Momentum Fest 2018
My schedule and name badge
Denver, CO – June 2018
I wanted to attend this movement fest from the moment I saw it advertised on social media. Initially, I didn’t have anyone to go with and was too nervous to go alone. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve traveled alone plenty but this was different. Deep down, I was scared to go alone because I knew it would mostly be instructors & studio owners in attendance. In other words, I would be outnumbered. In February 2018, Jennifer messaged me and asked me if I was planning on attending. I told her the story and she said she wanted to go. Within 24 hours I bought my ticket to the event and booked a flight to Denver.
Initial thoughts and jitters
Friday morning I woke up nervous. It felt like the first day of school, I was nervous, excited and worried. A small percentage of me didn’t want to go to registration. The things that concerned me were feelings of inadequacy – not sure if I would be able to keep up in classes, with my schedule (I went for four hours of pilates every day), and that I wasn’t good enough. This was probably the most nervous I’d been in a long time.
The jitters started to drift away!
I went down and met Jen for registration. We walked outside to wait poolside, because both of our first classes were outside. While there we met Ashley and Karyn, two studio owners from the Fort Collins, CO area. They were great ladies with good energy. Ironically, my first class, I set up my mat right next to Karyn. As we began moving through Grace Hurry’s “Cadillac on the Mat” class, my nerves slipped away. Throughout the day, you’d see some of the same faces, whether it was in passing or in class. Smiles, high fives, laughs, grimaces, were all had by everyone.
Old Friends and New
One of the things I enjoyed about Momentum Fest was the social interaction. Seeing people I met along my journey, meeting people from social media for the first time, and making new friends. It’s surreal meeting people you’ve only chatted with or commented to via Instagram or Facebook. Social media has a way of bringing us together and making the world seem a little bit smaller. During the weekend, I was able to speak to different people about business and teaching. I even found a few other pilates enthusiasts to talk with.
Jessica brought in some amazing talent to kick off this first year. The caliber of teachers that were presenting during the weekend, were out of this world. Many of them you will already know and love if you are a member of Pilates Anytime or are on social media. To be able to learn from them, move with them, and have small moments of conversation is epic. I was so thankful for every chance I was able to speak to them, even if to only say thank you and let them know something I learned.
Not only did these presenters head the classes but they also participated with us. My first class had Lesley Logan behind me, ready to join in and learn along with us. I took a reformer class with Grace Hurry and Tracey Mallett was right next to me. I thought, “No pressure there, Stacey”. Crazy huh? They wanted to show up, support their friends and move with us!
My Final Thoughts
Last morning
Magical. Strength. Uplifting. Empowering. Special. Game changing. Emotional journey. Eye opening. Excitement. Good enough. Where I need to be. These were the words that came to mind when I sat on my hotel balcony Monday morning. I was beginning my day with coffee, overlooking the mountains, and journaling about the weekend. As I started to write, I began to cry. All of these amazing emotions and thoughts were courtesy of Momentum Fest and the people I met.
I wish everyone to be able to feel the energy we all felt over the weekend. The presenters moved us physically and emotionally. Even if you aren’t into pilates, if you’re into movement, you will walk away feeling empowered and loving the experience!
To anyone who I made eye contact with, smiled with, laughed with and met, please know that you’ve helped make this experience so wonderful. You’ve left an imprint on my heart and mind.
I am full.