As I finish up my last day at the annual Pilates Method Alliance Conference I am struggling with what to write about for this weeks blog.  Not because I don’t have anything to write about but because I have so much to write about I can’t possibly get it all in one blog that people might actually want to read! So I’m going to keep it short and sweet and share with you my top 3 takeaways from this year’s conference.

1.  The Pilates community is amazing! In just 3 days I have reconnected with old friends, met in person my online Pilates friends (those people I consider Pilates friends from social media and blogging interaction but have never actually met in person) and made a ton of new Pilates friends!! There is truly something about the Pilates work that brings to it the most genuine, interesting, intelligent, and generous people!

2.  Benjamin Degenhardt said,” This work (contrology) is about empowering you where you are in your body.”   This is not a new idea to me but it’s one that really speaks to me as to why I do Pilates and why I teach. Many times throughout the conference I heard very experienced, distinguished Pilates teachers echo this same idea.  Pilates is about teaching ourselves and others to live in the body we have the best we can.  It’s more than OK that we don’t all teach exactly the same way or exactly the same version of exercises . As teachers it’s about being in the moment with our students, teaching movement patterns that are specific to what the body needs and empowering others to learn how to use movement as a tool to improve quality of life!

3. More Struggle = More Results
Trent McEntire started his ” What’s Neuroscience got to do with it?” Workshop with this topic and it really resonated with me.  Most of his discussion involved how we teach clients and help them find the “edge” in their movement practice so that they continue to get and feel results in their body.  From a teaching perspective I loved that he was describing how I normally teach clients because it confirmed that what I often write off as intuitive teaching really had some science to back up why it’s effective.

From a big picture perspective I realized that the idea of more struggle equals more results is one that can be applied to most situations.  Whether its growing a business, teaching Pilates, relationships or anything else,  I think that getting outside the “comfortable” zone and pushing ourselves to “struggle” (which is what we would call our “working level” at the studio) is what keeps us growing and expanding.   Like most people I tend to shy away from things that might be a little more work, might make me be uncomfortable, or push me to the edge. I think my brain sees struggle as bad, but in reality the struggle is what leads us to amazing places in our lives! I’m grateful for that change in perspective when it comes to struggle in Pilates and in life.

I decided this week that I should be trying to post more on Instagram, sharing my personal practice and sharing my passions.  One of my passions when it comes to movement is showing people that Pilates is doable no matter where you are in your body.  Pilates can be such an amazing health tool to make your life happier and healthier! It drives me a little (ok a lot) crazy when I see so many social media posts of instructors doing movements that the average person would find intimidating or impossible.  As a teacher I’ve never really been comfortable posting pictures and videos of me doing exercises because I don’t want potential clients to think that they need to be able to move a certain way or look a certain way to start Pilates.   I think in my head I’ve always thought that me posting pictures of myself would come across as bragging or showing off……. or worse yet people would look at it and criticize my movement or me! Something changed my mind about that theory this month.

Anula Maiberg of Sixth Street Pilates in New York posted a project this month she called the #CropTopChallenge.  For 30 days Anula posted daily pictures of herself in a crop top doing various Pilates exercises and starting conversations about body image, unrealistic expectations about fitness, and body size in the Pilates world. It has definitely inspired me to be a little braver about posting and sharing on Instagram and all of our social media outlets.

https://instagram.com/p/BLizjl-gHO1/

Something about Anula’s project inspired me to want to dive in a little deeper into how I share my passion.  I decided that me not being all in, not sharing the stuff I love about Pilates and movement on social media, is kind of a waste, it’s playing small.  One of my favorite quotes from Marianne Williams says, “Your playing small does not serve the world. …. As we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

Over the last few years I’ve been fortunate enough to have found someone to help me grow my social media presence and we often talk about how to best connect with potential and current clients using our blogs and social media posts. Since I’ve been working with Becky from Farm Girl Marketing Solutions, I’ve learned that the more I share, the more authentic and real I am,the more people feel connected with me. When people feel connected they find the courage to get outside their comfort zone and make that first appointment at my studio or find a studio near them and start a movement practice that might just change their life.  That’s the kind of impact I want to make in people’s lives.

Don’t be too surprised if you see a little more of me and my ideas on social media!  I’m hoping you’ll follow along and share with others anything that might resonate with you!