I can’t remember where I first discovered The Class by Taryn Toomey, but I do know from the second I heard it something connected me energetically. This was years ago, way before the rise of digital fitness platforms and even quality social media marketing. But I remember seeing The Class somewhere and thinking, “if Taryn is confident enough to call her workout program The Class, then it must be really good.”
Taryn always spoke of The Class with little to no description. It was an experience that needed experiencing, and couldn’t be described through words. I was frustrated that I had such a connection to it but didn’t even know what kind of workout it was. Based in NYC, I would always think about it when visiting but definitely too scared to show up to a random class I knew nothing about. Over time, it left my mind and I ended up trying many other workouts. Some I liked, most I hated. Nothing really ever stuck for me.
Then, back in February, Drew Barrymore hosted a wellness week on her Instagram page literally two weeks before COVID-19 hit, and one of the days was focused on The Class by Taryn Toomey.
“Ah, I can finally see what all the fuss is about,” I thought as I watched Drew move and make sounds through the screen. It all felt very guttural, tribal-like even, and again that friendly energetic feeling of connection arrived. I need to do this, I thought. As luck would have it, The Class had just started streaming their workouts online and so I signed up immediately. Anxious to try it out myself, the first few classes I enjoyed but didn’t really connect to. I was still too much in my head and thought, “do I really need to watch these classes to do these moves?”. Then, I took the third class. And suddenly it all made sense. The music was perfect for me, and when we got to the heart clearing move at the end tears streamed down my face, and goosebumps covered my body. I understood.
Taryn talks a lot about not describing The Class, but rather just letting people experience it for themselves. But, if you’re like me and want a little more info, I will say it’s a cardio/movement class focused on strength building with the feel of a yoga class and a moving meditation all in one. We also activate our voice to release extra energy. It’s transcendent.
While I wish there wasn’t a need for quarantine and that coronavirus wasn’t wreaking havoc on our world, I am grateful to have the extra time to discover parts of me I hadn’t explored before. The Class has been a huge part of that, and wherever I arrive on that day I feel supported and safe by the experience. While this pandemic has ravaged people’s lives in many ways, one of the most detrimental has been our mental states.
It’s a confusing, scary, frustrating, overwhelming time and we can’t just push through without feeling. The Class has helped me process all these intense emotions and allowed me to release so that I can move forward each day in a positive way. Or, just in a way that feels most authentic to me. I’ve become so obsessed with it that I’ve told every single girlfriend I know about it, and many of them have signed up to experience it themselves. And since, in this space, writing to you feels the same as talking to my girlfriends, I knew I had to share my love for this experience on my blog.
So, while you get ad after ad for 6-week transformation programs or the latest protein shake that will *change your life,* remember to be kind to yourself and rather than focus on results, maybe find a way to keep active during this time that also feels really good without the desired end result. Something that’s flexible and that works for you. The Class has been that for me.
Always,
1 Comments
Comments are closed.