Practice What You Teach: Thanks Joe & Clara!

I was sitting at dinner this week with some of my “Pilates friends” and my stomach muscles were hurting…not from Pilates, or the Pilates paddle boarding we had just done, but from laughing so hard! The older I get the more I appreciate those moments hanging out with friends just laughing….laughing so much it makes your stomach hurt and your eyes water. It was a fun evening! It reminded me of something I had heard last year when I got to hear Pilates elder Mary Bowen speak at the Pilates Method Alliance annual meeting.

Mary started off her talk by saying we should all be thanking Joe and Clara. And simply stated, “How different would your life be without them? How many of your friends and experiences would have never happened if it hadn’t been for them creating and doing the work they did?” In a room full of Pilates instructors there was a lot of thoughtful agreement that day. At the moment her words were a powerful reminder to me and I often come back to those words in my life.

My friend Cassie from Northwoods Pilates with Mary Bowen!

First of all I think that it is crazy empowering and amazing that one guy could start an exercise system that could change so many lives over so many years. So many times when we think of people who change the world we immediately think of world leaders, genius scientists and Oprah(is it just me who thinks of Oprah? I love her)! But Joe was a pretty regular guy with a passion for movement and health. He was doing something he loved and sharing it with the world because he knew it could help others. During his lifetime he worked with a lot of clients and had an amazing impact on so many lives. Joe never really had the chance though, to see how what he was doing would continue on to inspire millions of people! Whether you are a Pilates instructor, a school teacher or a doctor I think it’s a great lesson in following your passion and having trust that what you are doing is perfect and that your reach is probably much further than you could ever imagine.

Second, isn’t it kind of incredible how much just one person can impact your life experience?   It’s hard for me to look at my life right now and imagine what it would be like without my Pilates friends, my studio, my clients over the years and my Pilates experiences.   I can’t even begin to count the ways that Pilates has brought incredible people into my life and incredible experiences that bring me happiness! In the crazy busyness of life it’s so easy to forget the impact that you can have as one person. It’s so easy to forget that by doing something simple like being yourself and sharing things you love, you can have a profound effect on others, their life path and their happiness.  And those simple things like those connections with others, those life experiences, those moments you share… are really what make life fun and meaningful.

Joe & Clara Pilates

Thanks Joe & Clara for all the many ways you impacted my life and so many others! Thanks Mary for being part of my Pilates experiences and reminding me of the impact of just one person! And for all of my Pilates friends in my life know that I am ever so grateful to Joe and Clara for starting it all so we had a chance to connect!

P.S. If you want to learn a little more about Mary Bowen, Cassie wrote a great blog about what she learned from Mary after last year’s conference and you can click here to find it!