#16: Amelia Heintzelman
"I really believe that imagination and curiosity is what keeps our bodies going."
Amelia is a dancer & somatic educator. She teaches a weekly yoga class at Pageant (every Tuesday at 7pm).
At a glanceā¦
Location: NYC
Big 3: Pisces/Taurus/Aquarius
What does health, or being healthy, mean to you?
Acupuncture (Ariel at Tigerlily Holistic for any injury), deep relationships and new exciting ones alike, Katonah yoga, lemon, laughing!
How would you describe your current lifestyle?
Frenetic, deep, awkward, dense, rich, challenging, vibrantly seeking. Iām in the period of deep work that is intense but devotional ā I'm looking ahead.
How do you start and end your days?
Start: Cat, boyfriend, coffee, pack lunch, emails.
End: TikTok, reading, imagining, cat, boyfriend, melatonin or edible.
Whatās your relationship to self-healing?
I am working with this idea of speculative physiology, in my creative work and also lightly in my approach to teaching. Iāve dealt with minor injuries, traumatic injuries, post-op rehabilitation, both within my own body and the bodies of students, friends, and loved ones. I really believe that imagination and curiosity is what keeps our bodies going. I really believe that losing belief in your own ability to heal can cause you to be stuck in a tremendous amount of pain. My body is really strong, and sometimes my head can get in the way.
Was there a specific moment in life that made you more conscious of your health?
I was in a car accident when I was 16 and spent about four months in a wheelchair. Everyone in the car with me was severely injured, one person died. Those four months of recovery were hell and Iāve fought with my body ever since to develop a unwavering resilience, deeply loving relationship to my own physicality, a desire to push and get stronger with every day I get older. My yoga teacher says the body gets better with age, so far Iāve found that to be true. But this is not without an immense amount of enthusiasm, work, and care.
Where do you look to for information and guidance?
My favorite place to go with a sense of unknowing is Pageant. I admire Ayano Elson, Abbie Glavin, and Juliana May, my current teachers and mentors who keep me in my body. I love listening to POOG with Kate Berlant and Jacqueline Novak. Sometimes I donāt have any guidance and I have to go ā1, 2, 3, goā knowing that I have no idea what Iām doing.
When do you feel the most at home in your body? The most nourished?
When I am deep in creative process; when I am dancing and in motion.
Fuck, marry, kill: three health trends of your choice.
Fuck: those little PT exercise videos on Instagram, marry: water with a whole blended lemon, kill: rigid routine.
Whatās your palette like? What meals do you find yourself returning to?
I love butter, sugar, and caffeine. I live off of eggs ā hard-boiled, unfortunately. In an emergency, Iām making pasta. On a good day, I'm eating sweet potatoes, avocados, red cabbage, rice, chickpeas, and anything green. When Iām feeling nostalgic, Iām making popcorn on the stove with a lot of oil, salt and dill.
What do you think is the most pressing health issue of our time?
No universal health care, no subsidized access to wellness; capitalism.
What advice would you give to your past self?
Please sleep.
What advice would you give to the person reading this?
Come to my yoga class at Pageant on Tuesdays at 7pm :)
Note: this Q&A was originally published via Mailchimp. Read the full issue here.