Movement as Resistance

We all know physical activity helps regulate vital bodily functions such as blood pressure, digestion, and immune response, all of which are crucial for recovery and long-term health, but did you know movement can be an essential part of the healing process? Movement helps release emotional tension stored in the body, allowing individuals to reconnect with themselves and process trauma or stress. As a holistic practice, movement fosters resilience, grounding, and a sense of agency, making it an integral part of the healing journey. A pillar of what we do at the haus, is create a safe space for us all to explore our own bodies relationship to movement. Taking time and space to move fosters a relationship with our bodies + minds that build confidence, strength and grants an outlet for us to thrive. No one knows more about the importance movement can play than our very own yogi Erin. I sat down to speak with Erin about the power movement played in her own healing journey and learned so much about how movement can be an essential part of resistance.

Jess: Would you care to open up about your experience at 26?

Erin: At 26, I was diagnosed with a brain tumor in my cerebellum—the part of the brain responsible for balance and coordination. Overnight, movement, something I had once taken for granted, became uncertain, unfamiliar, and at times, impossible.

I had spent years identifying as an athlete and yogi. My body had been my outlet, my source of strength. But suddenly, I couldn’t rely on it in the same way. I had to relearn how to stand without swaying, how to move without fear. I had to rebuild trust with my body from the ground up. That journey was humbling—but also profoundly transformative.

Yoga, once about strength and achievement, became something entirely new. I could no longer do the handstands or dynamic flows I used to love, but I learned that didn’t make me any less of a yogi. I discovered that movement is less about how it looks, and more about how it feels—how it connects you to yourself.

And truthfully, I believe that connection may have saved me. It was my own mind-body awareness that told me something was wrong. I kept raising my hand, saying, “This doesn’t feel right.” But as a young, single woman navigating the healthcare system, I was repeatedly dismissed. Told it was anxiety. That it was “in my head.”

Ironically, they were right—it was in my head. A brain tumor.

It wasn’t until an ER resident asked the right questions and ordered the right scans that I got answers. A CT, then an MRI. The next day, I was told: You need to see a neurosurgeon within 24 hours. Everything changed from that moment.

The craniotomy lasted over five hours. The physical recovery was long. The emotional one, even longer. But eventually, yoga and mindful movement became my path back to myself. Not as a way to “get fit,” but as a way to feel safe, to find balance in every sense of the word, and to reclaim agency when everything had once felt out of control.

Jess: What did Movement become for you in this experience?

Erin: Movement became more than healing—it became resistance. It became a quiet act of power, of presence, and of progress that wasn’t always visible but was deeply real.

Jess: I love that phrase, ‘movement is resistance’. Can you elaborate on what “movement as resistance” means to you?

Erin: To me, “movement as resistance” means reclaiming agency over my body in a world that often tries to dictate how it should look, move, or be used. It’s pushing back against systems that demand constant productivity by choosing presence, breath, and intentional movement. Movement becomes a radical act of honoring the self—especially when joy, rest, and embodiment are not always accessible to everyone.

Jess: Has yoga impacted your healing journey?

Erin: Yoga taught me to meet myself where I am. It helped me rebuild trust with my body, especially after periods of disconnection or pain. It gave me a container to process emotions I didn’t have words for. Through consistent practice, I’ve found not just physical strength, but emotional resilience and a deeper sense of self-worth.

Jess: Would you say yoga can be a form of self-care?

Erin: Yoga offers a space to slow down and listen. It’s a practice where I return to myself—tuning into my breath, checking in with my body, and gently quieting the noise of the outside world. It reminds me that self-care isn’t always indulgent—it’s essential. Sometimes that care looks like stillness, other times like sweat and strength. But it’s always a dialogue with myself, not a performance.

Jess: Why do you think yoga, rest, and meditation can impact mental health?

Erin: They create spaciousness—physically, mentally, and emotionally. In a world that bombards us with stimulation and stress, these practices offer a way to reset our nervous systems. They help us develop awareness of our thought patterns and cultivate compassion toward ourselves. Over time, they teach resilience—not by hardening us, but by helping us soften without breaking.

Jess: A pillar of what wear|haus is to me, is this idea of creating space. Because you’re right, we are constantly bombarded with stressors, information, rules, practicalities, expectations, failures, others’ successes and our own success.. there is constantly so much to be comparing ourselves to.. and this idea that movement is a safe space to explore our minds and facilities is freeing. Do you think this mindset shift, of using movement for self-care can impact how we show up for the community?

Erin: Absolutely. When we tend to our own well-being, we become more grounded, more empathetic, and more present. We show up with less reactivity and more intentionality. Self-care isn’t selfish—it’s an essential for sustainable, meaningful care for others. When we’re nourished, we give from abundance instead of depletion.

Jess: If you could offer one reminder to anyone on a recovery journey, what would it be?

Erin: Give yourself grace. Be wildly patient with yourself. And know that you do not need to prove anything to anyone—not even to the version of yourself you used to be. Just because someone else’s recovery looks faster or stronger doesn’t mean you’re behind. Your pace is your own. And that is enough.

Jess: In what ways does movement continue to inspire you?

Erin: Movement reminds me that change is possible. That strength can be built. That ‘stuckness’ isn’t permanent. It’s a mirror—I can see where I’m holding tension, what I’m avoiding, what I’m ready to release. It’s also a celebration—of vitality, growth, and everything my body is capable of, even in its most tender states.