Teacher Training Archives - Page 9 of 10

Actions steps to join our Pilates Teacher Training Program

Interested in joining our Pilates Instructor Training Program? Now is the time to get your plan into action!

The Body Precision Pilates Comprehensive Training Program is a lengthy process that requires dedication and commitment like all worthwhile endeavors. Our program is designed to teach you the Pilates Method from the inside out. You’ll learn the method comprehensively in your own body and learn how to translate your knowledge to others and develop as as unique, skilled Pilates instructor.

When finished with the program you will be ready to take the Pilates Method Alliance National certifying exam. This exam is the only nationally recognized certification in the Pilates and fitness world and will allow you to teach anywhere in the world!

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Program Prerequisites

Because the program is so intensive, we want all new trainees to start with a basic knowledge of the Pilates method in their own body before they jump in. We require you to have in a combination of 50 Pilates private sessions, semi-private sessions or classes in before starting the program.

Set up an advisor meeting with Carey to talk about how you will incorporate the program into your life. We want to make sure you realize the commitment of this program and we want you to succeed!! Before committing to the program please set up a Complimentary 50 minute session to talk with Carey about the program. This is a great time to get all your questions answered and start planning ahead!

Can I teach at the studio when I’m finished?

There are lots of great reasons to take the Body Precision Comprehensive Teacher Training Program at Rivercity Pilates. You may want to teach Pilates in your community, you may want to take on this life challenge without the pressure of teaching anywhere, or you may want to teach for us at Rivercity Pilates!

At Rivercity Pilates we are always looking for qualified instructors and welcome the chance to help our trainees to teach at the studio. While going through the full program there will be unpaid and paid opportunities for you to teach at the studio and of course we would love to have you stay and teach at the studio if we are a good fit for each other!

Need some encouragement?

“If you are on the fence as to whether to do the Pilates Teacher Training at Rivercity, I have some encouragement for you. I am officially ranking it as a top five life decision for me in the past five years (other decisions include having Finn and buying a king size bed). I just did a Level 3 mat workout at home and immediately felt stronger and less stressed. It is amazing to know that I will be able to practice Pilates with good form and breathing for the rest of my life thanks to the awesome teaching abilities of Carey Sadler and her staff. They’re the best!”

~Cassie Cumings-Peterson, 2013 Graduate and PMA certified instructor

Learn more about our program by clicking here!

My Journey to Becoming a Pilates Instructor- Here we go!

Motivation and Inspiration, Teacher Training

We are excited to announce that our Fall Body Precision Comprehensive Teacher Training Program at Rivercity Pilates has started! We are lucky to have one of our current staff members, Abby, participating in the program, and she will be updating us every so often on how it’s going, funny stories, and any struggles or successes that she experiences on her way to becoming a Pilates instructor!

Hello! My name is Abby, and most of you know me already but I’m going to tell you a little more about myself anyways. I am 23 years old and born and raised in the Iowa City area. I went to college at Smith College, in Massachusetts, and have returned to Iowa because you truly can’t get better weather, landscapes, or people anywhere else.

I have just started my Master’s at The University of Iowa in the College of Education and when I graduate I will be licensed to teach Social Studies courses at the high school level.

For funzies, I like to do Pilates (obviously), run, hang out in the garden, and bake. I also spend way too much time watching Netflix (Madmen is my current obsession), because honestly, what else do college students do?

Why did I decide to do the Pilates Comprehensive Teacher Training Program?

I decided to the teacher training for several reasons: first, I love Pilates. Absolutely adore it. There are very few exercise programs out there that you will be able to do when you’re 20 years old or 90, and this is one of them. After a class, I feel strong, stretched out, relaxed, and at peace with my body, even on those days where I just really wanted to stay in bed (which happens more than I should admit).

Second, the success stories that I see come in the studio door every day are inspiring. Movement is so important for not only our physical health, but also our mental health, and while working here I have been lucky enough to see many women (and men) walk through that door and have less pain, more strength, more mobility, and more happiness every day because of Pilates. And I want to be a part of that.

Finally, this studio is my escape. Whether I’m taking yoga, Pilates, Barre, working behind the desk, or even just studying, the atmosphere that Carey has created in this studio is addictive. Bad day? Sad day? Stressful day? Even an awesome day? Walk through this door and you will feel even better.

Ok, so I want to be a Pilates instructor, but why now? One reason.

Why not?

I’ve been in school my whole life, studying and learning is second nature to me, I love it. Yes, I’m in graduate school and will probably have a lot on my plate, but this is different. This is movement. Taking a Pilates class counts as studying (how cool is that?), and it will keep me in shape and happy.

In two or three years I will have to get a “real job”, and we all know that means less hours in the day for yourself. If I insert Pilates into my life now, before the stress, the possible kids/partner, midlife crisis etc. show up, I’ll have better tools to deal with all of that and remain mindful and healthy.

So, here’s my to-do list before the second workshop (end of September):

1.) Find a practice teaching client (or 2!)

2.) Start observing classes

3.) Work on making Pilates a daily occurrence, whether that’s a Reformer class at the studio or a teaser before bed.

Disclaimer:

This whole writing about myself thing is new to me, so if anyone has questions or something they want me to talk about, tell me! I’ll be checking in every few weeks and letting you know how the program is going. So stay tuned!

Thank you for the amazing memories!

Motivation and Inspiration, Pilates in Your Life, Teacher Training, What's so great about Pilates?

A few days ago I said goodbye to Rivercity Pilates. As emotional as it was to have my last private lesson and walk out the front door, the studio has always been so much more than a building to me. If you’ll allow me to stroll down memory lane, I’ll do my best to explain what the past five years have meant to me.

I met Carey when she was at her first studio. The space was small (think large walk-in closet). Carey’s “office” was in the corner and all of her bookkeeping was done by hand. She had three Chairs, the Cadillac, and a Reformer. We did a lot of mat classes and I fell in love with the Chair. I was welcomed right away by the studio’s clients and distinctly remember how much the side leg kick series killed!

I started Pilates to help with the stress of studying for the bar exam and to get in shape for my upcoming wedding. It was a fantastic stress reliever and I found myself looking forward to class. I was nervous when I was the only student in class but Carey put me at ease and told me all the good progress I was making. Soon I found myself craving Pilates and wanting to learn all I could about it. When Carey set out fliers for her teacher training program, I decided to take the plunge.

My plan was to learn the Pilates method as best I could for myself – with no intention of teaching. I continued school (a Master’s in Political Science) while pursuing my Pilates certification. After nine years of higher education, I did some serious soul searching and decided to teach Pilates with Carey. It was absolutely the right decision. I learned so much while I was at the studio. I learned about the importance of movement and deep breathing. I learned to trust my body and to teach others how to use theirs. And I learned that a community of friends like those I found at Rivercity Pilates is invaluable in this life.

I met amazing, creative, strong, brilliant, hilarious, and kind women and men while working at Rivercity Pilates. They invited me into their lives and trusted me with their stories. I celebrated births of grandchildren, successful dance recitals, job promotions, and engagements. I listened to and hugged clients who lost parents, were stressed about the holidays, or missed their children that were away at college. Being a part of my clients’ lives was my favorite part of the job. In turn, they supported me. They asked about my life, celebrated the birth of my son, and took me out for dinner to say goodbye.

So thank you. Thank you Carey for your vision to bring Pilates to Eastern Iowa. Thank you for being a wonderful boss, mentor, and friend. Thank you to each and every Rivercity Pilates client for making my days brighter simply by walking through the door. I will miss each of you. You’ve shaped me in ways you cannot imagine.

Keep doing your Pilates and please stay in touch.

All the best,

Cassie

Do I need to be at my ideal weight and fitness level to become a Pilates instructor?

FAQs, Teacher Training

Do you ever wonder what the requirements are to become a Pilates instructor? I get lots of questions and concerns about what it takes to be an instructor. Here are two of the most common ones:

What if I can’t do every exercise?

Do I need to be at my ideal weight?

I challenge you to think about your favorite teacher throughout your life in any subject. This could an English teacher, a coach, a Pilates or Yoga instructor, or just a parent, grandparent, or friend teaching you about life.

Did they do everything perfect? Did they know absolutely everything there was to know about the subject they were teaching? Of course not!

But they did have more knowledge than you in a particular subject and they probably had more experience. They probably had a love or passion for the subject they were teaching that was almost contagious! I’m guessing they made you feel excited, successful and eager to continue learning! I’m also guessing that they were just as much a student of the work they were teaching, as they were a teacher.

Pilates is a method of exercise that includes hundreds of exercises and variations of exercises. The process of learning the method in your own body, just like the process of learning to teach the method to others, is a continual, never ending process. It is important for you to have a consistent Pilates practice before you start the program but it’s ok if you have not perfected every exercise. As an instructor you will always be practicing and fine tuning the work in your own body and those experiences will continue to make you a great teacher!!

We all come in different shapes and sizes and there are no weight or size requirements to becoming a Pilates instructor! Your weight and size definitely impact how you move your body but I consider this a gift. By learning how to practice Pilates in your unique body you will get the skills to help others of varying shapes and sizes do the same!!

If you are contemplating a Pilates teacher training program, some more appropriate questions to ask yourself might be:

Does Pilates inspire me?
Do I enjoy helping others empower their bodies, just like my instructors have empowered me?
How could deepening my own Pilates practice inspire my life?

Click here to learn about the Body Precision Pilates Teacher training programs at Rivercity Pilates. Module 1 of our Comprehensive program starts in this fall!!

“We teach best what we most need to learn.” ~ Richard Bach

Learn why Cassie chose the Body Precision Teacher Training Program at Rivercity Pilates!

Teacher Training

In today’s video Cassie shares with us her why. She talks a little about where she was in her life and what she was looking for when she started the Body Precision Teacher Training Program at Rivercity Pilates.

Cassie, like many other instructors I know, admits that she didn’t really do the program because she wanted to teach Pilates.

[tweetthis remove_hidden_hashtags=”true”]Many people pursue #Pilates Instructor Training to deepen their own practice![/tweetthis]

Click to watch the video and learn more about Cassie’s story!

Learn more about the Body Precision Teacher Training Program at Rivercity Pilates by exploring our website.

How many hours does it take to become a Pilates instructor??