This article is somewhat different from others I have posted. It is a confession in a way. I have been a teacher and a passionate believer of the craft I espouse since 1997. Throughout those years I have honed and searched for the most perfect cues and the most efficient modifications and basically, the safest ways to teach people the rudiments of Pilates, and then to move, move more quickly and to feel the freedom of that movement.
I know all teachers have their own style and routines of teaching. I was taught by the master herself, Romana Kryzanowska, and I stay true to the sanctity of the traditional form. Since my background is grounded in dance (ballet, Irish dance, and competitive ballroom ), I “feel” an innate “calling”, if you will, to dance my way through the exercises I teach. Loosely and broad descriptive sentence I know. Exercise is exercise, dance is dance. Of course. However, that being said, all the body parts are actually moving throughout each transition of each exercise.
So, in essence, I have the thought in my mind when I am explaining the exercise, what I am desiring of the clients to feel. And one phrase I continually return to is this: we must always remember that our appendages have to be incorporated into our core and not the core fitting into the appendages.
Every teacher has their own styles, their favorite exercises, their special cues, and typically always erring on the side of safety. It takes a while for a client to become used to my verbalizations and descriptions, (I’ve been told). Yet, I want people to succeed and to do so without any downtime of pain, and with even more freedom from a situation of chronic pain.
It is a rapid course of knowing the body, how the parts of our muscles move fluidly and even more importantly, the most common “faults” of our bodies. Leveling the classes is of utmost importance so a beginner can process information and store it in the muscles. Teaching is a wonderful experience on so many levels …. Beginner, intermediate, and introducing advanced into classes like seasoning a special entree. Each experience should be a delicious one and should always leave the client wanting more!
