This month, we caught up with Jo Gale, a movement instructor and badass mama who is doing her part to provide a body-positive voice in the Hamilton community, on and off the mat.
Q: Why Mettamade?
I personally like basics. When I go shopping I gravitate towards jersey, basics, and I loved that everything was basic + mix and match stuff. Although it's versatile in the way that it can be dressed up and down.
Q: Tell us about your body positivity journey.
My relationship with body image [throughout my entire life] has been a challenge.
I was going to the gym and overdoing cardio to lose weight when I discovered yoga – a physical practice that wasn't as mindless as the treadmill.
My body image flipped when I got pregnant and had a baby. Women's bodies change. I struggled at first, but I turned to the instagram body positivity community, [and began finding my own voice]. I resonated with the messages of self love.
Since then, I've been trying to explore the body-love concepts, and infuse that into my teaching.
Some of my favourite tools to help heal [lie in finding an online community that resonates with you]. I follow certain people on Instagram like @bodyposipanda @mynameisjessamyn (to name a few), and love the Podcast by Christy Harrison, Food Psych. The book Health at Every Size, is also a great resource filled with charts.
Q: How do you incorporate body positivity in your work?
Just being a movement teacher in a "bigger body," offers people an opportunity to feel represented. Perhaps if someone didn't feel inclined to join a fitness space, they might see someone who looks like them teaching this type of class and feel comforted.
[My goal is to remind people that] you don't have to move to punish your body or
make it fit into a mould. You can just move because it's fun and it feels good.
Q: Tell us about your capsule wardrobe.
My Morgan Jumpsuit is my favourite piece for actually moving in.
Culotte Jumpsuit I love with tights + boots underneath in the winter with a sparkly jacket overtop.
Q: What's one piece of advice you can give others on their body peace journey?
I like to always just remember that your body is ALLOWED to change. It's been changing your whole life. It will probably change again. It's always good to look at things as a continuous journey as opposed to having to meet an end goal.
You can find Jo teaching movement classes at Goodbodyfeel Movement Studio.
Learn more about what she's up to by visiting:
or email her at jogalemovement@gmail.com.