Practice What you Teach: Getting to be the student

My Pilates practice started off great this week with a private lesson with Cassie at Northwoods Pilates and Wellness in Ankeny.  Cassie is a PMA certified instructor who trained with me and now has her own studio in the Ankeny, Iowa.   Cassie is an amazing teacher and nothing could be better than getting to sneak in an entire session just devoted to my movement practice. I’ve taken many of lessons with Cassie over the years but it’s probably been almost a year since I’ve taken a private with her since she’s relocated so it was especially a treat!

As a teacher of teachers I always find it fun to take lessons from my students.   It’s fun to hear your own influence in their teaching but also to see how they have created their own style of teaching.

There were some moments during our session where I often just laughed inside because I found myself doing things I see my clients doing all the time or I found Cassie saying things that I would often say, or I was just reflecting on what it might be like to teach me! Here’s just a few that might make you laugh too.

1. During the Hundreds I couldn’t help thinking,” Are we done yet? Isn’t that a hundred? I obviously am not doing this many during my daily Pilates practice!!”
2. Sometimes I need help concentrating!  More than once I found myself not following Cassie’s directions!!  I would be one or two reps into an exercise and realize I was not doing what she was asking me to!  She was very sweet and would just gently remind me until I realized and got it.
3. Tensing my shoulders!(yes teachers do it too!)  When Cassie was teaching me something new or I was paying attention to other details of an exercise she would have to remind me (often by a simple touch of the hand) or verbal cue to soften my shoulders or connect them!
4. Since Cassie is 32 weeks pregnant she often said things like,” you get to do this exercise that my body is sooo craving to do!”.  I can totally relate to that place in pregnancy where you are missing being able to move like you are used to!!
5. At least a couple of times I heard Cassie say, ” Let’s try this “fun” version of an exercise!”. {my favorite phrase when it comes to movement! I’m not sure where she get’s that from!}

Finn stretching his spine!!

As always my session left me feeling refreshed and energized and wondering why I don’t make a commitment to get over to see her and take more lessons!! I also got to hang out with Cassie’s son Finn and watch him play in the Pilates studio!  I absolutely love to watch as kids naturally move and play and do things that us adults are trying to recreate in our movement practice!  The picture of Finn just laying down and stretching his spine over the Spine Corrector barrel is a great example! (and he totally did that without prompting from anyone!)