Why Pilates instructors should touch their clients…

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IMG_6734As a Pilates instructor I use touch on a daily basis as a way to help clients move better, learn new movements and to just remind them what muscles to use or not use.  I do it so often that I usually don’t even think about it.

I had a moment the other day ago that reminded me how simply powerful touch can be.  Ironically this moment happened in the middle of an instructor training workshop day where I  had just been talking to new trainees about using touch as cueing in their Pilates teaching!

My moment started with an unexpected problem with a class that was supposed to be happening at the studio during the same time period I was teaching a workshop in our instructor training program.  We had clients waiting for class but no instructor.  As a studio owner I can tell you that sometimes this happens.  I can also tell you that the perfectionist in me hates it when my business comes across as unprofessional, and we don’t deliver to our clients the best experience possible.  As soon as I realized the problem I went to work on trying to solve it in the most appropriate way possible, checking in with another instructor to sub, apologizing to the clients and trying to make everything right.

Somewhere in the middle of that one of my clients who was taking the workshop came over and simply put her hand on my shoulder.  I obviously wasn’t hiding my frustration of the moment! For that 2 seconds that she did that I could feel my shoulders relax, I had an immediate sense of awareness of my stress level and was able to take a second or two and remind myself that it was really no big deal. Nobody was hurt, everyone was being very understanding and it was simply a mistake that we would get through.  All that from a simple touch.

CareyteachingWhen I’m teaching new Pilates instructors I see and feel their fear of touching someone that maybe they don’t know quite that well.  We spend a fair amount of time going over appropriate cues, asking permission and how to cue so it doesn’t feel awkward.  I encourage them to practice with their practice teaching clients so they get comfortable with touch because so many times it is the most effective cue and is far more effective than just using your words.  When done properly it can put someone at ease, help them engage the correct muscles and make the exercise more effective for them.

Click here to learn more about Pilates instructor training programs at Rivercity Pilates!

 

 

Dancing into a Pilates Practice

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tarynI just left my first staff meeting at Rivercity Pilates.   I’m not a pilates teacher (yet), but I am working in the office and beginning the teacher training program in a few weeks. Anyone that knows me as a dancer is probably like….what? I have never been much for any exercise save modern dance class.    When all my friends were diligently completed their pilates certifications at the Kane School, or yoga teacher training at Om, I was doing anything but those things.

I tended bar, taught knitting, filed, danced, baked and worked at Whole Foods.   My preferred warm up was modern dance class or smoking a few cigarettes.    that was about it.    This is NOT to say that I would not have benefited greatly from any number of other things.   It just wasn’t my thing, and I got by.

Fast forward to now.   I am the insanely proud mom of an amazing 3 year old, I am the equally insanely proud wife of an amazing choreographer.     I spent a few years working in a corporate setting to make it all “work”.    My husband stayed home, and I did that thing where you punch a clock 40+ hours a week.    Dancing took a back seat to being a mom, a wife, and an employee.   Last year my husband and I decided to make a big change.    He would attend grad school, and I would stay at home withour daughter.  Drastic changes, cuts and plans.

Best decision we ever made!

IMG_1952All of the things we realized could fill pages upon pages, but for the purpose of this post, the most personally revolutionary thing that I was able to realize was how much I missed moving, which really amounted to dedicated time to check in with my body.   So I went at it…….I rehearsed, I performed, I went to the gym, I rode my bike.    It was all great, but I was still missing something. It only did half the job.   I could find a physical fix, but not the brain space for the other half of being a mindful mover.    A dancer friend told me about Rivercity Pilates and the classical Pilates training he had received there.   This appealed to my dancer mentality.    We love tradition and lineage!   I made an appointment for a private session with Carey and I was hooked.   It was just what I had been looking for.   Time to check in, reflect, be mindful, aiming for a mastery of turning the simple into sublime.    I finally got it.

After that session, all the hype made sense.  At some point during that first private session on the cadillac I was working on prone II and it just clicked.   I wouldn’t be able to or want to change my last 17 years, but I am thankful for the ability to discover what works for me now.    I look forward to incorporating what  learn into the practice I will develop and share going forward.

Taryn Griggs

Pilates for Seniors & Injuries. Don’t Judge.

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Interested in trying Pilates but worried about having to get onto the floor and get back up?     Maybe you’re not worried, you just know that you’re not able to get down to the floor and get back up.    Don’t judge Pilates yet!  Be open minded, and read this blog.

[tweetthis]#Pilates is NOT just for athletes and movie stars! It works for 55+ too! Don’t judge! [/tweetthis]

Although Pilates can be done on a mat on the floor it can also be done laying on a raised mat or a piece of equipment called  a Cadillac or tower system.  The raised mat surfaces are about the height of a chair and make it easier for clients to get up and down.  Often our clients with knee, hiIMG_6792p or back problems prefer these mats as they making getting up and down to a position on their back much easier.

At Rivercity Pilates we offer a complimentary private session to all new clients so that you can learn more about what Pilates is, get all your questions answered by one of our highly trained instructors, and try out some Pilates basics yourself in your own body.  We know it can be intimidating starting a new exercise program and we want  you to be comfortable and at ease.

We also want you to know that just because you have a limited range of movement or maybe an injury you shouldn’t rule out Pilates as an exercise method.  In fact, the Pilates method is so adaptable that it is often the ideal type of exercise for someone who is recovering from an injury or someone who is just starting an exercise program.

Contact us today to set up your complimentary session!  Mention this blog and get a $10 account credit that you can use for your first purchase at the studio!

Carpal Tunnel Problems?

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Whether you had a recent injury to your hand or wrist or perhaps a surgery, you’ll find this 25 minute mat workout user friendly!

 

[tweetthis]Have you had #carpaltunnel #surgery? Do U need a “no-hands” workout?[/tweetthis]

photo credit - BJ Monroe

Why Sunrise Classes might be the most effective classes on our schedule!!

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IMG_0079Looking to create a consistent movement practice that gets results?  Our Sunrise Pilates and Yoga classes are a great way to start your day!  As an instructor I love teaching the early morning classes and can really see the benefits in our clients when they consistently get their workouts in first thing every day.  Here’s a few reasons why I think the early morning classes are so effective for clients:

~Most of our regular Sunrise clients have committed to at least 2 or more classes per week.   Consistency and creating the habit of getting your exercise in is so important and when you get your workout in first thing nothing else can get in the way of getting it done!

~It’s not always easy to commit to getting up that extra hour early in the morning to work out, but we have a very committed crew of early morning exercisers and there really is a sense of camaraderie and friendship that forms at this early hour.  Whether you are brand new to Pilates or Yoga or have been practicing for years you will feel welcome, comfortable and inspired by the other clients in our sunrise classes!

~Starting your day with mindful movement energizes your body and just plain feels good!  Your body will thank you!  You co workers may thank you too as it often puts you in a better mood for the rest of the day!

If you’re looking to consistently add a movement practice into your life I would highly suggest trying out our early morning classes!  You’ll leave class refreshed and awakened and ready to face anything your day brings you!!

[tweetthis]#Workout in the Morning! Are #Sunrise classes more #effective?[/tweetthis]

Click here to see our current class schedule.

 

#1 Job Perk

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Can we talk about inspiration? Through my own self discovery process I’ve learned that I am motivated by inspiration (big surprise for those who know me…).  I love to inspire others to live their best lives, inspire others to add more movement to their life, inspire them to be happy, and just to see their full potential.  The beautiful thing about teaching Pilates is that most of the time I get the better end of the deal!  The more I get to develop relationships with clients and help them in their movement journey, the more I’m inspired to work on mine.  Let’s face it – it doesn’t matter what you do for a living,  we could all use a little extra motivation to take care of ourselves and our health!

IMG_4249Case in point?  My morning workout today.  It was a beautiful fall morning and I was super excited to get up and get a morning run in.  When I got home I decided it was way too nice to plop on the floor to do my Pilates, so I threw a mat(actually it was a blanket folded in half…) on the deck and decided to do some mat work.  I decided to do the full advanced Pilates mat work order (similar to what I had just taught the day before in my Return to Life Mat class).  I have to be honest – I don’t often do the entire mat sequence for many reasons.  First of all I often don’t have time to get the whole thing in and second it’s hard!!  Sometimes I start to do the entire sequence and stop part way through or just do my favorite exercises skipping those that are more challenging or I don’t especially like.

But today I was inspired to do every exercise and not let myself skip things.  When I even considered skipping something I reminded myself of my inspiring clients.  I have clients in classes who have been coming since I started the studio over 6 years ago and I could count on one hand the amount of times they’ve missed their regular Pilates class, they are truly dedicated.  I have clients who have have had knees replaced, hips replaced, back surgeries and countless other injuries or obstacles but they continue to come back and do amazing things with their Pilates practices!  I have clients with insanely busy professional and family lives yet they find the time to make their health a priority!  I have clients who really just hate to exercise and/or sweat but they do it anyway!  I didn’t skip an exercise, and as I finished I realized how grateful I am for clients that inspire me and allow me to mentor them in their Pilates practice.  As a Pilates instructor, my inspiration and my #1 job perk, is all the clients that come to Rivercity Pilates.

To all of my amazing, inspiring clients:  Thank you for motivating and inspiring me!!

If you love movement and inspiration and are considering a career teaching Pilates I would love to connect with you!  Contact me today and set up a time to learn more about instructor training programs at Rivercity Pilates.