Often, when the Portal is labeled a fitness class, I struggle with that.

Yes, we are moving our bodies. We are incorporating movement. That's how our e-motions (energy in motion) can transmute through the body. Movement is our tool, but it's only part of the story. You are the guide of your own experience.

As someone who's been in the wellness and fitness industry for over a decade, teaching in fitness spaces always felt mind-driven. Mind telling body, "You are going to move and push yourself to do the most. Push, push, push. Force, force, force." My mind has the wheel.

That's a metaphor for life, isn't it? Our minds are consuming so much information through these tiny devices we hold all day. Devices that keep us connected and also isolated.

A video of me leading a cycle class as a Cycle instructor and Master Teacher Trainer in February 2020.

What is a body-led approach?

The Portal is body-led movement. With an inhale, we bring our mind into our body. My craft is to guide you through movement with care. I'll offer a movement along with several variations, and your practice is to listen to how your body wants to move. Many participants keep their eyes closed to bring their awareness inward.

Maybe these are movements that once held judgment or limitation for you. Honor what you need. Honor what your body needs.

To label the Portal a fitness class can be discouraging for those seeking a different kind of movement practice. So many of us carry shame and judgment around movement and especially the word “fitness.” We were conditioned by early 2000s fitness culture to distrust our bodies, to push them to exhaustion, and to bypass their inner wisdom.

The Portal is an invitation to heal that wound. To build trust with what our bodies can do today, in this present moment. We celebrate this body that has carried us through life. We move to free up this vessel that keeps us protected and safe, and tap into connection with the unseen.

Guided meditation and moments of stillness during the Portal in the Skyspace at Keith House.

What makes the Portal different from a fitness class?

This practice feels different from anything I've offered. From the YMCA to boutique fitness studios in Texas and California.

Space. The Portal is held inside Keith House, known as an indescribable art experience. Keith House is more than a building that houses art. It's an integral part of the immersive Come to Good Skyspace experience, bringing stillness, peace, and wonder to a frenzied world. Practicing in community within that space is a unique experience in itself.

Length and modalities.Fitness classes tend to focus on one method. The Portal gives equal value to movement and stillness, weaving body-led movement and guided meditation and journaling together in community. Movements can range from stretching and breathwork to floor work and heart-pumping, HIIT-style movement. Variations are always offered. These movements are suggestions, and you are your own guide. There's room to linger in stillness, to notice what shifts in mind and body after the heart rate rises, with no force pushing us to the next thing.

Building trust. The Portal is designed to help you build trust with your body. Finding stillness by slowing down and listening to what your body needs. That's building trust and connection. Strengthening your relationship with your breath. That's building trust and connection too.

The Portal is not a fitness class. It's a practice of building trust and honoring what your body needs. That's body-led movement.

It's something you feel. And a pathway to return to you.

Curious to experience this practice? Join us every third Sunday of the month, August through November.

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