In my 15+ years of teaching and owning a studio, I have been advised over and over that if I want to be successful in this industry, I should avoid using the word Pilates in describing or promoting my business. This advice, of course, comes from those who do not understand Pilates or the philosophy …
Is there still room for biomechanics in Pilates?
We have been hearing about Biomechanics everywhere these days, it seems like it’s the latest buzzword. In the fitness and health industry, we tend to latch onto one word, muscle or concept then use it, correctly or incorrectly, in every single situation, relevant or not. Let’s step back in time even before Pilates was known …
Between the Cues: The Magical Sound of Silence
Whether you are teaching a private session or group class, there are so many moving parts to observe, assess, and instruct. As teachers, we all have different strategies to manage this, whether through the use of cueing, hands-on adjustments, or breaking down movements into incremental parts. It is easy to get caught up in the …
Cueing the Breath: A Blessing and a Curse
One of the quintessential Pilates Principles is Breathing. Seems like an obvious task, but amazingly a significant challenge for many, especially with the amount of focus asked of them in a typical Pilates session. Joseph Pilates himself explains in his manifesto, Return to Life Through Contrology that to breathe properly we should “SQUEEZE EVERY ATOM …
Finding your Teaching Voice
Making your way through your Pilates Teacher Training program is an exciting and overwhelming time to say the least. There is an incredible amount of information thrown at you all at once, and you are expected to retain it all in a very short period of time. At a minimum, the initial certification part of …
What would Joseph do? Navigating the Competitive Arena of Pilates
In recent years, Pilates has become as prominent in some cities as Starbucks. In smaller communities even, you can find a Pilates studio almost on every corner, in a number of iterations. In one neighborhood in my town, there are 7 studios in a two-block stretch, with 3 more rumored to be opening soon. We …
What would Joseph do? Navigating the Competitive Arena of PilatesRead More