 4pm if you are interested in letting go… by holding onto a trapeze, silks, juggling balls, a partner in an acrobatic yoga class, or any number of other fitness arts.
Bumbershoot is easy to find in an expanding block of activity in Benton Park. Next to fried-chicken purveyor Hodaks, Bumbershoot is in the Polar Ice building, also home to Shock City recording studios, and soon Bittersweet Bakery.
Of course Bumbershoot would not be complete without top-notch pilates instruction and core balance training, sooooo….
I will be offering Pilates classes and private training at Bumbershoot. Please refer to the schedule of classes page on this site for more information.
What are you waiting for? Even if you live outside of St. Louis, nothing’s holding you back from “Doing” that thing that makes you feel stronger inside and out, whether your fun is gardening or walking in the park. Skip the exercise and go have fun instead.
The Mind Body Moderate 