It’s been almost a year since I learned how to breathe.  I know.  It’s crazy that I could live for 39 years without breathing; but apparently I did.

I had just joined a pilates bootcamp at Studio One Pilates here in Anchorage.  My intention was to regain my fleeting tone, find a routine that I could stick with, and ease my back pain.  I didn’t know I’d first have to learn how to breathe.

When I walked into the intro session, I instantly felt intimidated.  The women in the room all seemed to be as well-coifed as they could be in workout clothes.  The instructors were ridiculously fit.  The atmosphere was serene and calm.

I entered still reeling from whining kids and rushing a last-minute lunch to the school.  Quickly, I shuffled to the back of the room and tried desperately to blend into the wall, hoping that nobody would notice I was trying to pass off pajama pants as pilates gear.
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