HPS Weekly 029
cerebral athleticism, literary analysis, and somatic ritual
Lately
I taught the biggest masterclass I’ve ever lead this past Saturday am—210 of you showed up to The Somatic Shed: A Spring Equinox Movement and Journaling Masterclass. Ngl, I’ve taught even corporate events before, but to have 210 people sign up for ME was a real pinch me moment for me (and I was nervous teaching for the first time in a minute). In addition to the fact that there were so many of you, part of my nerves were related to the fact it also felt a little like a coming-out.
Many of you know me more for strictly fitness content (though I maintain pilates is a holistic healing art first and foremost!) and The Somatic Shed was my way of introducing my new course, which includes pilates for sure, but is more focused on how a movement practice can change you as a person than simply working out.
The Repertoire: Body-Based Creative Practices To Transmute Heartbreak & Grief Into Reinvention is a six-week container to metabolize emotion, reclaim your identity, and embody joy again through improvisational movement, somatic ritual, and artistic exploration.
Think of it as: HPS’s cerebral athleticism x modern dance’s rebellious experimentation x The Artist’s Way’s ritualistic self-study with a healthy sprinkling of neuroscience, light witchcraft, and literary analysis.
I feel naked as hell putting it out into the world, but have received download after download this week— angel numbers every hour on the hour! The most heartfelt dms from y’all! Prophetic dreams! The clearest knowing in my stomach I’ve ever felt! — that this is what I’m meant to be doing.
Pilates and dance have been the springboard to get me here and makeup the very basis of it’s core methodology:along with: esoteric anatomy, fascial release, breathwork and pelvic floor/diaphragm co-contraction and integration, channeled writing and guided journaling, poetry divination, ancient mythological analysis, archetype embodiment, digital collage, and gesture based improvisation — no dance experience needed, promise.
The Repertoire is a collection of somatic and creative tools that brought me back to life after experiencing trauma, and continue to serve me whenever life hands out a dose of difficulty.
I can’t wait to share it with you. Early enrollment is open now.
The digest
“How To Remember What You Read” — Better Brain by Dr. Julie
“Hungry For It: A Study In Kissing” — Club Reticent
“Running Gets Smart” — The Sweat Lookbook
“You Don’t Want Carolyn Bessette Kennedy’s Style, You Want Her Taste” — Frugal Chic
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The sensory edit
See
Moon by Mark Morris Dance Group and Music Ensemble | Brooklyn Academy of Music | March 26th—Mar 29th, 2026
Hubbard Street Dance Chicago | The Joyce | March 24- April 6
New York Botanical Garden The Orchid Show | through April
Hear
Aida | The Metropolitan Opera | March 9th-June 12th
Touch
Sandy Liang Sample Sale | 41 Division St. | BYO bag! | March 26th—March 29th
New York Botanical Garden The Orchid Show | through April
Smell
Burn my favorite candle (and perfume) Maison Louis Marie candle in No. 4 Bois de Balincourt
Taste
Savor some croissants while working remotely at gorgeous new Bed-Stuy shop and café Apartment Ra’el | 1124 Bedford Avenue
The March program
The noon Zoom
ICYMI, HPS Zoom classes are every Friday at 12pm ET and ~45 min. HPS Zooms are completely free and unlimited for HPS On-Demand Members, and paid Substack Subscribers can still join (live only) for free 1x/month and all replays are uploaded to the HPS On-Demand studio library. Non-members and free Substack subscribers can still join class anytime for $25/class. Sign up for this week’s class here.
*If you’re a member/Substack subscriber and can’t find your comp code, shoot me an email at hi@helenphelanstudio.com and I’ll set you up!
Come Away With Me
3 King bed rooms remaining!
Sardinia Retreat 9/25th-30th, 2026 — SOLD OUT!
Quick Links
HPS IRL at Good Move every Wednesday 5:30pm. Sign up here.
Friday Live Noon Zooms (12pm EST): Sign up here.
Join the Helen Phelan Studio On-Demand Pilates Membership 10-day free trial
Join The Repertoire: Body-Based Creative Practices To Transmute Heartbreak & Grief Into Reinvention, live course cohort starting in May
Book a private (virtual or IRL) session.
xx,
Helen
Thanks for the love, Helen!