5 reasons to take virtual one-one-one lesson or a small group class.
May 11, 2020
1. You get to do Pilates again!
How long has it been? How many of us can honestly say that they have been doing great at keeping the Pilates routine going? How many of us are waiting around for better times so that we can jump back on the equipment? Yes, some bodies respond better to springs and pullies, and some bodies are not able to do Pilates without springs and pullies. But …most of us can do just fine with only a mat, a pillow and gravity.
2. You get another set of eyes to observe your technique and alignment and give you feedback.
Even if you are motivated enough to search the internet for free content and follow along with a Pilates instructor, you still only put your body through Pilates choreography. You cannot be certain of how much you benefit since the benefit comes from correct pattern movements and accessing the right muscles; Giving your body what your body needs.
3. Accountability for keeping your body in shape and your mind focused, if you need it and when you need it.
If you are using this time, during stay-at-home order, to diligently stay away from Pilates, you know you are not really doing yourself a favor. There was once a reason why you walked through the Harmonious doors and continued walking through regularly for months and even years. If you have prepaid for your Pilates already, why not use it to do a virtual lesson once in a while? If the studio was opened, You would be on the mat for sure. Because even if Mat is not your favorite flavor of Pilates, we make you do it every few sessions ANYWAY
4. You get to interact with another human being, one that possibly already knows you
If you are feeling blue and lost because life is not what it was two months ago… occasional contact with someone that you used to spend time with every week may prove to be just want you need, in order to cope.
And you get a feel-good workout out of it too!
5. We miss you!
When Choosing A Pilates Teacher Training Program, Consider Your Long-term Goals
May 8th, 2019
How to choose a training program and why it matters -
the reality of being a Pilates teacher.
You should choose to study a comprehensive Pilates teacher training program where you master Mat and apparatus simultaneously level by level and here is why:
Fit and injured have different needs. The training program you choose should prepare you to handle both with the same high-level skill. A client deserves to be looked at as a whole and be guided through a session according to their needs. A teacher should be prepared to teach various body types, at any fitness level with any restrictions, offering not only a wide array of exercises to the client, but most of all, a cohesive and logical link system of choices to address all fitness skills and limitations.
To understand and become proficient in the skill of “reading” the bodies and develop a keen eye that can tell “where the movement” originates from and how to cue a correct muscle action takes at least 12-18 months of theory and practice. There is no substitute for learning and mastering the craft other than investing time and effort in many practical hours (apprenticeship) spent at a Pilates studio.
Learning only one aspect of the method (i.e. a piece of equipment or mat one at a time) does not support the opportunity to understand logical connections that exists within the method very well. It limits the student’s development into well versed teacher. And there lies the startling disconnection between some of the training programs currently offered and the reality of being a Pilates teacher.
Rasing the bar on Pilates education
May 10, 2019
Teaching Pilates is a profession, one that still
struggles to be recognized.
Instead of contributing to elevating the status of a Pilates teacher as a profession, Teacher Training programs dumb down the training to appeal to a wider audience, making prospective teachers believe that spending minimum time and paying a competitive price will give them the desired education. Shouldn’t we be raising the bar on Pilates education, taking care of new generation of teachers who will contribute to further developing our profession?
The first obvious fact is that today’s Pilates hype distorts the reality of teaching Pilates, presenting a misleading picture to prospective Pilates teachers. Students get excited at the possibility of learning a new and popular method of movement, not realizing that they should seek out a program that will teach them the many layers that Pilates is made of and not just prepare them to teach one aspect of this method (i.e. Mat or equipment type) to one type of client.
When the training program decides to deliver a specific curriculum, the training program decides what the student is going to learn, rather than offering the student all that there is to learn about Pilates. The training programs should not make that choice for the student with enticing marketing slogans and attractive pricing.
The flaw lies not only in structuring training programs as modules and teaching Mat and apparatus separately, but also in number of hours offered. Just the fact that training programs offer various number of hours to choose from should be a reason to wonder. Why such discrepancy? Is 900 hours of training better than 600 simply because it consists of more hours? Is 450 hours good enough? A prospective student needs to ask themselves the reason they want to become a Pilates teacher and what kind of teacher do they want to be? Teaching Pilates is a profession, one that still struggles to be recognized. Why educate professionals who are only partially trained in the Pilates method, who’s fragmented knowledge puts them and their clients at a disadvantage from the start?
