Confessions of a 66-year-old Pilates Teacher

Let me begin by telling you that I was never very confident. Nope. Not me!

As a young girl, I felt contented and enjoyed my life very much, but somewhere amidst those years of growing up, I lost confidence. Totally! :/  Perhaps it was because I grew up in the 60’s?!? It was a turbulent time. I just wanted to be a wife and mother but suddenly women were demanding to be liberated, burning their bras, and deciding which career to pursue! It was very confusing for me because I had to write notes just to remind myself to wear a bra on gym days so the Senior girls wouldn’t laugh at me.  (Bra-burning was something I would never consider!) All I really wanted in those days was to be rail-thin (just like Twiggy!), to have perfect hair (long, dark, and straight), and to have a boyfriend. Well, I was thin, and even had the perfect hair, yet never seemed to have the boyfriend. Most girls I know from “back then” dated someone in high school, got married, raised families and rocked grandchildren, and are now celebrating 40+ years of marriage. Not me though!

Looking back, I just don’t think I knew myself very well. I married an older man and divorced after just ten years of marriage (and one great son). I’ve dated since then, collected a couple of graduate degrees, gone on some great Life adventures (moved to Arizona, then to Grand Cayman Island) and ultimately, returned home to Iowa. Still, I continued to question where I belong. It wasn’t until I returned to the Iowa City area in the Spring of 2017 that everything started to click; all the dots started to connect.

So why do I share this with you now? Well, I started reading “Girl, Wash Your Face” by Rachel Hollis and because I adore her transparency, I decided to become more transparent. By doing so, perhaps you’ll see me with all of my flaws (yikes!) and decide to give Pilates a try. Get ready because here’s the big reveal: Pilates has changed my life. And I want it to change yours!

What have I gained from my Pilates practice?
1. I decided to become a Pilates teacher at about the same time that I started to practice regularly. Very soon afterward, my father passed away and I almost quit the teaching program. My father thought it had been such a great idea to train and then, to teach Pilates in my retirement, but suddenly, I felt lost. I was grieving deeply. The teacher training program and obviously, regular Pilates practice, forced me to concentrate on something outside that grief. I embraced it as an attempt to work through that period of sorrow.

2. I am more confident. No- I AM confident. (I can’t believe I just wrote that!) I challenged myself in many different ways and made it over
every single hurdle. (I’m shy, for one thing, and I had to teach and do Pilates in front of people I practically idolized.)

3. I am all of the following: Stronger. Centered. Calmer. Relaxed. Happier. Things just don’t rattle me anymore.

4. I reflect on a more regular basis. And I’m more forgiving of myself and others.

5. I sleep better! After a bath, a cup of chamomile tea, and some reading, it’s lights out. Literally and figuratively. I wake refreshed and eager for the new day.

6. I feel younger. And I finally had the confidence to let my hair return to its natural color, knowing that no one’s opinion would or could
convince me to dye it again. This is who I am.

7. I am committed to being present… in my mind and body, to the practice and teaching of Pilates, and to my Life.

8. I feel younger! Yep. Not sure when that happened but age really is just a number.

9. I am more committed to the parts of my Life that I hold most dear: my family, my friends, my fur-babies.

10. I am contented with not being a Perfect 10. I am Jane. And I am Enough!

Come try Pilates for yourself.
Take my Beginner workshop. I promise results.

Inspiration of the Month: Theresa Johnson

Inspiration of the Month
Theresa Johnson

When did you start Pilates and what inspired you to start?         
I talked my friend Diana into taking a beginning class with me. I have had back problems for years and I was looking for a way to get stronger and relieve that pain. I had just finished up a round of physical therapy and knew I needed to continue with some type of exercise. (What I have found is that many of the movements we practice in Pilates, are the same or similar to what the physical therapist was teaching me to do.) I was scared that I would not be able to do the Pilates exercises, but Carey was so helpful in teaching me how to modify the movements to protect my back that I was able to do everything!  

How often do you practice Pilates and what type of sessions or classes have you been doing?
I try to attend classes twice a week. I mix it up between mat classes and the tower. I also do the stomach series most mornings at home.

What benefits or improvements have you noticed in your body and life from doing Pilates?
My back pain is so much better. Before Pilates, I would have to miss work and take muscle relaxers when my back went out. I have not called in sick to work, because of my back in a year. I am so much stronger. I love it!

Do you have a favorite exercise or piece of equipment (or both)?
I really like doing roll down on the Tower, because the stretch is incredible. But, I am proudest of the fact that I can now do Teaser! It took a while, and it isn’t always pretty, but I can do it!

What would you say to someone who is thinking about doing Pilates?
Just do it. Take a beginning series class and don’t be afraid to tell the instructor about any issues you have in your body. If I can do it, you can too.

What does it mean to flow when you are exercising???

Flow is one of those words that gets thrown around a lot when we talk about movement, but I often wonder if people really know what it means? What does it mean to be flowing in your movements and why would you even want to make that a goal during your movement practice and how would you go about it?  
 
Let’s start by talking about what exactly is “flow”?
 
I consider flow being intentional about moving from one exercise to the next and not losing concentration, engagement and focus in the “in between time” between exercises. This can be as simple as continuing to breathe and knowing how you are going to transition from one exercise from the next. In my own mind I always think of my movement time like a well choreographed dance that doesn’t stop until the song is over or in the case of Pilates when the workout is over!  For example let’s talk about transitioning from the Hundred exercise to your Roll up.  When you first learn the Hundred you might just do the exercise then rest your body on the mat when you are done( this might look like collapsing your body to a comfortable position and possibly talking to your neighbor about how much you despise the hundred!!)  and wait for the teacher to explain what you are doing next.  After the initial learning phase of the exercise you can build strength and endurance by not “resting” after that exercise and heading right into the next exercise.  After finishing the hundred exercise you might extend your legs on the mat and take 1 full breath where you set up your body to get ready to roll up.  On the very next breath you would start moving in to the rolling up of the exercise.    
 
So Flow creates muscular endurance… What’s the benefit of muscular endurance?   You wont get tired as easy!  For instance have you ever been at a stadium where you’ve had to walk up what feels like a gazillion steps to get to your seat? When you muscles have more endurance you don’t have to rest as often during your walk up those stairs! 
 
Why would you want to do that?
 
1. Flowing is more mindful and takes more concentration.  Flowing from one exercise to the next and not taking your mind off what you are doing trains or mind to be better at focusing and concentrating( and let’s face it…in today’s world of many distractions we all need that!!)
2. You’ll get double the benefits from the workout.  Yep that’s right… by simply not taking an all out rest in between each exercise you will keep your muscles engaged and working and they will get stronger quicker and you’ll gain muscular endurance.
 
***Side note…What’s the benefit of muscular endurance?   You won’t get tired as easy!  For instance have you ever been at a stadium where you’ve had to walk up what feels like a gazillion steps to get to your seat? When you muscles have more endurance you don’t have to rest as often during your walk up those stairs! 
 
 
So how can you work on adding more flow into your movement practice?
 
The easiest way in a group class setting is to make it your goal to be mindful of what you are doing in between exercises.  Even if the teacher doesn’t specifically cue a transition or something particular to do you can still make a point of noticing what you do in the in between time and being purposeful about whatever it is you are doing!  If you are practicing at home or by yourself you can practice flowing together 3 or 4 exercises at a time and see how that changes the movements for you.  
 
Ready to give it a try?  We would love to know how it goes!  Here’s a video we created specifically to practice your flow in your Pilates Mat work!