What does Empower Your Body really mean?

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Where did the tag line in the Rivercity Pilates Logo come from?   Empower Your Body……Inspire Your Life?

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This tag line came from the evolution of movement in my own life.  As a child I always enjoyed movement and found a sense of me when I was doing something active.  I didn’t realize it at the time, but having an active body helped me think better, dream bigger, and just plain be happier.  And today it remains the same.

As a child,  just to be swinging on the monkey bars or playing ball was enough to focus my attention in the present moment.  As an adult, I’ve  learned that when I take time to focus my attention on a physical practice( Pilates, yoga, running, walking, cycling, etc) I am happier, calmer and much more productive.  I also have a daily meditation practice that helps me learn to be more in the present moment.

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Personally I have found that if I let the craziness of our fast paced lives take over my mind races from thing to thing and I find myself stressed out, cranky and unproductive.  The more I practice being in the present moment, the calmer I feel.  And when I do find myself trying to do too much or think about too much at once I am easily able to remind myself to focus on one thing( the task at hand, the person I’m talking to, etc ). So, empowering your body to me is really a method to create balance in my life and truly a lifelong process.

It’s my hope that your experience at Rivercity Pilates is one that allows you the time and space to empower your body so your life can be inspired to be as incredible as possible!

How my Pilates practice taught me to love Yoga!

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I’ve have to admit that before I started doing Pilates I “tried” Yoga and didn’t really love it.  And by try I mean I took a couple of classes and decided it wasn’t for me.  15 years later I love Yoga and I owe it all to my Pilates practice!

When I found Pilates I immediately knew it was a good fit for me.  It was something that I enjoyed, I felt like it was something I could do fairly well (unlike Yoga where I felt pretty incompetent because I was soo tight and inflexible that many poses seemed impossible for me), and I had instructors who were amazing and inspired me to keep at it.  I am forever grateful that all these pieces fell together, as teaching Pilates and movement has become a lifelong passion and love for me.

DSCN7362Last night after taking a Yoga class I was reflecting on:  1. How much I really enjoy Yoga now and 2. How this love really came from me learning about my body and how to move it through Pilates.

After practicing Pilates for 10 years on a regular basis I tried Yoga again and found that I really enjoyed it!  I was able to use the knowledge of my body that I learned in Pilates to do new different movements that challenged my body in different ways. Since then I have tried to incorporate Yoga and other mind-body movements and exercises into my life along with my Pilates practice so that I can continue to grow and learn!

I’m telling you this story today to inspire you to try different mind-body exercises and find one that gels with you.  Not everyone instantly loves Pilates, Yoga, Thai Chi or any other mind-body movement program.  Unfortunately many people try a class once or twice and decide it’s not for them and never try anything else ever.  They have one experience that they didn’t love and then they group all that stuff (Yoga, Pilates,etc.) together and never explore it’s possibilities again.

Different teachers and different styles of the same discipline have different things to offer students and you may be surprised to find that when you find a teacher and style of movement you connect with you may also find a movement practice perfect for your body!

At Rivercity Pilates we encourage clients to try lots of different instructors and classes and find those that connect with you.  Learn more about all the different movement classes and sessions we offer by clicking here!

 

My Foam Roller is Like Spinach

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IMG_1439My name is Becky Monroe, and I’m a student at Rivercity Pilates. There is a foam roller in my living room and I look forward to using it every evening before I go to bed.    I didn’t think twice about this, until earlier this week, when I was in a small Pilates class, and I asked if we could do some foam roller.    The other student groaned!  When I heard her groan, I remembered that I used to hate it when Carey went over and grabbed the foam roller.     The foam roller is pretty hard (my boyfriend compares it to a rock), and initially when I tried to use it to massage a muscle, it hurt!   I truly didn’t understand why Carey seemed to love it.  15 months later, here I am with a foam roller in my living room.  It’s like spinach.   I hated it at first, but I have learned to love it!

At night, I lie with my spine on the roller on the living room floor, and do my knee folds, and I let my shoulder blades hug the foam roller.   I love that feeling.    Then I turn it around, and put it under my shoulder blades, and do those reverse crunch type moves to roll out my shoulders!   I put it under my hips and do some footwork.

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Then I put it vertical again, and just lay there with my spine on the roller.    It doesn’t take a long time, I just do what feels good!    What?   It feels good?  Absolutely, and it’s the only piece of exercise equipment in my home that I use more than twice a week!

In class this week, the same day the other student was groaning, we used it to massage the muscles in our legs after the side leg series.    That felt good too!    I hadn’t been doing that every night, and I don’t honestly know when my foam roller stopped hurting and started feeling like a massage.    Of course, I couldn’t tell you when I stopped hating spinach either!   I searched for foam roller moves on Google, and over 1 million links came up, so I’m guessing there are a lot of people like me who learned, that like spinach, a foam roller is an acquired taste!

Looking forward to meeting you in classes @ Rivercity Pilates!   Maybe we’ll get to do some work on the foam roller!

 

Becky Monroe
@NLBJM

 

Do I have time to become a Pilates instructor?

When prospective students start looking at our Pilates instructor training programs the amount of time the program takes is one of the first things they look at.  Most of our trainees are coming into our program with full time jobs and family commitments and it is important for them to feel comfortable with the time needed to complete the program.  This is one of the major reasons we have broken our comprehensive training program into modules that can be completed in your own time and schedule.  We are very passionate about teaching Pilates and want to share the method with as many people as possible.

The learning process that takes place in our programs is truly a combination of workshop time, individual practice, taking classes,private session time, practice teaching, and observation time.  If you are thinking about joining our programs we want you to be confident that you will be able to schedule time in your life for all of the programs components so you can get the most out the experience!

Here’s an example of the time commitment for our Mat Training Module:

P1020756Mat Levels I-III

  • 30 hours of workshops
  • 50 practice teaching hours
  • 40 observation hours
  • 25 lessons (10 privates/15 classes)
  • 5 miscellaneous hours
  • 2 written tests – Level I- III and anatomy
  • 1 teaching test – (Level II, private client)
  • 1 performance test – Level III

Total Apprentice Hours: 120
Total Workshop Hours: 30
Total Hours for Completion: 150

 

To complete the program in 6 months(the minimum time we would suggest)  you would need to log in about 5 hours a week doing a combination of personal sessions and workouts, observation hours and practice teaching.  You will also need to attend 6 workshops that are 6 hours total.  These workshops are usually held on a Sunday.

Of course not everyone completes the program in 6 months and we allow trainees to take up to a year to finish this particular module.

Interested in learning more about our Pilates instructor training programs?  Contact us today and set up a complimentary consultation with Carey to get all your questions answered!!

 

 

 

What does it take to be a VIP at Rivercity Pilates?

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Have you seen our monthly specials just for VIP’s and wondered what makes a VIP?

603136_10151426442542526_1750838770_nTo become a Rivercity Pilates VIP you need to get 50 classes or sessions in within the year.  After achieving VIP status you will get monthly extra special deals offered only to our VIP’s for the rest of the year you accomplished this and for the following year!

We know that the best way to see and feel results from your mind body practices is to be consistent and we love to give you a little extra motivation to stay dedicated!  So if you’re not a VIP already make it a goal- we’d love to have you on the list!!

1493173_10152188575767526_297849416_nP.S. – At the end of the year we hand out some super cool prizes and awards to all of our VIP’s!!IMG_3001

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How did she come up with these exercises?

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Ever wonder how our instructors get ready for or class or how they decide what they are going to teach for each class you attend? Here’s a quick behind the scenes look at what goes into each class you take.

1. The instructor checks to see who is signed up for class and grabs each client chart ( yes -if you are a client at the studio you have a detailed personal chart that each instructor writes in after each session!!)  to read about:

  • what each client has been doing in previous sessions
  • any injuries or past injuries that effect the clients workout( for example: client has a past knee injury that makes kneeling uncomfortable)     IMG_8514
  • the settings the client is using on the equipment, this includes spring settings and basic equipment set up

2.  The instructor will set up the studio room and personalize a space for each client.  This means getting out any props such as balls, pads, magic circles or whatever they might want to teach with.  This also includes setting up equipment for each client.

3.  As class time gets near, instructors try to greet clients as they arrive and check in with them before class.  This is a time where instructors often check in to see how clients felt after their last session as well as checking in to see how everyone is feeling in their bodies on that particular day.  This may seem like small talk to you but our instructors use this information to tailor each class to the individuals in each class.

A great example of this would be something like this:  It’s the middle of winter and we just had a a few inches of snow fall the night before.   As the instructor is greeting incoming clients she noticed a trend that two or three clients mention how stiff they are feeling in their low backs probably due to shoveling the day before.  During class the instructor is able to add in some specific exercises and movements designed to lengthen and stretch the back.

IMG_00404.  Now the fun begins- it’s class time!  During each class the instructor is guiding a diverse group of people through a workout while constantly adjusting and cuing for each individual client(not always an easy task!) Safety is always a number one concern and you’ll notice our instructors using their words and actions to make each class safe and appropriate for everyone.  During class the instructor is constantly adjusting their teaching to find a perfect balance of challenging even the most seasoned Pilates veteran while making a beginner client feel welcome, comfortable and safe.

5. As class wraps up, instructors try to check in again with clients to see how they felt throughout class and get any feedback that might help them make their teaching more effective in the future.

6. After class, the instructor makes notes in each clients chart about the level of workout they did, any new exercises they learned, any modifications or specific adjustments they made to the client and a note about what they want to focus on next time they see that client.

Interested in learning more about our small group classes?  Sign up for a complimentary private session or class to get introduced to the studio and our instructors.  P.S.  We love it when clients take advantage of our complimentary private session first as it gives us a chance to better know you and your body AND tailor your class experience to you!!

Interested in teaching the Pilates method of exercise and how to become the most professional, caring inspired instructor ever?  Learn more about our Pilates Teacher Training Programs here.