Tag Archive for: Pilates North Liberty

Meet the Instructor: Shaina

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Happy Monday!     It’s Meet the Instructor Monday, and today we’d like to introduce you to Shaina, who recently moved to the corridor.

10922646_3212700633473_6873223768443032675_nWe heard you are moving from New York City to Iowa — can you tell us a little bit about why you are moving?  Moving from Queens, New York to North Liberty, Iowa.   BIG CHANGE.    Making the move to be with my boyfriend who I met through mutual friends who also live in North Liberty.

How long have you been practicing Pilates?  I am relatively new to Pilates.   I took my very first class in June 2013 and fell in love immediately.   I practiced for about a year before starting my certification program.

What made you decide to be a Pilates Instructor?  I became a Pilates instructor for a number of reasons.

  • It helped me SO much with my own spinal injuries that I wanted to be able to pass that on and help others.
  • I was an athlete all my life and played volleyball in college so exercise was always part of my day to day life.   I struggled finding a form of exercise that I enjoyed and that was safe for my spinal injuries in my adult life and Pilates was definitely the answer.
  • It seemed like the perfect time in my life to start something new and it gave me a sense of freedom that I could go anywhere in the world and be able to teach.
  • The extra cash doesn’t hurt!  :)

What was your favorite part about living in New York City?   It would be impossible to pick just one thing.    First of all I have lots of family in NY so it has been reallly nice having everyone so close.   The city itself provides an energy that is indescribable.   Not to mention you can do, see, and order anything you want at any time you want.   It truly is the city that never sleeps and I feel very lucky and proud to have lived there and made it my own for 5 years.

Favorite Food?     Like a true New Yorker:   Pizza and Bagels.   I’m a sucker for a good carb!

shainapuppyHobbies?  I work in digital marketing so Pilates is my hobby!  Outside of the office or studio you can find me hanging out with family and friends, playing with my new puppy Samantha, or binge watching tv shows!

Hometown?   I moved around my whole life so I don’t really have a “hometown”.    I have lived in Michigan, New Hampshire, Minnesota, Ohio, Vancouver, Phoenix, Illinois, Wisconsin, New York and now Iowa in my short 27 years!

Twitter Handle?    Not very active on Twitter but you can follow me on Instagram @shaybo6.

Favorite Pilates Exercise?   Probably a tie between Short Spine and Semi-Circle

Do you have a favorite Pilates teaching moment?     Not too long ago I had a woman come in for her first sessions at my NYC studio.   She had done Pilates years ago and she was trying to get herself back into shape.    I could tell she was uncomfortable with herself and a little overwhelmed by everything.   We took the session slow and when we started doing planks on the Reformer she was very tense and was using her traps to do the work rather than her lats and serratus muscles. We stuck with the exercise and on the last rep she finally made that lat/palm connection and her whole face lit up!   She felt exactly what I was saying and she was so excited and proud of herself.   After that she was so much more relaxed and confident.   The rest of our session was fun, upbeat and productive.   Every time I see a client have an ‘ah-ha’ moment it motivavtes and inspires me to continue teaching and pushing my students!

You’ll probably suck at Pilates at first!

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I am often amazed at how many clients come into a session and expect to be able to do everything we teach them perfectly on the first try and then beat themselves up when they can’t do it!  It doesn’t matter if you danced for 20 years, are an elite athlete, run marathons, lift weights, did Yoga or if you are in the best shape of your life!  If you are brand new to Pilates you are brand new to Pilates and it will take some time to learn!

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I often hear a client say, but you just did that exercise perfectly.  My response is usually something like:  Let me tell you how many times over the last 15 years I have done that exercise…(hundreds…even thousands)  and I’m still working on it too!

The only way to learn something is to practice it!  That’s why it’s called a Pilates practice.  Pilates is not a quick fix exercise program.  Pilates is a method and system of exercises designed to teach you how to move better (more efficiently) by balancing out your body’s strengths and weaknesses.  It’s designed to become part of your life and something you continue to work on every time you get on your mat.

If you are contemplating starting a Pilates practice or may be you’ve just recently started please know that we don’t expect you do get everything perfect on your first try (or even your 50th).  As instructors we love helping you learn and we love to be part of the process!

It’s OK to suck at Pilates when you start!!  Just think of the progress you’ll make every time you do it!

We’ll be super supportive and we’ll give you lots of chances to try things out in a safe, non-intimidating atmosphere.  Click here to learn about scheduling a complimentary Pilates session at Rivercity Pilates.

What’s in a Name?

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Pay attention to the names of those exercises when you’re in a Pilates class at the studio.   Why?   It may give you a clue to whether you’re doing the exercise correctly.

Case in point.   Me.

When I began doing Pilates, I hadn’t worked out in 2 years.    I was out of shape, and I had aches and pains most everywhere.    I started Pilates because it was low impact, and because when I took equipment classes, the equipment helped me with movements that were really hard for me during mat class.   If you’ve tried to do crunches and experienced back & neck pain — then I know you know what I mean.    16 months later, I am still learning exercises.   Every time I think I have one figured out, I hear the instructor saying words I’ve heard hundreds of times, I make an adjustment, and the exercise feels new to me.

picture by MarchMatness.com
picture by MarchMatness.com

Most recently – it happened with Spine Stretch.    I take one or two mat classes a week (if you count my private sessions when Carey makes me do mat), so I’ve done spine stretch in a class over 100 times.     Suddenly a few weeks ago, I actually felt my spine stretch!   Let me be clear.   I’ve always felt some stretch.   Usually, I felt a hamstring stretch during that exercise.    I’ve felt my shoulders stretch.   But when I focused on breathing as Carey coached me, when I tried to take note of every cue she gave – I felt my spine stretch.   Now it’s becoming one of my favorite reward exercises because it feels so good.   You know what a reward exercise is — right?   The exercises between the really hard ones that you really enjoy?   When I concentrate on the cues I’m given, I feel that spine stretch in my spine, in my hamstrings and in my neck and shoulders.

[tweetthis remove_hidden_hashtags=”true”]Do you wonder why a #PIlates exercise is named because you feel it somewhere else? [/tweetthis]

The lesson for other students?    The names aren’t just for the instructors!    The names help us understand the exercise.    Joseph Pilates must have been pretty incredible.    He came up with all the exercises that we do in classical pilates and all the equipment that we use.   If he decided to name something spine stretch, the name is probably a clue that the student would feel something in their spine!      Pilates is a journey, and there’s a lot of learning and thinking along the way.

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I follow pilates hashtags on twitter now, because I learn a lot.   There are stories about Joseph Pilates, the benefits of Pilates, and videos of many professionals doing the various exercises.  I saw a tweet last night where a student had posted a Tumbler photo of herself doing backstretch (I think), and she called it elephant.   I would tell her, what I wrote here.    Pay attention to the name of the exercise, because Mr. Pilates knew what he was doing.    Whether it’s an exercise like spine stretch or long spine, to the animal exercises like seal or elephant, there’s always something in the name and an elephant just didn’t have triceps to work!

Becky
Rivercity Pilates student, and part time blogger!

For those of you that might want to perfect that spine stretch — here’s a video from the RivercityPilates YouTube channel.

Shelly’s Story: 12 months of Pilates Teacher Training

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IMG_1933Today, as I finished another tally sheet for my teacher training log book, I realized that I have been on the road to becoming a Pilates instructor for just over a year. Wow, how the time has flown! Knowing that I have let other things in my life take priority over Pilates in the past month, I decided to take this opportunity for some self-reflection. So, I set aside my long, ever-present to-do list, and reflected on what I have accomplished in my first year in the Body Precision Comprehensive Teacher Training Program, and where I want to focus my energy in the upcoming months.

Before moving forward, I took a few minutes to look back at why I decided to go through the Body Precision Comprehensive Teacher Training Program….
I decided to go through the program for both personal and professional reasons.  On a personal level, I wanted to learn the method in more depth and refine my own practice.  I enjoy learning on my own, but do best when I am part of a structured program, so the Body Precision Comprehensive Teacher Training Program seemed like the best way for me to take my practice to the next level.

On a professional level, I wanted to learn the method so I could incorporate Pilates principles and exercises in to my work as a physical therapist. Pilates incorporates many principles that are familiar to me as a physical therapist and I think the method will be a good addition to my practice. It was important to me to learn the method in more detail before incorporating it in to my professional practice.

Then I thought about what I have accomplished in the past year…
I completed all of the workshop hours and a little less than half of the observation hours, practice teaching, and lessons required for the comprehensive program. More importantly, I gained a deeper understanding of the Pilates method and learned what most of the exercises feel like in my body, or at least what they feel like right now.   And, most surprisingly, despite adding more “requirements” to my life, I found better balance. Better balance between work and personal life. Better balance in my emotions. Better balance in my body.

What has been my biggest challenge in the past year?…
Time!   When I contemplated starting the teacher training program, I was concerned about the amount of time I would need to dedicate to the program. I have a full-time job, and then some. I had just finished a 4 year graduate program, had a paper to revise, and had a fall class to teach. Did I really have time for Pilates? Maybe I needed to slow down and take a break. Was I really ready to jump in to another commitment? Well, I decided to take the plunge and I am glad I did. Finding time to dedicate to Pilates has been a challenge, however. I try to combat the challenge by scheduling time each week for observation, practice teaching, and my own practice. And when all else fails, I remind myself that even if I get in as many hours as I would like each week, I am still making progress.

Where I want to focus my energy in the upcoming months…
Getting back to scheduling time for me! Fall is a busy time of year for me, much like it is for other people…. It is back-to-school time (I teach a physical therapy class in the fall semester), football season (Go Hawks!), and a busy time of year for work-related conferences. Amidst all of the other demands on my time, I want to get back to making Pilates a priority on my schedule. I always feel great when I walk in the studio… the hard part is putting it on my schedule.  So, for the next few months, I am going to focus on getting Pilates on my schedule at least three days a week!

Shelly
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How Target and Ana Caban inspired the start of my Pilates career…

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Ana Caban

Ana Caban

Little did I know, that a videotape that I picked up shopping at Target would change my life.  As a personal trainer, those workout videos that Target puts on the ends of the aisles, always attracted me, and one day I picked up a Gaiam Beginning / Intermediate Pilates Mat Work videotape with Ana Caban.

My journey started in my living room in Pennsylvania watching the video and doing mat work on the living room floor.  I was 24, a runner, a personal trainer and I wanted to try this Pilates thing that people were talking about.   I remember how I enjoyed Ana’s VCR video class.  I was able to add it in to my workouts on a regular basis and it made me want to do more.  I honestly had no idea how much more there was.  As a personal trainer I thought, ‘This is good stuff and I can do it pretty well – I should learn how to teach it so I can share it with my clients”.

[tweetthis remove_hidden_hashtags=”true”]How did @Target and @AnaCaban inspire the start of my #pilates career? [/tweetthis]

I did a little research (the internet was not quite as developed way back then) and found an instructor training course in Philadelphia near where we lived and I signed up.  It turned out after I signed up there were IMG_3856requirements you had to do before the class started.  Who knew?  One of the first requirements was taking a certain number of classes or lessons from qualified instructors.  So I figured I’d better try to find somewhere to take a class or a lesson if I wanted to be able to take this course I paid for!  It turns out there was a studio a few miles from our house that offered classes.  I stopped in one day and asked about the class schedule.  The woman at the front desk explained that usually they recommend everyone starts with a private introductory lesson before a class. I of course told her I had been practicing regularly with my video at home and was a personal trainer and she agreed I would probably be fine in class. Thank goodness as I really didn’t want to have to pay for a private lesson-they were expensive!

I remember taking my first class with Mariah and doing fairly well (or at least in my eyes I did) and I really felt like I recognized most of the exercises as I had done them on my video.  So I started attending on a regular basis so I could get ready for my instructor course (or so I thought…).  It turns out Mariah was an apprentice instructor in the Body Precision instructor training program at the studio and we became friends.  When she found out I was a personal trainer she asked me about trading personal training sessions for Pilates sessions, which of course sounded great for me.  As much as I had been loving Pilates, it was expensive and so if I could do it for FREE I was all in!

This is where the fun really began.  It turns out there was sooo much more to this Pilates thing than I had even imagined.  After a few private sessions with Mariah I realized I had no idea what I was doing (and no business trying to teach) and quickly cancelled my reservation for the Pilates training course I originally signed up for.  I realized I might need to learn a little bit more first before I entered a teacher training course. I also started to get to know the instructors at the Body Precision studio where I was taking classes and sessions and really wanted to train with and under them if I was going to pursue this Pilates teaching thing.

I continued to take sessions with Mariah and signed up for the Body Precision training program as soon as I possibly could (and as soon as they gave me the approval!).  Looking back I probably could have used more time practicing Pilates before jumping in to teaching, but I was anxious to learn and an eager student and it all worked out!  Teaching Pilates was exactly what I was looking for in my life.  I have always loved to move and exercise and the Pilates method made so much sense to me.

Even though I was a certified personal trainer when I found Pilates I felt like I really was not very qualified to teach and train people.  I had read the personal training book, studied the materials and took and passed a test.  I worked out myself but always felt a little unsure of my ability to train others.  I had no experience working with clients and really didn’t understand the body and how it moved.  I had no idea how to adapt exercises for different bodies or how to truly help people move better and make progress in their bodies.

When I found Pilates as a profession I knew it was for me.   I was so, so excited by the extent of the comprehensive training program.  This was not a program where you read a book, take a test and you’re certified.   This was a program with workshop time and I would spend hours (& hours & hours) watching trained instructors and learning from them.   I would have to take private lessons and classes and learn the work so deeply that I could pass a performance test at the end, and I would have plenty of hours to practice teach.  Then as a bonus I could actually make money doing all of this!!

Little did I know 16 years ago, that watching that video would lead me to a new career I love, an opportunity to own my own business and teach at my own studio, and most of all, the opportunity to do what I love every single day.    I’ve not ever met or taken a real session with Ana, but I am grateful for her video that inspired me in my Pilates and life journey!!

Interested in exploring Pilates as a career or maybe just a part time passion?  Learn more about the Body Precision Pilates instructor training programs that we offer at Rivercity Pilates by clicking here!  Maybe you are pretty new to Pilates and just want to try it out?  Check out our Youtube Video Library and you too can try this Pilates thing out in the comfort of your living room!

 

Summers are hard on stay at home Moms

photo from jeffgreenhouse.com

Sometimes the stars are aligned, and sometimes…….

Summertime for a stay at home mom of three young children is hard work. Much harder than the school year. Add in to the mix a husband that works 60-70 hours a week and you’ve got yourself one tired momma. I only get Mom-time when the stars align.

My trips to Rivercity Pilates has been limited to mostly 4:00 pm Sunday yoga for the past few months since that’s about the only time that my husband is home to watch the kids.

Kimberly demonstrating and cueing!

Kimberly demonstrating and cueing!

A few weeks ago, the stars aligned and I found myself free on a Tuesday evening with no little league game on the calendar and my husband home at a reasonable time. With shaky fingers, I signed up for Kimberly’s 6:30 pm Tower class, certain that my recent absence from Pilates would slow down the class and earn me glaring eyes from everyone else who knew what they were doing.

When I entered, I joked with Kim that I’d be lucky to walk out of the class alive after not having been to a Pilates class in so long. She quickly calmed my nerves and said it would be like a private lesson since I was the only one signed up for the class. The stars really were on my side that night as I eased back in to my Pilates practice with Kim’s gentle guide and reassurance that I was, in fact, breathing correctly and swinging like a ballerina rather than a chimpanzee on the Cadillac.

I later joked with Carey that it was like a first date and Kim said all the right things! With any luck, the stars will align in my favor soon so I can return to life on the mat regularly.

~Amber, stay at home mom of 3 who LOVES her Yoga and Pilates mom time!!

[tweetthis]Mom time for #Fitness is hard to find in the summer! One Mom’s story[/tweetthis]

 

 

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