Sarah Elabdi

Sarah Elabdi

Founder and Owner, Ain Pilates

she/her

Fall 2022

I am a proudly Disabled, Queer, Muslim woman. The daughter of two public school teachers, one an immigrant and the other a first generation American, I was raised to love learning about my mixed Moroccan-Irish heritage. I have a deep appreciation for languages & food, two things that sparked my wanderlust early on. After graduating from Columbia College Chicago, I moved to London with no money and no job prospects, but soon jumped head first into a fast-paced corporate role. A textbook millennial, I burned too bright too quickly and within 5 years my underlying chronic health conditions worsened. After a three year medical sabbatical, I decided to change my life's course and study Pilates on my way to becoming a movement therapist. Pilates allowed me to combine my helper's nature, natural intuition, and lived experience with chronic pain in a way that bettered my own health as well as the health of those I work with. Chronically ill and disabled folks often find comfort in labels, as they give structure to a life that lacks it, and I am no exception. Some of my labels that I enjoy are: Enneagram 2; Aries Sun, Pisces Moon, Virgo Rising.

We would love to hear your story. Please share your journey on what inspired you to do the work you are doing and anything you've learned along the way.

As a person with chronic illness and mobility issues, my relationship to movement and exercise has always been complicated; a delicate balance of managing pain and energy levels, but moving enough that I don’t decondition and lose momentum. And on top of all that, I often had to “figure it out” alone. Doctors, physical therapists, and instructors didn’t know how to help me create a realistic, sustainable and functional movement program for myself. After years of feeling this way, I figured there were probably so many others who felt the same. So I trained as a Pilates teacher and worked to build Aïn Pilates with a vision of helping feel seen and supported in their movement journey. I wanted to help others build body awareness and trust by harnessing their intuition and learning to honor their body’s needs.

How has having a physical wellness space impacted your wellbeing and/or your community's wellbeing?

Having a space in which to build my Pilates practice has meant there is a physical manifestation of the relationship I aim to build with my clients as well as my own body. I look at the Aïn Studio as a living, breathing, ever-evolving reflection of my community’s needs. If there’s anything someone needs in order to feel safe and better connect with their body, I will find a way to make it happen.

How can people best support your work?

With the help of this Reclamation Ventures grant, I am so thrilled to announce the launch of the Aïn Pilates Community Movement Fund—a scholarship program that allows marginalized folks within the community to access Pilates classes for free or at a reduced fee depending on need. You can help support this work by donating to the Community Movement Fund at ain-pilates.com

How can people access your space, attend classes or workshops, etc.?

Follow me at @ainpilatesbysarah on Instagram to find out about upcoming workshops and events, both online and in-person. You can find out more about purchasing private sessions at ain-pilates.com

Meet other grant recipients

Adrian-Xavier Scott

The Transistance Network

Alonzo Nelson Jr

Co-Owner, The Collective STL

Angel Alicea

Black Inmate Commissary Fund

Ash "Lightning Woman" Frandsen

Indigenous Karuk and Yaruk Ceremonial Leader

Ash Canty

Sovereign Spirit Death Care

Ayesha Walker

Cofounder, CEO of BE-IMAGINATIVE

Bernadette Lim

Freedom Community Clinic

Betania Ridenour

Somatic Experience Practitioner

Branché Foston

Founder, The Honey Block

Brooke Rodriguez

Cofounder, The Grinding Stone Collective

C. Marie Long

Nature Center for Meditation

Chelsey Thomas

Sexuality Educator

Chino Hardin

Co Executive Director, NuLegacy

Chrystani Heinrich

Founder, Compton Girls Club

Damon "Shuja" Johnson

Black Men Speak, Inc.

Dandelion Hill

Peer Support Space

Danny Fluker

Black Boys Om Inc

Ekua Adisa

Gender Expansive Liberationist Medicine Person

India Harville

Embraced Body

Jana Johnson

Founder & Owner of The Tree Yoga Cooperative

Jeannine Marron

Founder and Owner, Peaceful Chaos Yoga

Jolie Varela

Founder, Indigenous Women Hike

Jordan Daniel

Founder, Rising Hearts

Joseph Dupris

Assistant Professor of Linguistic and Ethnic Studies, University of Colorado Boulder

Joshua Biron

Anishinaabe Cultural Specialist, Anishaable Agriculture

Julia Mallory

Founder, Black Mermaids

Kamra Hakim

Founder, Activation Residency

Karen Faulkner

Yoga Instructor

Katherin Canton

Cofounder, Toj + Tijax

Kelsey Daniels

The Dream Experiment

Kiesha Battles

I Am Yoga CLT

Kristie Cabrera

Occupational Therapist

Kristina Jones

Guardian Lane

Krysta Venora

Founder, Pink Opal Magic

Lara Estrada

Founder and Owner, Yoga Bliss

Laura Yohualtlahuiz Rios-Ramirez

León Powell

Queer Campout

Lotta Yanong

Co-Owner, Rise Training Academy

Lotus Do

Founder, Financial Liberation Movement

Louis Mitchell

Reverend, Activist

Mangda Sengvanhpheng

Founder, BACII

Margaret Andersen

TouchBot Pleasure Tech

Megan (Pumehana) Cabral

Founder, Queer Kanaka

Micaela Zamora

Community Aid

Natasha Thomas

Black Creative Healing

Nedra Deadwyler

Founder and CEO, Civil Bikes

Oceana Sawyer

End of Life Doula

Pandora Thomas

Founder, EARTHseed Farm

Paulina Almarosa

Founder, Latinx Grief

Queen Hollins

Earthlodge Center

Raeanne Madison

Founder, Postpartum Healing Lodge

Raegan Robinson

Yoga Instructor

Raquel Gomez

Founder, Atabey Outdoors

Raquel Savage

Founder, Zepp Wellness

Renato Del Toro

Founder, Owner Hybrid Strength Athletics

Roshni Kavate

Grief Healer

Roxanne Sanchez

Founder and Owner, Roxy Wellness

Sally Ortiz Castro

Transgenerational counselor, Acupuncturist and Reiki practitioner

Samad Hinton

Founder, BLK Beetles

Sarah Elabdi

Founder and Owner, Ain Pilates

Stef Mandingo

Founder, Keep It Cute

Taganyahu Swaby

Founder and Owner, Yaad Wellness

Tara Miller

Co-Owner, Bhakti Movement Yoga Center

Tejal Patel

Tejal Yoga

Tomas Ramirez

Executive Director, Semillas y Raices

Tristan Katz

Founder, Tristan Katz Creative

Veronica Agard

Founder, Ancestors in Training

Xā Carter

Founder, Xude Yoga

Zami Tinashe Hyemingway

Spiritus Wellness

Zel Amanzi

Rest In Power Yoga + Reiki

Ready to make a change, for good?

Get in touch