#PracticeWhatYouTeach – Teachers Learn Too!

As I finish up my last day at the annual Pilates Method Alliance Conference I am struggling with what to write about for this weeks blog.  Not because I don’t have anything to write about but because I have so much to write about I can’t possibly get it all in one blog that people might actually want to read! So I’m going to keep it short and sweet and share with you my top 3 takeaways from this year’s conference.

1.  The Pilates community is amazing! In just 3 days I have reconnected with old friends, met in person my online Pilates friends (those people I consider Pilates friends from social media and blogging interaction but have never actually met in person) and made a ton of new Pilates friends!! There is truly something about the Pilates work that brings to it the most genuine, interesting, intelligent, and generous people!

2.  Benjamin Degenhardt said,” This work (contrology) is about empowering you where you are in your body.”   This is not a new idea to me but it’s one that really speaks to me as to why I do Pilates and why I teach. Many times throughout the conference I heard very experienced, distinguished Pilates teachers echo this same idea.  Pilates is about teaching ourselves and others to live in the body we have the best we can.  It’s more than OK that we don’t all teach exactly the same way or exactly the same version of exercises . As teachers it’s about being in the moment with our students, teaching movement patterns that are specific to what the body needs and empowering others to learn how to use movement as a tool to improve quality of life!

3. More Struggle = More Results
Trent McEntire started his ” What’s Neuroscience got to do with it?” Workshop with this topic and it really resonated with me.  Most of his discussion involved how we teach clients and help them find the “edge” in their movement practice so that they continue to get and feel results in their body.  From a teaching perspective I loved that he was describing how I normally teach clients because it confirmed that what I often write off as intuitive teaching really had some science to back up why it’s effective.

From a big picture perspective I realized that the idea of more struggle equals more results is one that can be applied to most situations.  Whether its growing a business, teaching Pilates, relationships or anything else,  I think that getting outside the “comfortable” zone and pushing ourselves to “struggle” (which is what we would call our “working level” at the studio) is what keeps us growing and expanding.   Like most people I tend to shy away from things that might be a little more work, might make me be uncomfortable, or push me to the edge. I think my brain sees struggle as bad, but in reality the struggle is what leads us to amazing places in our lives! I’m grateful for that change in perspective when it comes to struggle in Pilates and in life.