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72. Flow Alchemy: How Pole Dancing Can Help You Heal, Get Stronger, and Love Yourself with Cassie Klein
33 Plays23 days ago
Welcome babes! In this episode, I’m joined by my beautiful friend and Embodied Movement Coach, Cassie Klein, for a deep and vulnerable conversation on healing through dance, movement, and sensuality.
Cassie shares her journey from feeling disconnected from her body to using pole dance and sensual movement as a profound tool for somatic healing, self-love, and empowerment. We talk about how movement can help you reclaim your body, release trapped emotions, and build confidence — without having to "figure out" the story behind the emotion.
We dive into topics like:
✨ Why movement is a powerful tool for healing trauma and finding your voice
✨ How dance can help you feel confident and empowered (even if you've felt awkward or self-conscious)
✨ Reclaiming sensuality and building trust in your body
✨ What embodiment coaching looks like and how Cassie works with clients to create a safe space for healing
✨ The truth about pole dancing and how it's about so much more than fitness
✨ How movement helps with boundaries, relationships, and confidence in all areas of life
✨ Overcoming fear of judgment and learning to dance like nobody's watching (literally)
✨ Why somatic healing is often the missing piece to fully releasing trauma and feeling safe in your body
If you've ever felt disconnected from your body, struggled with body image, or wanted to feel more free and confident in how you move and express yourself — this is a must-listen!
About Cassie
Cassie Klein is an Embodied Movement Coach who helps women heal, connect to themselves, and express their authentic essence through dance and somatic practices. With a background in pole dance, sensual movement, and energy work, she creates transformative spaces for people to release stored emotions, build confidence, and rediscover their power. She’s also the host of The Flow Space Podcast, where she explores movement, personal growth, and flow living.
Connect and work with Cassie:
https://www.cassieflows.com/the-flow-alchemy-masterclass <--- Flow Alchemy Masterclass
https://www.cassieflows.com <--- Cassie's Website
https://www.cassieflows.com/ <---- Flow Space
https://www.instagram.com/cassie.flowss?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw== <--- Follow Cassie on IG
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Connect + work with Ellisa:
instagram.com/iamellisamae <--- my IG
https://stan.store/byellisamccoy <--- my website
https://stan.store/byellisamccoy/p/welcome-to-the-healing-bubble-membership <--- Join the Healing Bubble monthly membership!
https://stan.store/byellisamccoy/p/the-portal-of-you <--- Apply to the Portal of You! My 1:1 3 month signature program
Recommended
Transcript
Introduction to Cassie and Her Work
00:00:02
Speaker
Hello, everyone. Welcome back to the Happening For Me podcast. I am so excited that you guys are here today. Today is going to be another soupy super juicy episode because we have a really special guest, my friend Cassie.
00:00:16
Speaker
I'm going to read you guys her bio because it's just so juicy. But we actually met in a business mastermind that we've been in for the last couple of months. And it has been so just incredible to learn you and your energy and just to like Be in your presence and see ah all the beautiful things that you're bringing to the world. So I'm so excited. So let me um do like an official introduction.
Cassie's Workshops and Podcast
00:00:37
Speaker
So Cassie is an embodied movement coach who helps women heal, connect to themselves and express their authentic essence through dance and somatic practices.
00:00:47
Speaker
With a background in pole, dance, sensual movement, and energy work, she creates transformative spaces for people to release stored emotions, build confidence, and rediscover their power.
00:00:59
Speaker
And Cassie's offerings like her, Awaken Release Container, and Be My Bay Workshop are designed to blend soulful discovery with playful, sensual expression.
00:01:09
Speaker
She's also the voice behind the Flow Space podcast, where she dives into the intersection of movement, personal growth, and flow living. Oh my god, so Cassie, thank so much for being here.
Understanding Human Design
00:01:21
Speaker
yeah i'm so excited to be here. It's actually my first time being on somebody else's podcast, so so excited. Oh my god, okay, I didn't know that, so I feel very honored. Yay, can you let us know, what is your um human design type, and like what is your sun sign in astrology?
00:01:39
Speaker
Yes. So I am an Aquarius generator. Oh my God. I love that. I can really feel your generator energy. Like every time, like I feel like I'm around you, I can feel your sacral anytime you're excited about things. So that makes a lot of sense. Yes. Yeah, no, for sure. I'm like still like a baby in the human design world and like getting to know it.
Transition to Embodied Movement Coaching
00:02:00
Speaker
um I really just started to learn about it last year, but every time I read about it, I'm like, yep.
00:02:05
Speaker
Like This is me for sure. So generator makes sense. And learning my human design has been so vital for just like understanding how to move throughout the world.
00:02:16
Speaker
he I feel like especially even with the work that you do, like, can you let us know what are you up to in the world right now? Like, what are you so excited about? And what do you do? yeah of course. So first and foremost, I am a pole dancer. um I consider myself a pole artist.
00:02:33
Speaker
There are so many different types of pole dancing and so many different avenues you can code go down with pole dancing, but I really prefer the more artistic and expression side of pole dance. um and my love and passion for pole dance has kind of led me into a coaching space where i now identify as an ah embodied movement coach as well.
Cassie's Personal Journey and Rediscovery of Dance
00:02:54
Speaker
I help women really take their power back and step into their most confident version of self and heal their bodies from the inside out through dance and through sensual movement.
00:03:04
Speaker
see Oh my god, that is so beautiful. How, how did you get into that? Like, what was what did you have some sort of like, awakening? Or did something happen where you just got introduced to dance? Or were you always a dancer? Like, what was your life like kind of like before you found your purpose?
00:03:22
Speaker
Yeah, so i was always a dancer. started Not super young like some people, but like um elementary school, I believe, like really young.
00:03:34
Speaker
um And I've always, always loved it. It's actually really funny because I hated the recital, though. So to think that now I'm like putting myself out here as much as possible and like really displaying my dancing is is really funny how that's come full circle.
00:03:48
Speaker
But yeah, so I started as a dancer and i kind of lost the practice after high school. I didn't really know that there was... any opportunity for adult dancing at all. Like I just didn't know that existed. So that's when I started yoga and still like really moving my body in an intentional way.
00:04:06
Speaker
But during the pandemic, um I think things got really heavy and really hard for me. And i was really looking for not only an outlet to move my body, but also just an outlet to come back to myself.
00:04:20
Speaker
um I was really struggling with my identity. i had moved into my apartment and i just so many things came from like being away from my parents and like realizing the heaviness and the weight of my childhood.
00:04:35
Speaker
And then everything shut down on top of that. So I was drinking a lot and partying a lot. And then when the world shut down, I didn't have my outlets that I was using to really numb myself.
00:04:47
Speaker
And it was really, really, really hard at first. And then i was like, you know what, like, this is the first time ever in my entire life that I've never had a job. And like, I don't have to work. And so maybe this is exactly what I need to just come back to myself. And i actually started dancing again, like through through like the TikTok dances. Like that's when TikTok was like on the rise.
00:05:08
Speaker
And I was having so much fun with that. And then when everything did start opening up again, i just literally searched like adult dance classes. And I was actually just doing like regular adult hip hop for a little while.
00:05:21
Speaker
And what brought me to pole dancing was... really funny. It's like a butterfly effect story. So the whole reason I joined my school's high school's like kick line team, that's like a dance like rockette kind of thing is because this girl literally found me in the locker room and saw i was wearing like my dance company shorts and And she was like, oh, my God, try out. Like, we need more people. And I'm like, OK. Like, she was like literally the prettiest person I've ever seen. was like, oh, my God, like she's talking to me. those I tried out.
00:05:51
Speaker
I made the team and that like changed my entire high school career. Like i just I fell in love with it. um And then randomly I come across her Instagram years later.
00:06:02
Speaker
And she's doing all of the aerial art. She is pole dancing and doing the hoop. And i was like, whoa, like I didn't even know this world existed.
Confidence and Healing Through Dance
00:06:11
Speaker
So i searched aerial arts near me and I found a pole studio and literally the rest was history from there.
00:06:18
Speaker
Oh my gosh. It is so crazy to look back and see those little like butterfly effect moments where it's like, Oh my God, like just her seeing you in the the locker room and then like you finding her later. Like, that's so crazy.
00:06:32
Speaker
Literally. Yeah. So so you started, so this was 2020 during lockdown. So you started finding dance again, and then you joined this.
00:06:43
Speaker
How did that lead to you? Like, I guess my question is, did you always have confidence in yourself as a dancer and like in your body? Or did that kind of unlock through the dance that you later found like as an adult?
00:06:58
Speaker
Yeah, I always loved dancing, but I love this question because I did, I wasn't always a confident dancer. And even though it was something I was so passionate about, i don't think I ever saw it in my future because i was so caught up on like the fact that there were so many people that were naturally better than me. And maybe have the resources and time to take more classes than me. And I just, I never thought that that would be me.
00:07:23
Speaker
um So I would spend hours like dancing in my house. And that's also why I hated the recitals. Like I just felt like I didn't really belong in that space. um And then it was really, it was through pole dancing that I found like this level of confidence in my movement.
00:07:40
Speaker
And it definitely didn't happen right away. um ball dancing is such an intimidating movement modality for sure But as I started like practicing and really seeing what my body was capable of, I really fell in love with that aspect of it. Like I didn't necessarily have to be the best, but I could go on this journey of unlocking like these new tricks and this like fluid movement and,
00:08:04
Speaker
As I really dove deeper into what I now know is embodiment, it was kind of an accident that I found it. That's when I learned how to connect with my body. And now I'm so confident in my movement because it it feels so intuitive to me.
00:08:20
Speaker
Mm hmm. I feel like that's such a like, um such a generator thing is like mastery, you know, and it's like, it's so beautiful that it's like, almost like the accidental purpose where you were just finding something as like an outlet. And then it just, you just kept going, kept going, kept mastering it. And it's just evolved into like, now something that you actually help others with, which is so beautiful.
00:08:43
Speaker
Thank you. Yes. How? Okay. So I guess ah my next question is what led you to like the embodiment movement coaching? So you found this love for dancing. You found this love for pole dance. It unlocked this new, like, just like confidence in yourself to like trust yourself, be in your body.
00:09:01
Speaker
What made you interested in seeing like, oh, this actually is like healing things for me? Like, was was there something like specific that you're like, oh, wow, like I'm actually finding that this is much more healing than like maybe reading a book or listening to a podcast? Yeah.
00:09:16
Speaker
Yeah, for sure. um i tell everybody about the this documentary. It has changed my life. I found it on Netflix after I started pole dancing because I was just so obsessed with the world of pole dance. Like I was anything I could get my hands on. And Netflix has this documentary called Strip Down, Rise Up.
00:09:35
Speaker
And for the first time, I saw really visually people who felt the things that I felt from dancing and it was that release and that embodiment and healing. And I was like, oh my God, like there is an entire world for this. Like I had no idea that other people felt the way that I felt.
00:09:56
Speaker
um And after I watched that documentary, because the studio I started out with is was very fitness focused. So pole dance fitness and like you're focused on like the tricks and like mastering, which is beautiful. And I'm so grateful.
00:10:10
Speaker
um But I'd always just felt like a little deeper for me. So when I saw them doing it a certain way in this documentary, at that point, I already had my home studio. So I was like, you know what, let me let me try to move like that. Like, let me just see what it looks like. And I actually like covered the mirror in my studio. And it's like, it's not about like the way that it looks right now. And I went in like just really raw and vulnerable and It was through that. so I think I felt every range of emotion in that one session. I cried. i was angry. I was happy. And I was like, whoa, like this is next level.
00:10:44
Speaker
And that's kind of when I started my deep dive on how emotions are stored in the body and how movement literally scientifically dances truly one of the most healing things that you can do. And the more that I learned about that, the more that I dove into it for myself.
00:10:59
Speaker
And when I realized how much it was helping me work through things that I never thought that I would be able to work through, honestly.
Emotional Release Through Movement
00:11:07
Speaker
I'm a completely different person than I was a couple of years ago, which is crazy to kind of compare.
00:11:12
Speaker
i was like, wow, like I need to bring this to as many people as I can, because I really think we all deserve to feel this free and liberated. Oh, my God, that is so beautiful. Yeah, it makes so much sense that it's like releasing things somatically like through the body.
00:11:30
Speaker
And I think so a lot of times on our healing journeys, we do kind of like, it's just natural like progression to start with like the podcast and like, like I said, reading the books, and it's all very like intellectual.
00:11:40
Speaker
And I feel like it almost puts like, we can only get so far, like, it's almost like it puts a cap on our healing. And then it's like, then we unlock this next step, which is like the somatic, the movement type of things. That's where it's like, wow, it's like, we don't even have to.
00:11:54
Speaker
um Would you agree that with the the kind of like embodied movement healing, it's almost like, you don't necessarily have to intellectualize things that you're healing. It's more of just, you like, I don't know, it's a word like cathartic. I don't know. yes yeah Can you talk about that? Yeah, of course. Yes. Cathartic is the right word. And it's literally, i say this all the time. Like when I'm am prompting my students, like I'm, I always say like, we don't have to attach a story to what we're feeling. And I think that's pretty much exactly what you were just saying. Like things are going to come up that are,
00:12:28
Speaker
really, really craving to be released from the body. But we don't necessarily in that moment have to figure out like the root of it. And like, that's the difference between doing somatic work and then maybe, you know, going to therapy or journaling, like that is where you're identifying the root cause. And that's beautiful. And there is a time and place for that 100%.
00:12:48
Speaker
But I think almost to get to that level, you have to learn how to just feel it first, and let it come up and let it come out. And that's where movement is so beautiful, because it allows the emotion to just come out of the body without you having to think about what that means. It's it's just happening.
00:13:06
Speaker
Mm-hmm. Oh, I love that. Yeah, I feel like that's, I feel like in a way almost it's, it kind of even feels like gentle in a way, even though some of us might think like, okay, well, for example, I'll talk about me in a second about like but me and like dancing is like, oh my God, I have like, I feel like ah blocks around that that I want to share with you. But I feel like it's like, um it's almost like, it's almost gentler because we're we don't have to sit down and do this like scary shadow work of like, oh, I need to relive what happened or, you know, bring up specifics or even like share it or talk about it. It's more of just like, it's like gentle. It's like, we don't have to actually go down that path and like almost re-traumatize ourselves, but we're just allowing what to come up in the moment. And it's almost feels like, um,
00:13:54
Speaker
really like intuitive and in flow because I'm sure like when you do multiple sessions with people different things come up like at different times right yeah and I think some people come in expecting for one thing to come up maybe what's like on the forefront of their mind and then all of a sudden they're moving and they're thinking of you know maybe something that happened years and years ago that we didn't even know was trapped in the body But that is the thing about movement. It is so gentle because it is so intuitive. The body knows exactly what it wants to release and when it wants to release it.
00:14:27
Speaker
And when you can just kind of drop the ego and just really move from your intuition from your soul, your body knows how to heal itself. Like it it really does. And movement is just a tool for the body to be able to do that.
00:14:42
Speaker
Physically, emotions like truly get stored in the body a lot in the hips. And that's why I'm such a big believer in sensual movement, rolling the hips, like it all releases that. And that's where you find like that genuine just release, like you're able to let it go and let and feel it and like come out. And that's why like even in yoga sometimes like when you're doing those deep hip openers and people start crying, like there's actual emotion and trauma stored in these areas.
Inclusivity and Community in Pole Dancing
00:15:11
Speaker
The heart is like wreath, the shoulders is like a lot of stress day to day. um Yeah, we we keep it all in the body. So movement is just this gentle way of like saying it's okay to let it go and that you're safe in your body.
00:15:28
Speaker
Oh my gosh, I love that. So do you like, okay, on your journey, did you start specifically with other pole dancers who already um identified as pole dancers, maybe professionally, or maybe for fitness, like you said, or fun?
00:15:42
Speaker
Or, and then also, do you also help women who maybe haven't like, um who haven't like been super experienced in pole dancing, but it's something they're super interested in and just like getting into?
00:15:54
Speaker
Yeah, I love this question, actually, because I work with women, all kinds of women. And I think pole dancing is like it's a big ask of people for sure. It is very scary.
00:16:06
Speaker
So i i always like to really drive the the point that like you don't have to be a pole dancer to to do any of this really. um you know, sensual dance can be done on or off a pole. Like we could use a wall, we could use a chair, like there's so many different, you just be on the floor. Like there's you so many different ways to access this, but I did start my journey under the mentorship of a pole coach. um And like I said, that really was more for the fitness aspect of it. Like I learned
00:16:39
Speaker
all of my foundation through her, like all of my tricks through her. But i I think I found my signature style of movement by just being able to be in my space and just moving to my body, which is something that I really learned on my own and not really from anybody else.
00:16:56
Speaker
and a Yeah, that makes so much sense. It's kind of like how it's kind of cool how things start and you don't really know like what it's going to lead to. Like, it's like, okay, this is a great entry entryway is like the fitness aspect of it. And like, also, also, can you talk about how like, you have to be like, or I don't know, this is the limiting belief that you have to be strong, but you get really strong, I'm sure. And then also, can you talk about like, also, maybe like working out or having some sort of like,
00:17:23
Speaker
um does it is it also supportive to have like a weight lift routine can you talk about that aspect yeah oh my gosh it's like my second favorite thing to talk about about pole dancing thing um yes so ah very huge misconception you do not have to be strong to start you will a thousand percent build strength that like you didn't even know you had love to tell people I hated movement like, strength and physical exertion before I started pole dance. Like, I was always a dancer, loved that.
00:17:52
Speaker
The gym, running, like, absolutely not. Like, do not ask me to do that before I found pole dancing. And I was shocked at what I was able to do. And actually, fairly quickly.
00:18:04
Speaker
Obviously, everybody's journey is different. And having a dance background definitely helped me. but I think the body is really, really good at adapting. So you build very quickly the muscle that you need to be able to perform at least on like a foundational level. And then you build from there.
00:18:22
Speaker
I am a huge, huge, huge believer though in cross training. And there are a couple of reasons for that because pole dancing is very physically demanding. And while yes, you will build the muscle and the strength that you need to do it.
00:18:37
Speaker
pole dancing, it's like very imbalanced the way that you would build it. So pole dancing requires a lot of push pull. And you have a dominant hand and a non-dominant hand. And, you know, that's the same thing in pole dancing. that There's usually going to be one hand on top, one hand on bottom, one leg that you hang from, one that you don't. And while everyone says practice both sides, which you should, the truth of the matter is there's always going to be one side that's just not doing the same amount of work or the same work as the other.
00:19:08
Speaker
So it's really important to cross-trains that kind of you know, balance out the imbalances and create a more well-rounded just strength
Building a Consistent Practice
00:19:16
Speaker
practice. And what that also does is is it prevents injury because if you're constantly using the same muscles and engaging the same muscles over and over again, and the other ones aren't working as hard, you're putting too much strain on one area of the body. Shoulders is a big like pole injury. um So I always say that.
00:19:35
Speaker
And also just for the longevity of it, like a lot of people who start pole dancing end up in it for the long run, which is a beautiful thing. And it's a very physically demanding sport or practice and working actively on your strength and your mobility will just be able to lengthen the amount of time that you're able to do it.
00:19:55
Speaker
yeah Yeah, that makes so much sense. How, how often does I'm sure I'm sure this isn't even like a great question, like because it probably varies so much. But how if someone was getting into like the sport and the practice, either using it for fitness, or even like healing with you, how often does someone actually practice it?
00:20:15
Speaker
And then like, what would it look like? to also work out? Like, do you have any like recommendations for the girlies of like, oh, this is like, I don't know, like what a little workout routine could be in terms of like days or like, how does that look like?
00:20:27
Speaker
Yeah, absolutely. i always say it definitely depends on your goals. I feel like I personally am someone who progressed pretty quickly in the pole world. And I always am fully transparent about the fact that I was taking like three, four classes a week.
00:20:42
Speaker
that's pretty extreme. Like I think I just was immediately obsessed and I was like, I have to do this every single day i can. um But that doesn't have to be and shouldn't be everybody's reality. Like everyone is going to have different goals.
00:20:53
Speaker
If you want to see progression, and you want to see it quicker, I would say at least two times a week, if you just want to do it, and you're like slow and steady wins the race, I'm just happy to be here once per week is totally fine.
00:21:06
Speaker
i do think at least once a week is good for the body to get used to doing something so different. There's really nothing in the world like pole. Like You're just not moving your body like that really any other time. So having a consistent practice just helps the body understand what is going on and again helps prevent the injury.
Overcoming Fear and Self-Consciousness
00:21:24
Speaker
um Also with the muscle memory too and just your body being able to adapt to what it needs to do. And then as far as the gym, I would say like I go five days a week. I've learned to really love the gym now. And that's its own separate like entity for me. Like I enjoy being there so much.
00:21:41
Speaker
But in order to cross train effectively, three days a week would be totally fine. And I would try if you can to stagger. Um, where you're working out and your pool day. So until you're a little farther along on your practice, I wouldn't recommend doing like a two a day type of thing until you're like maybe a year or two in just so that your body again can adjust to this new level of fitness that you're doing.
00:22:05
Speaker
um So just as an example, like maybe Monday, Wednesday, Friday, you go to the gym, and then Tuesday or Thursday, you take a pool class type of thing. hmm. I love that. I love how you got like so obsessed with it. That's also a great generator like, my God, like, I love this. Like, I cannot stop. Like, it's so cool.
00:22:26
Speaker
Yeah, it was a little crazy. My he's now my husband, but we had just actually started dating when I found Paul and he was like, are you okay? Yeah. I was like, yeah, no, this is wonderful. It's my life now. but He's like, you're going again? Okay. Literally. I would even do like sometimes two classes in a row in the same night. Like I obsessed. Yeah.
00:22:47
Speaker
I love that. um okay this is my next question so that I kind of wanted to ask about so what would you say ah dance in general right like I feel like dance in general some of us might have like a strained relationship with it because especially if we're thinking about it in terms of like performative right it's like oh everyone's looking at me I feel dumb like I feel like that was my experience with dancing ever since I was really little like I think it started like I'm sure as like a child, I was dancing and like having fun. But then I feel like at a certain point for me, I can remember specifically in middle school, it was like the dances, right? Middle school dances coming up. And I was like, oh my God, I can literally, this is like so cringy and embarrassing and funny, but I remember myself being in my room and like trying to teach myself how to twerk to, um, I love that.
00:23:37
Speaker
Like I would literally like just like practice and try and I was like, I can't figure this out. And then I honestly think I didn't even like go to the dance. And then I had this whole like, I feel like from there it just stemmed and I don't really know what happened or why. i don't have like a specific memory of like what it was, but I feel like I've always then just was like super self-conscious of dancing because I felt like, oh, I can't dance. I don't know how to dance. and And then, yeah. So can you speak about that? About like,
00:24:05
Speaker
Do you think women have that, kind of some of us have that thing where it's like more because we're worried about what other people are thinking about us than just allowing ourselves to like feel the music? Absolutely. I think honestly, most of us have that. And I'll tell you a story about me because even as a dancer and somebody who's been dancing for a long time, and at this point I was even pole dancing.
00:24:27
Speaker
I went on a cruise with my husband in 2022, late went with an couple and and we went with an older couple and they had like this like dance party every night. like It was like a ah rave like type scene, but nobody that we went with wanted to go. My husband doesn't dance. He's like, absolutely not. And then we were with like an older couple, and they were like just not into that scene.
00:24:51
Speaker
And for the first like night or two, I remember like just like going in and literally just watching everyone. And I just felt so weird. like I was by myself. like I don't know how to dance to this music.
00:25:02
Speaker
um And I just felt so uncomfortable. And then I think it was the second night I went like we were going back to our room and I felt like sad and my husband was like what's the what's the matter and I was like I don't know like I just sat there and watched everybody dance like I want to dance and he's like so dance like what's the what's the problem it's like I don't know and then like I really internalized that and I was like Would it feel worse for me to dance and maybe have some people look at me and realize I'm alone or maybe I'm not dancing to that kind of music the right way? Or does it feel worse to feel like this feeling of left out?
Empowerment and Authenticity Through Dance
00:25:38
Speaker
and And that the next night I was like, you know what, I'm just going to do it. and I'm just going to dance and whatever. yeah. I actually made friends, like people invited me into their group, like it was totally fine. But I think that that's a very normal thing, because I think dance is a pretty vulnerable act. Like you're, you're putting yourself out there no matter where you're doing it.
00:25:58
Speaker
And I always say to people when you're starting like in a class, at least because I know, again, pole dancing dance class, it's it's an intimidating thing. The way that you're feeling about yourself and like, is everybody looking at me? Am I going to mess up? Is the same way everybody in that room feels about themselves?
00:26:14
Speaker
Like, and I promise you, like nobody is focused on you. Like no one's going to go like out of that class and be like, did you you see that girl? Like everyone's so hyper focused on themselves in the best way possible that that just it doesn't even have to be a worry.
00:26:29
Speaker
But it is a totally different ballgame when you're like out or like maybe at a bar or whatever, because there are some people that are just watching you like not everyone's there to dance. And so I do think it's a completely normal thing.
00:26:42
Speaker
i think it just it's like it's just one of those things that you have to do. Like you have to throw yourself into it. And then after enough times, it's like. all right, like this isn't so bad. And I always pick like frame it in my mind is do you want to be the person that's watching everybody dance? Or do you want to be the person that looks like they're having fun?
00:27:01
Speaker
Because that's how I see it. I've never looked at somebody dancing at a bar or at a wedding and thought like, oh my god, they're terrible. They shouldn't be dancing. I always look at it as look at them like they are so confident and they're just want to have a good time. And that's the the energy I want to embody too.
00:27:17
Speaker
And that's my mindset going into it now. Oh, I freaking love that so much. That's literally like, yeah, I feel like for me, I also had this weird thing too, where i well, I started drinking very young. And so i'm I'm sober now. But before I feel like I would also really use...
00:27:35
Speaker
alcohol as a way to be like, okay, like this is giving me courage, you know, like the liquid courage to like, go dancing. And like, and I would always have fun dancing. But I also had that little bit of courage, I think, like took away the like, is everyone looking at me? And so now I feel like it's just that what you said of realizing like, oh, literally, nobody is looking at me, like literally.
00:27:56
Speaker
And so it's like more of just like, I feel like maybe it's kind like getting out of the mind, I guess. Right. Like getting out of the mind and just more into your body and just realizing like, nobody's actually looking at me. And I like what you said about like, would I rather be sad for feeling left out or yeah Or actually just like do it.
00:28:15
Speaker
Exactly. Yeah. Like I said, it's just, I always see people like there's been so many times, not just that story where like, I want to get up and I want to dance, whether it be at a wedding or an event and I look at the people on the dance floor and I feel like a little jealous. Like I want to be able to do that. And then I just realized like I can do that. Like anybody can do that. Like and I'm not looking at these people like why are they dancing? I'm looking at these people like look how much fun they're having.
00:28:40
Speaker
I want to be the kind of person that makes people be like look how much fun she's having, you know, and that's was the biggest mindset reframe for me. I love that. I'm literally obsessed. I'm like, wait, maybe I should go dancing. I'm just kidding.
00:28:54
Speaker
Literally. I also liked what you said about, um you know, the not drinking anymore thing, because I also don't drink anymore. But I have found that I'm more comfortable. Like if it is like a bar setting or a place where other people are drinking, I feel more comfortable if I have like a Sprite or something in my hands and it looks like I'm I don't know why. Like that's just like a thing. I don't know.
00:29:16
Speaker
That's probably still like a mindset thing, but like just like, you know, anything you can do to make yourself a little bit more comfortable in a vulnerable situation. Yes, I love that. Same here, like a little like Diet Coke. It's like a little drink. exactly Also, kind of like being around other people.
00:29:34
Speaker
And it's not like I'm always around other drunk people, but in a way, I'm kind of like, oh, they're just drunk. So like, they're not they are not looking at me, you know, exactly. Oh, my God, I love that.
00:29:47
Speaker
exactly um my god i love that um Okay, can you talk to us? I'm super curious about your like coaching style and kind of like what you've created. So you go ah are teaching this like embodiment, sensual, like movement, dance practice, like, like a literal movement that you're creating.
00:30:07
Speaker
And how do you also like incorporate your own coaching? Because I know it's also very important for you to have like the coaching aspect, right? Yeah, no, definitely. um This has been something that's actually been so interesting for me to navigate in this space is my unique voice as a coach and, you know, what I want to bring to this space because,
00:30:27
Speaker
it is really raw and really vulnerable. And I think what's been most transformative for me is just really tapping into my strengths as ah as a human, like as a friend, that's the way i like to think of it as like, how do I help my friends? And that's just by, I'm really good at holding space for people and allowing them to feel safe and creating a safe space. And that's what I try to do with my clients. Um,
00:30:52
Speaker
So the way that I usually do it is like baby steps. Like I'm not introducing pole dance usually ever in and the first session. Like it's usually just us talking, like just trying to like get into the body in different ways, like gentle movement, closing the eyes, getting used to not looking at yourself and it not being performative, like you said before.
00:31:14
Speaker
And I'm really big on cues as well. So like, I love like prompts and cues, like, because some people just like, if you're just starting a movement journey, and I'm telling you to just move your body from your intuition, like you're not going to know what that means. Like, ah move my body where?
00:31:29
Speaker
Yeah. yeah So I try to be really, really clear on what I'm asking them to do. So sometimes it'll be something like put your hand where you feel sadness right now in your body and then move from there. Or sometimes it's simply maybe if we're doing like pushing outside of the comfort zone stuff. Like maybe I'll just be like, do movements that make you feel like melting like butter. Like anything that I could do to kind of create a visual for them.
00:31:57
Speaker
um Because again, when you're just starting out on this journey, if I'm just telling you to move and like, you know, move the grief out of your body or be like, what are you talking about? Like, what does that even mean?
00:32:08
Speaker
So I try to like really step set the stage that way. And then it's a lot of talking. Like, and I think that's like something people don't expect going into it, but i really want you to You don't have to tell me exactly what you're feeling, but I like to do a lot of check-ins. Like, how does this feel for you? And like, how is like, because I think it's important to pair the movement with awareness of what's happening in your body if you want to actually feel the transformation. Mm-hmm.
00:32:38
Speaker
Oh my gosh. Even just hearing that, I'm like, that sounds so divine. Like even like, oh, like melt, like imagine like melting like butter. Also, I just want to say that um i literally feel like you're so designed for this, like this for sure, obviously, you know, is your purpose because you're just like the most sweetest, like loving energy. Like it's like,
00:33:02
Speaker
Yeah, just even speaking to you, even when I first met you, I was like, I feel like I literally trust you with everything because you're just like the most like open hearted, warm, like, it might also again be that like generator or of just like a warm hug that's like so beautiful.
00:33:15
Speaker
and i think that's like a testament of like how much you love yourself, you know, in your own self love journey, because you're able to give that to others because you have like learned how to do that for yourself. Absolutely. i agree with that. Um,
00:33:27
Speaker
Yeah, no, thank you. First of all, thank you, because that means the world to me. And i think it's a really good point that, like you said, it's a testament to how much I love myself because As much as I think I've always had had the capacity to do this for other people, there's definitely been times in my life where I wouldn't have been able to um simply because that self-love wasn't there. And an example of that, like outside of the coaching space is just the beginning of my relationship with my now husband was really hard because
00:34:01
Speaker
i I didn't really love myself and I didn't trust. And it was hard for me to go further than surface level with him because it's just, there was so much resistance and so many blocks.
00:34:14
Speaker
And honestly, it was the movement journey that really helped kind of break those down. And at least for me to understand where they were coming from so that I could begin to let love in.
Impact of Movement on Personal Relationships
00:34:23
Speaker
And once I let that love in for myself truly and began to trust myself, that's when I could let him in and other people. And now just being able to handle,
00:34:33
Speaker
working with other people because it's, I think it's really important to highlight and I know you do work with other people as well. Like you can only meet people as far as you've met yourself and you can't be a coach and you can't hold space for other people if you haven't gone that deep yourself.
00:34:49
Speaker
Yes, 100%. And I feel like sometimes people might like learn something and then just think like, oh, I'm going to teach it now. But then that's why it's it's not really successful or there's just like not the like embodiment piece that other people can just feel.
00:35:05
Speaker
So yeah, I really do think that like, this is like literally purpose, life's work. It's over years and years that you've been doing this, you know, and like uncovering new layers, new layers. And now you're like, wow, like there's nothing more that I want than to bring this to other people because you've seen all the ways that it's helped you. Exactly.
00:35:24
Speaker
thank you Yeah, I love what you said too, about how like it helped your relationship with your husband, because I think that we might not even realize all the ways in our life of how this like movement practices and like, especially what you do can help people literally and every part of their life, like they might just think, Oh, this is like, i don't know, a dance class or a pole class, or, you know, I'm just taking this workshop, but it's like, no, like, it's literally helping so many parts of your life like do you have any other examples of maybe in your life or like clients lives that you're like wow this this has like changed a lot for them yeah absolutely um like I shared definitely in my marriage um
00:36:08
Speaker
Also, um I have like a difficult relation. I don't actually talk to my parents. So I'm no contact with my parents and just being able to navigate that and have a practice that allows me to express what I need to express and feel what I need to feel, but also stand like firm in my boundaries.
00:36:25
Speaker
um That was a big thing that movement brought to me is just being able to say no and to know that like, I don't have to be okay with things that aren't okay. um It's helped some of my clients work through divorces.
00:36:40
Speaker
um ah Something that it's helped me with and also my clients is sexual assault and like having your body literally taken away from you. I've worked with clients who have been, you know, shamed for their sexuality or have been taught that like sex is bad and like just reconnecting with their feminine body and like people that even felt like so disconnected from their feminine body because they just never felt like you know I don't want to say never felt like a girl but maybe never just like could never connect to that softness and the way that that shows up and in the world is like being able to fully accept yourself being able to fully accept the love that you actually deserve being able to be confident in your body and like own your body
00:37:26
Speaker
um especially victims of sexual assault and relationship abuse. Like it's very easy to internalize that and feel like your body is not yours. And I think dance is a ah really, really powerful reclamation of the body.
00:37:42
Speaker
Thank you so much for sharing that. I feel like, yeah, I feel like it's a beautiful, ah beautiful way kind of tying back to what we said in the beginning of like really getting out of the mind and like, you know, not creating the stories and just like kind of mentally trying to like solve it and more get into the body and just allowing it to somatically like release itself.
Body Appreciation and Self-Love
00:38:01
Speaker
Exactly. see I love that so much. um What is one message that you wish every woman could receive about their body? That's a really good question.
00:38:18
Speaker
i wish that every woman could receive the message that their body is their home. um And I think there's so many things that take us away from that message. And, you know, even just growing up in the climate that we grew up in with like this constant body shaming and this constant like eyes and critiques on people's bodies, but also just dealing with things in everyday life like motherhood and, and you know, maybe certain traumas like your body
00:38:52
Speaker
It does all it can to protect you. And that is why trauma gets stored in the body. It is to protect us and to like basically say like, hopefully this doesn't happen again. But if it does, like we're ready, like we have the wall up.
00:39:05
Speaker
But the the the downside of that is that we internalize this message and like actually physical tension of and it's it's not safe, like we're not safe. And i just wish that more women were able to tap into practices like this to know that like it's okay.
00:39:23
Speaker
Everything in the body is safe. Like we are safe inside of our bodies and and we should love our bodies. a I love that. That is so beautiful.
00:39:36
Speaker
Would you say that it's also um kind of like related to that? i know a lot of women struggle with like maybe their body appearance, their weight. is like Is this also practice like a way for them to like um learn how to kind of like love um maybe their body exactly as it is as they're also kind of like working on this journey to transform it?
00:39:59
Speaker
Absolutely. And I think the really like a bold way that it does that is you're able to see what your body is capable of as it is right now. um Because like I said earlier, you'd be so surprised what you're able to do fairly early on in a pole journey or a dance journey. and And even just the way it makes your body feel like I don't think sometimes when we don't have practices like this, like we don't know what it feels like for our body to express joy or self-love or you know, a big thing that I work on in the beginning, it's just really uncomfortable for a lot of people is self-touch, like learning to touch and appreciate your body as it is right now. Because if you can't touch and love and appreciate your body, like, can we really ever expect anyone else to do that fully either? And i think it just...
00:40:49
Speaker
It allows people to feel empowered, like I said, as they are right now. And obviously a transformation will come with it, whether it's physical or emotional or both.
00:40:59
Speaker
um But I think people really gain an appreciation for where they're at in this moment. Mm hmm. That's so beautiful. I love that so much. Because sometimes, especially as women, we might have this like idea of like, oh, the ideal body, especially as things change as we get older, like obviously our body changes.
00:41:19
Speaker
And so it's so beautiful to be able to like appreciate exactly where we are and also keep working on our strength and like all of the things that it does for us. So I love that that got that your work like helps people do that.
00:41:30
Speaker
Yeah, no, thank you. i think that is the most rewarding part of it because i think I think everybody goes through the world dealing with the things that are just heavy day to day. But I think women, especially over time, have really internalized this idea that we have to maintain this level of perfectionism, especially when it comes to our looks and our bodies and that it's really not okay to look a certain way. And it's only okay to look a certain way. And when you have a practice that not only teaches you self love, but the community itself is so inclusive, like there, everybody you could imagine is pole dancing. And I think when you're able to see that, and you're able to see that you can belong, and you don't have to look a certain way or be a certain way, it's it's really beautiful.
00:42:18
Speaker
Oh my god, I love that. I love that it's like so inclusive. And like there's like all types of people. Yeah, no, that is one of my favorite parts is the pole community. um It's, it's beautiful. Like, and everyone just really truly wants the best for each other. And i think that's, it's really hard to find spaces like that in today's climate.
00:42:38
Speaker
Yeah, for sure. Can it also like, do you also find it um giving women maybe like confidence in their voice? Like I also know a lot of us struggle with like, um like, I know you said it it also really helps with like setting boundaries and steps. Does it also kind of help with like finding your voice and like being able to like speak up for yourself, just like more confidence in general, almost like the way that people carry themselves?
00:43:01
Speaker
Yeah, and that's something that changed for me dramatically. i Before pole dancing, I'm telling you, like I literally used to walk around like with my head down, like shoulders slumped, like completely different than I am today. um Every part of my expression was either like an act of rebellion or it was like me desperately trying to fit into whatever I thought I needed to
Empowering History of Pole Dancing
00:43:23
Speaker
fit into. And now I'm just so...
00:43:25
Speaker
comfortable being me. And i think it's, it's truly because when you're able to have a practice that allows you to express your story and your truth, you internalize what your story and your truth is consciously and subconsciously. And when you can do that over and over again in a safe space, it's like, I don't have to be afraid of who I am anymore. Like I know who I am. I'm so sure of who I am and I'm proud of who I am. and when you can move through all of this emotion and move through you're unique, again, expression, like it's just, you are able to carry yourself much different in the world. And i was able to find my voice because I wasn't scared of my story anymore. And I think that that is a big struggle for a lot of people.
00:44:12
Speaker
no matter where the fear comes from, when we have like a block around using our voice and setting boundaries and and speaking our truth, it really comes from fear. And again, our body's way of protecting itself is just like, don't put yourself in these situations where you are being vulnerable and people can see you because then you'll get hurt again.
00:44:32
Speaker
But when you can release the pain from your past, then you can finally speak about it and you can own it. And i think that's the biggest piece of it. Like dancing and pole dance and sensual dance allow you to own yourself and own your story. And once you own it, like you'll flaunt it everywhere. Like and there it doesn't yeah doesn't matter who knows it, you know.
00:44:53
Speaker
Yes, I feel like that's what I really feel from you is just this like embodiment of like, oh, like this is me, you know, like, I don't know, like queen energy. And like, it's just like, but it's not like trying to be anything. It's not pretending to be confidence. It's not trying to be something. It's literally just like your fullest essence that shines through that I think is like what makes you so magnetic. So yeah, it's so beautiful. Oh my god, thank you. That means so much me. Again, um yeah because it it took me truly so long to find that. Like i I'm telling you, like literally everything I did was to, to either just fit in or to to capture attention, but in a way that just wasn't authentic. Like I just wanted people to like me.
00:45:36
Speaker
um And I felt like I had to be literally anything but myself to be liked. And then I found this practice and it was like, well, I don't care who likes my dancing. Like I don't care all of a sudden who likes my outfits. I don't care.
00:45:49
Speaker
And it's like baby steps like that. Right. I feel like it starts with the movement in the studio. Like you don't have to care what it looks like. And then all of a sudden you're wearing things that you would have never worn before because it feels good. And you're like, oh, like I don't have to care what other people think. And Also realizing that that doesn't make you selfish, because another thing like I feel like we're conditioned as women to really feel selfish for making decisions like that and to really own our power and our essence. So it just gives you that power back in a way that it just brings out your your authenticity and you just want to shine that everywhere.
Entrepreneurship and Authenticity
00:46:24
Speaker
and say Yeah, I don't this is like just a really random note to that. But it's crazy, because um i just learned the other day that women, we weren't allowed to get our own credit cards into like the nineteen seventy s Like we still had to have our husbands co sign.
00:46:37
Speaker
yeah Like, Oh, my God. So like, yeah, it's crazy how far like, ah women have come in such a short amount of time for ah for our liberation. It's crazy. Yeah. It is crazy. And I feel like pole dance is just a huge testament to that. like To be able to take something and really make it our own. like I love to tell this story because not many people know, but the first pole classes and pole as just a modality in a sport, like that came from strippers and sex workers. like There would be no pole dance anything.
00:47:09
Speaker
without the pioneers of the industry and it and it was them and they were able to take this and, you know, say, I'm not going to let this oppress me. Like this is something that empowers me and I'm going to bring this into the world. And it's just, it's a beautiful thing.
00:47:24
Speaker
if she It really is so beautiful. um Okay, my last question is about what would you say is like your, what is like one of your biggest lessons that you've learned on the sole purpose business journey? Because um a lot of people listening are also like so spiritual entrepreneurs. And so like, what what would you say has like been something that's unlocked for you, whether it's in the last like year, six months, three months, or just in general, that has been like a big lesson for you on the like spiritual um or like a sole purpose business journey? Yeah, I think my biggest takeaway um is to just be yourself. And I know that sounds so cliche, but it's also one of the hardest things to do, especially in business, because it's so easy, especially with like social media and being online to see everybody else and what everybody else is doing and try to emulate that and attain success the way that other people have. But when you're able to
00:48:26
Speaker
Really be authentic to you and really own your truth and to just be unapologetic about what you bring into the world. It doesn't have to look like anything else and it doesn't have to be like anything else. And this is still something that I'm working through, but I find that the more I'm able to just stay true to what my soul wants to bring into the world and to be of service.
00:48:49
Speaker
I think it's really important also to not only be yourself, but to remember why you started this in the first place. And I always connect back to that. I want women to feel like the sense of liberation that I now feel.
00:49:01
Speaker
And once I connect to that, plus like my authentic self, like that's where like the magic is made because it's like, this is my purpose, but this is my unique way of bringing it into the world. And when you confuse the two together, it's just like, you do become this magnetic person and you find your people like that.
00:49:18
Speaker
Not everyone's going to be for you. And that's okay. And sometimes it's going to take really long for people to find you. And that's okay, too. But as long as you stay authentic to your messaging and your purpose, you'll find your community and and the rest kind of flows from there.
Flow Alchemy Masterclass and Membership
00:49:33
Speaker
I love that so much. And I think it's like, it's so beautiful too, that it's like, everyone can win, right? Like so many people can do like pole dance and sensuality and teach this like beautiful practice. And then you have your own special like spin on it. That's like so rooted in this like healing and like energetic, like, you know, energy and just all of these things. And it's like, yeah, I just love how you show up. And it's like,
00:50:00
Speaker
super authentic and I think that is what makes you so magnetic and just like you also guys um if you I'm gonna put all of your like links in the show notes but if you guys don't follow Cassie yet um I'm obsessed with you because you have your own studio in your house and so it's so fun just like watching your stories and seeing you like flowing on there it's like oh my god every time I see you I'm just like it's so fun to watch and I feel like it's just like so you and your essence and it's I love it Yes, I'm literally flowing every minute that I can, for sure.
00:50:30
Speaker
But what you were saying actually reminded me of something that I just saw online recently. And it was like, ah a million people can have the same ingredients and the same recipe, but no one will mix them together the same way.
00:50:43
Speaker
And taking that and applying it to the business world, like there is billions and billions of people in the world and there's going to be different things that attract different people to you and you know ah the five million other people can be doing the same thing that you're doing but nobody's going to do it the exact same way that you can and so that's why sticking to your authenticity is so important because that is your secret sauce like that is what the people will love about you is is you what you can bring that nobody else can simply by being yourself
00:51:14
Speaker
Exactly, exactly. Even like in the gene keys, right? What we teach is like everything is about like frequency. And so it's like, yeah, like there can be a million people doing the things you're doing, but like you have your own fractal line of souls that are like, oh my God, like I love Cassie. I love how she talks. I love her voice. Like I love her energy, her bubbliness, like just everything about you, like is going to attract certain people to you. And so I think it's so important when you said about being authentic because so many like often we're afraid to fully show ourselves, but it's doing a disservice to us because then our people that are out there, like these little like fractals of people that are meant to see us aren't going to see us and they're not going to hear us. But the more that we're just ourselves and we um like celebrate our differences or what little things, you know like little things that make us weird or quirky or just that we think no one would care about.
00:52:01
Speaker
Those are the little things that are going to be like, oh my God, I love Cassidy because of this. And like, I want to learn from her. Exactly. It's really beautiful, actually. and see Yay. my gosh. Well, thank you so much for coming. This was honestly so fun, so informative.
00:52:18
Speaker
Can you let us know, like, what do you have going on? Do you have any workshops coming up, like programs, everything? Tell us all the details. Yes. So i have very soon coming up a masterclass, which is called the Flow Alchemy Masterclass.
00:52:32
Speaker
It's really just like me giving information on what the Flow Alchemy is. And I have finally reached a point where I've created like my own signature embodied movement method. So basically taking everything that I talked about all throughout this podcast and like coming up with this step by step, maybe not step by step, but this like method of like being able to bring this into your life and integrate it in different areas and then be able to create a sustainable practice so that you can take it outside of the studio as well.
00:53:03
Speaker
So I'll be explaining what that is in the masterclass, but right after the masterclass is when I'll be introducing a membership where I'm bringing people into my space to be able to go through the flow alchemy and really learn how to transform through sensual dance and pole dance. And it's just going to be a really beautiful space of healing and people will be able to go through it at their own pace and but also still have me as a support. So I'm really excited about that.
00:53:31
Speaker
Oh my God. That sounds so beautiful. Do you have a date already chosen for the masterclass? Yes, it is going to be Monday the 10th. um However, it'll be up on my website forever.
00:53:44
Speaker
So yeah, it's free. You can join like in live or you can just watch it and get the recording at any point in time. It'll always be free. And that'll, like I said, just be a way for you to learn what the flow alchemy is. And if you're interested and you want that magic in your life, then you can join the membership and, you know, really experience the magic of movement.
Daily Dance for Emotional Well-being
00:54:06
Speaker
Oh my gosh, I love that. Amazing. Do you have any final thoughts? Is there anything that you're like, I need the people to know? Is there anything else on your heart? um The only other thing, excuse me, that I would love to say is Whether you're scared of it or you're not, or you're going to join a membership or you're not, dance.
00:54:27
Speaker
Just dance. Five minutes a day in the morning, preferably. But just move your body at least five minutes a day and you'll just find yourself in this completely different state for the rest of your day, which is why i really recommend it for the morning time. Just make a playlist, put all your favorite songs on it and move.
00:54:46
Speaker
Okay, the girl, I'm going to do that. I'm going to actually do that. i love it. Yay. Okay, thank you guys so much for being here. All of the notes, um all of her links, everything will be in the show notes.
00:54:57
Speaker
And we will see you guys next week. Thank you. thank you.