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Read more about Pilates & Intuitive Eating

We know that the standard way of wellness hasn't worked and that guilt, shame, and fear won't make us any "healthier".Intuitive Wellness is a dynamic process that is always evolving and unique to each individual. Our wellbeing is affected by what we do, think, feel, and believe. Our definition of wellness has been significantly influenced by social norms and creates doubt, anxiety, and fear. Instead, wellness should align with our intuition and emphasize pleasure, satisfaction, and self-care. Ultimately, this will be what leads us to long-term health. Wellness includes our mental, spiritual, emotional, and physical health. Within each of these, we get to decide what is valuable and how to best take care of ourselves. Part of the intuitive process includes using interoceptive awareness (subtle sensory body-based feelings). This tool is paramount to our intuitive wellness. It's there that our intentions, choices, and actions empower positive change. It's where we thrive. I challenge you to redefine what wellness means to you. Life can flow with more ease and joy. Only you can connect the dots. .

How do you feel regarding? -Stress Level: Are you able to handle stress better? Are you less edgy? Is it easier to take situations in stride, roll with the punches? -Energy level: Do you feel more alert? Is there a little more spunk in your attitude? If you exercise in the morning, does it wake you up instead of making you feel groggy? -General sense of well-being: Do you have an improved outlook? -Sense of empowerment: Do you feel more determined? Do you say, "I can do it" and seize the day? -Sleep: Do you sleep more soundly and wake up more refreshed? When you can really feel the difference between moving consistently and being inactive, the positive feeling can be a motivating factor in continuing. Why would you stop doing something that feels good? Don't simply exercise in order to check it off your to-do list. When we exercise from a place of diet culture and the payoff doesn't seem quick enough, it becomes discouraging. Reachers are saying it's about time we decouple exercise from weight loss, because it minimizes its myriad significant health benefits. Movement is important for its own sake and should be considered as a way to promote health, increase quality of life, and fight of disease. Focus on movement as a way of taking care of yourself. Some benefits include: -Increased bone strength. -Increased stress tolerance. -Decreased blood pressure. -Reduced risk for chronic diseases, including heart disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, hypertension, and some types of cancers. -Increased level of good cholesterol(HDL); decreased total cholesterol. _Icreased heart and lung strength -Increased metabolism Try to incorporate movement into your everyday life. Ask yourself "how can I make movement a non-negotiable priority? Try finding realistic get regular, joyful movement into your life. Remember it is a privilege to have enough time for physical activity. Make sure your personal trainer is aligned with your fitness goals, which have nothing to do with weight. Ordinary activities make a difference, and a growing body of research shows that focusing on pleasure from exercise may be one of the most important factors in sustaining consistent activity. For some people the pleasure factor may mean exercising with a friend, family member or personal trainer. Try making an appointment with yourself Remember, Intuitive movement is flexible, not rigid, and gives you the space to explore what feels good in your body. Be Careful.... Be careful you do not fall into the dieting-weight loss trap, where you become a slave to working out and counting calories burned.. It's a problem when exercise consumes you and begins to interfere with your everyday living. Exercising more isn't necessarily better. Sometimes taking care of yourself means choosing not to exercise. Listen to your body Rest will also help keep exercise feeling fresh and fun! Signs of compulsive exercise include: -Inability to stope, even when you are sick or injured. --feeling guilty if you miss a single day. -Inability to sleep at night- a sign of overtraining. -Paying exercise penance for the perception of eating too much, such as running an extra three miles because you ate a piece of pie. -Being afraid that you will suddenly gain weight if you stop for a single day. Don't simply exercise in order to check off our to-do list. We know it’s good for our health, yet it becomes something we either dread, force ourselves to do, or struggle to do it at all. Especially given how weight-focused and appearance-driven society, exercise becomes something we “have to” or “should do”e. To get started with intuitive movement, ask yourself questions like: “What does my body need today?”, “What type of movement do I feel like doing?”, or “What type of exercise would be most beneficial to my body today?”. Some days this may mean you do an intense spin class, while other days it may mean restorative yoga or a short walk. Intuitive movement is flexible, not rigid, and gives you the space to explore what feels good in your body. Get into the present moment... Movement can help some people get back into their body in a safe way and into the present moment. The "freeze" response is a common response to fear and trauma and include symptoms like: feeling stuck in some part of the body, feeling cold or numb, sense of stiffness or inability to move, holding breath, sense of dread and even dissociation. *Information from this page is taken directly from the book, Intuitive Eating, A Revolutionary Anti-Diet Approach by Evelyn Tribole, MS, RDN and Elyse Resch, MS, RDN. I recommend clients read the book and visit the official website; https://www.intuitiveeating.org/ Coaching members will receive a copy of the official Intuitive Eating workbook. We recommend that you pay attention and explore how you feel throughout the day(including during exercise and immediately after).

Learn about Principles of Intuitive Eating with lots of information from the creators!

I absolutely love Pilates. I love how it makes me feel, think and show up in life. It has always made sense. It creates a sense of calm, getting me out of my head and into my body. I appreciate that there aren't a lot of repetitions, and that the emphasis is on quality versus quantity. Each exercise prepares my body for the next. The progression allows my body to move with control and grace and I am aware of how powerful breathing is. I also love to instruct, inspire and motivate with passion. It resonates with me, largely because it isn't about changing your body but feeling more comfortable in the body you are in today. Many of my clients have shared how much they value Pilates, in both its efficiency and effectiveness. They are surprised that the sessions fly by so quickly and are amazed by their increase in energy level, positive mood and overall wellness. I teach from a HAES approach and offer a variety of equipment, props and movement patterns that best suits each client. I encourage clients to check in throughout the session and reflect on what sensations come up. I want to make sure clients feel connected, challenged, supported and excited in their sessions. I invite you to find a movement practice that feels best for your body. See my Intuitive Movement section for more information on finding joyful movement. Some insurance companies may reimburse you for Pilates based on a medical condition. Pilates may be eligible to be billed under PT/OT, manual therapy or alternative care. I can provide you with a Superbill to submit to your insurance company. .

Intuitive Wellness coaching is for people frustrated with their current regimen and ready to revamp their relationship to wellness. Are you ready to stop obsessing about food, body, and exercise and tune into your intuition for answers? It's time to accept and let go of what's not working in your wellness regimen (guilt, diets, shame, and punishing exercise). And get in touch with your intuitive cues (hunger/fullness). Intuitive Eating has been in over 125 scientific studies proving health benefits. Diets dramatically increase the chance that you'll gain weight. I can help you navigate through intuitive wellness more efficiently and effectively. When you work with me as a coach, each session is individualized and unique to you. Smash old beliefs, talk through current challenges, and set reasonable and sustainable goals. I use skills such as motivational interviewing, positive psychology, and cognitive behavioral coaching. Together we will work towards a sustainable, intuitive, and human way of wellness that is right for you. I take on a limited number of clients to ensure I have the energy and availability to be fully present and attentive in your journey. Let's talk and see if Intuitive Wellness Coaching is right for you.

Questions and answers from Dorothy. What is behind the name Dot Piper? Well, Dot, is short for Dorothy. I was named after my grandmother on my paternal side. Throughout my life, people love to shorten my name, and Dot is one of the common names. Piper is my middle name and my mother's mother's maiden name. After her divorce, my mother didn't just change her last name to her maiden name but decided to take her mother's maiden name. Yes, she is a badass feminist! What do you think makes something intuitive? A gut feeling about what is right. A lot of people are used to self-silencing, noticing an instinct but not trusting it especially if it doesn't meet the status quo. Unfortunately, this repeated behavior may weaken our intuition. I think it's super important to value your intuition. Trusting intuition. allows us to make decisions without second-guessing ourselves or asking others for opinions and we get to move on to what's next. If the outcome is unexpected or preferred we learn without dwelling on it. How did you get into pilates? I took my first Pilates class in college. I loved it and was amazed at the instructor's ability to cue and keep the class flowing. Then, my mom took me to a few of her Pilates classes on my summer breaks but I didn't have a steady practice until my late twenties. I had recently given up dieting and decided that I hated running, (my previous self with ED behaviors had felt like I needed to do cardio and punishing workouts to make it "worthwhile". I found pilates calmed me and challenged me in new and exciting ways. It wasn't long after that I decided to become an instructor. I was absolutely terrified but knew from a gut feeling (call in intuitive!) that it was the right choice. When did you first learn about intuitive eating? In my late twenties, I read the Intuitive Eating book By Tribole and Resch. Around that time I had given up on diets and trying to change my body. I read many books on emotional eating, diets, and eating disorders and rarely read any fiction. I had intuitively decided to give up diets but my struggle continued. Although I read the words, they didn’t sink in the first time. Years later I returned to the book and realized how much I had missed. With the help of a professional, I was able to continue healing my relationship with wellness using the principles. What do you feel Dot Piper will offer clients? I hope that clients will be able to implement Intuitive Eating & movement into their life versus just reading about it. You may have read tons of books on wellness, and like myself, it cognitively made sense but you're unsure how to put it into practice. I would love to save clients valuable time and energy in their process.!