Helen is a comprehensively certified pilates instructor with over 600 hours of specialized pilates training.

In my life as a dancer, my whole identity was wrapped up in the way I looked. Working out was for the sole purpose of “sculpting” my body, and food was merely fuel that I tried to consume as little of as possible. I couldn’t have felt worse both mentally and physically, yet the dance and wellness industries praised this rigidity as virtuous “discipline”.

Militant devotion to these habits (I was the epitome of the “no days off” type that makes my eyes roll back in my head so much now) that looked so healthy from the outside actually heightened my anxiety, zapped my energy, and even prompted an over-exercising injury that forced me to take a break from performing and reevaluate.

It didn’t take long to connect the dots that my obsession with being healthy was unhealthy. I had to find a way to reconcile my love of movement with my disinterest in participating in toxic wellness, and Helen Phelan Studio was born.

The HPS Method

Ever heard the adage work smarter not harder? Well, I think a good workout does both.

HPS classes are smart in that they’re Health At Every Size aligned and structured for you to choose different variations that align with where you are in your fitness journey. I’m a certified instructor (keep scrolling for more about my education) and bonafide anatomy geek. I believe that the more YOU understand about how your body works, the more connected you feel to yourself and the more impactful your workout will be. I’m also still a performing artist at heart, so, my classes are creative and fun so you actually enjoy the challenge without feeling overwhelmed or intimidated.

HPs classes are hard because high sensation (ie: when you think your leg is going to absolutely fall off if you do one more rep!) cultivates body awareness, helps you stay present (which means better muscle activation and alignment!) and builds strength and endurance. Because listening to your body is the most important part of an HPS class, movements are synced to conscious breathing techniques to help you breathe deeper, release emotional and physical tension, and bridge the disconnection modern society causes us from our bodies. Simply put, it’s also just plain ol’ cathartic to work hard and empowering to feel yourself getting stronger. With a regular practice, it goes a long way towards healing your body image and making self care a genuine priority for you. This is all a fancy way of saying: you’ll feel better on and off the mat with your strongest core and your strongest sense of self.

Off the mat, I’m filling my camera roll with pictures of my pup, clumsily learning to speak French, attempting to bake, hoarding ceramic mugs, or hiking in the Catskills. Find me on Instagram @helenvphelan, Tiktok @helenvphelan, and on Substack HPS Well Hell for more wellness culture musings (the good, the bad and the ugly) and dog videos!