#PracticeWhatYouTeach: Perspectives & Pilates Pants

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Book-15As you may know, I’ve been making an effort to take more classes at the studio versus just working out on my own. As a teacher there are so many benefits to getting to be a student more and I think one of my favorites is perspectives.  I find myself just noticing how what the teacher is saying and doing effects how I’m moving.  I’m aware of how those extra little motivating words and words of praise make me work a little bit harder (much more than if I were just working out on my own). I notice how I push myself to do those last few reps even though I really don’t want to!

I’ve also been noticing my pants! When it’s just me working out,  I don’t have to worry about mooning my neighbor during roll ups because the waist of my Pilates pants is sliding down. When it’s just me I could care less if my shirt flips up and my belly shows.  But I have caught myself so many times in a class setting adjusting my clothing because I don’t want to offend anyone in class!  I’ve definitely become more aware of my clothing selection on days I’m taking a group class.  It’s reminded me that having a good high waisted pair of comfortable workout pants and a shirt that covers everything…. can really help me pay attention to my movement practice more!    And yes it’s helping me justify any money I spend to find Pilates clothes that aren’t just cute but comfortable and functional too!!

Really though, it reminds me that it’s important to be comfortable when you are working out.  When you are distracted by anything, including what you are wearing, you’re not spending as much time focused on the important things!!

 

Inspiration of the Month Kathryn Smith

dscn7863When did you start Pilates and what inspired you to start?

I started Pilates back in high school when I was dancing a lot with my studio. During college I spent most of my time doing yoga, but after graduating, I wanted to still incorporate movement into my life and missed Pilates. I have been coming to Rivercity for a little bit over a year and a half now. I’m working to become certified as a mat instructor because I just can’t get enough Pilates in my life and want to help others with Pilates exercises.

How often do you practice Pilates and what type of sessions or classes have you been doing?  

I try to attend at least 2 classes a week. I love to mix it up and do barre class or yoga class as well. My favorite type of session is a traditional mat class so I can focus on areas that I can continue to improve in. I also am working towards becoming certified as a Pilates mat instructor, so this traditional practice has helped a lot with the course. 

What benefits or improvements have you noticed in your body and life from doing Pilates? 

Pilates is something I can always rely on to make me feel better. It takes care of various aches and pains from other workouts. I feel more centered and connected when I am regularly going to classes. With my training I have also been able to really focus in on my own practice and have seen a lot of improvement in various movements and exercises as the months have gone along.

Do you have a favorite exercise or piece of equipment (or both)?  

Mat class is my favorite. When it comes to a specific exercise that I love, I have a love/hate relationship with side leg exercises. My hips are weaker than other parts of my body so it’s a big challenge to me, but it has been paying off. I also love spine stretch and spine twist.

What would you say to someone who is thinking about doing Pilates?

Try it out!! You won’t regret it, and if you stick to it, there will be improvements in your life and with your body. It’s such a great outlet to have in life to center in and focus on yourself and your body for a small chunk of time each day.

How can Pilates help me relieve stress in my life?

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Joseph Pilates knew the importance and power of our own thoughts. One of the fundamental ideas throughout the Pilates work is concentration.

Concentration refers to simply paying attention to what you are doing and how it feels in your body.

This means when your mind starts to wander and you begin to think about what you’re making for dinner tonight during your Hundreds exercise , bring your focus back to the exercise and the sensations in your body.

It sounds simple yet I believe that concentrating during Pilates is one of the hardest aspects of the work. We are all so busy and have so many things packed into our lives that it is hard to spend a whole session focusing on ourselves and our bodies. It is also one of the most beneficial aspects of Pilates, as it allows us to quiet our minds and relieve the stress of our day to day lives.

During your next session or class, try to work on your concentration and let us know how it changes your workout. When your mind wanders (and it will, probably a lot!), just remind yourself to come back to the present moment and focus on the task at hand. Know that whatever else is on your mind will wait until after your session and that by this practice of concentration you are truly giving your body a gift of health!

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#PracticeWhatYouTeach: Travel Pilates

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img_4474I was traveling this week and so besides getting my workouts in at home and the studio I got to practice a little travel Pilates. Travel Pilates for me is a combination of anything and everything I do in the form of movement to keep my body feeling healthy and happy when I travel. Here’s just a few of the things I do:

1. Airport Pilates : I know that sitting on a plane for almost 3 hours is not always my body’s favorite thing so I try to get my body moving and stretching before I have to sit in those every so comfortable little seats! I try to walk around just to be moving and then while I’m sitting at the gate waiting to board I sneak in things like:

  • Seating Hamstring stretches (I stretch my legs straight in front of me and hinge forward at the waist with a flat back)
  • Seated spine movements(like cat but sitting up!)
  • Neck stretches
  • Seated Mermaid stretches

2. Airplane Pilates: Once I get on the plane my space is of course limited a little more, but I still try to sneak some movement in. Here are some of my favorites:

  • Shoulder Rolls
  • Seated spine movements again!
  • Foot/Ankle circles
  • Using my Yoga Tune Up therapy balls to sit on or lean against
  • Wiggling and adjusting my posture!

3. Anywhere Mat Pilates: When I travel I try to sneak some Pilates Mat work in whenever I can. This trip I found myself sneaking in some Mat work while I laid on my pool chair soaking in some sun and watching my daughter play in the pool! I also like to just throw a towel on the floor or even lay on the hotel bed and sneak in some of my favorite exercises.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BPfVPswgz89/?taken-by=rivercitypilates

I love that I can take my Pilates practice with me wherever I go by just getting a little creative! I consider my Pilates practice part of my self care plan that keeps me and my body healthy and happy even when I’m traveling!!

Crohn’s, Pilates & Life : Have you been to the hospital since I saw you last?

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book-3Let’s start with the hospital question. I’m not sure how many times it has happened over the last 15 months that Kelly just never told me she had spent the previous night or day at the ER, the hospital or all day at doctor’s appointments before our session. The first few times when it happened I was in complete disbelief when I found out later. I haven’t been in the hospital for myself since my eight year old was born…. so to think that someone would spend a night in the ER and then come to their Pilates session and not even mention it to their Pilates instructor… was kind of unbelievable to me. It drives me a little crazy when someone forgets to write on their health intake form about the arm they broke 8 years ago….so forgetting to tell me you were in the hospital yesterday or even 2 or 3 days ago seems inconceivable.  Could someone possibly think that my planning of what we were going to do in a Pilates session wouldn’t be at all affected by a hospital trip?!

I’m what someone might call an intuitive teacher. So usually I make decisions about what my client’s session will be like as I’m working with them.  I pay attention to how they are moving when they walk in the door, how their body moves as we warm up and always adjust as I go.  So looking back on the days when Kelly “forgot to tell me”  I’m always hopeful that my intuition served me well and I didn’t do anything that left Kelly feeling worse!

Needless to say, I always start my sessions with Kelly with a quick check in question, “Have you been in the hospital or saw the doctor since I last saw you?”  It’s a little bit of a joke between us now and of course she knows me well enough that she is pretty good about keeping me updated on those things (like hospital visits) that could affect her movement!

The more I get to really know Kelly…. I finally am starting to get it.  I am starting to understand better why she might not even have thought to tell me or maybe just didn’t want to tell me about her hospital time. It’s a great lesson for me as a teacher in empathy and the value of truly getting to know someone so you can start to see things from their perspective.

Hospital time and doctor time is pretty much part of Kelly’s life. She’s in pain every day.  As much as she tries to just live a “normal” life, she can’t.  The effects of the Crohn’s are always there.  She doesn’t really know what it feels like to not be in pain or to not have to worry about her health.  Her amazing positive attitude and her drive to succeed in everything she does goes along way in hiding her struggles with Crohn’s, but it is always there.

What Kelly probably wants more than anything is to just be able to move, workout and live life without having to deal with all the crap that goes along with dealing with Crohn’s.  And I can’t blame her for trying to just keep going, thinking that maybe if she ignores it all it will just get better or go away.  As her teacher I try to remind Kelly that part of “our work” in life is to learn to deal with what we are given and make the best of it.  When it comes to her movement practice that means that she has to pay attention to her body, acknowledge how it’s feeling on any given day and she needs to think of movement as a tool to make her life better and not just a workout.  That’s all a lot easier said than done, and I know that.  So I’ll just continue to remind her and we’ll practice in our sessions incorporating these ideas into everything we do!

Be sure to check in to our next blog where I talk about the second question I always ask Kelly at the start of each session: “How much running and biking have you done since I saw you last?”

 

 

Pilates Cadillac teacher training starts in February!  

Upcoming Workshops:
Pilates Cadillac Teacher Training
Two workshops – 12 hours $450

Saturday February 18th  12 pm to 6pm
Saturday, February 25th 12 pm to 6 pm

Prerequisite: Completion of Module 1 (Pilates Mat training)

  • Complementing the Pilates Mat & Reformer is the repertoire of the Cadillac/Pole System. This adds an array of exercises to give the teacher additional tools to use when working with clients. We will look on proper technique, modifications for client issues and compensations, safety, teacher spotting and anatomy as it relates to the exercises
  • This workshop will give you the tools to teach Cadillac/ Tower System individually as well as in a small class setting
  • Training Manual: $25
The highly regarded Body Precision Teaching Training Programs specializes in teaching the classical Pilates method of exercise to any body.
For more information, click here or schedule a time to talk in person with Carey about training opportunities.
Contact us at: rcpilates1@gmail.com or 319.665-2499.