Tag Archive for: Yoga Iowa City

Not starting Pilates or Yoga because it’s hard is not an excuse (anymore!!)

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I overheard a conversation the other day ago where a couple of my Pilates clients were talking about the new Yoga class we were offering. One of the students had been taking the class and mentioned to the other student she should try it.  Her response was ,”I probably should…but Yoga is hard!”    This struck me as a little bit funny because as her Pilates teacher…I’ve seen how hard she works in my Pilates classes.  

If you’ve done Pilates, you know that there is not necessarily anything easy about Pilates. Pilates requires you to be completely present in the moment, focusing on your breath, your movements, your alignment, your core engagement and I personally feel like it is never “easy”. As much as I love to move and exercise my body I kind of think it’s alway “hard” to regularly exercise.   It’s hard to make myself add it in (even when I don’t feel like it), it’s hard to stay focused on what I’m doing in the moment and it’s hard to not want to quit when my muscles get tired and feel like they are working!  So I guess it seems logical that when anybody is contemplating doing something new, that we might use the excuse “it’s going to be hard”  as a way to justify not doing it.  I kind of see it as our mind’s way of tricking us into not being vulnerable enough to try something new…even though that something new might have immense benefits in our life!   

If you are one of those people who is not trying Pilates or Yoga because you think it’s too hard, maybe it’s time to change the story you are telling yourself. Try telling yourself that learning a new movement practice is a challenge for everyone, but the challenge is what in the long run is going to help you get results in your body.   Starting a new movement practice is never easy and because of that the staff at Rivercity Pilates always makes sure to do their best to create an environment that you can succeed in and actually enjoy.  Here’s just a few of the things we do:

  • We get to know you before your first class.  We offer a complimentary private session to all clients so we can get to know you and your body before you take your first class. We do this so we can make you as comfortable and at ease as possible for your first class! We find that this helps us create the best possible movement experience for you.  As a client, it’s kind of like already having a friend on your first day of school… 
  • Each exercise will be taught in a way that is doable in your body!  There will always be lots of options on how to do an exercise and you’ll feel completely comfortable choosing the version that feels best in your body
  • There are no unreasonable expectations.  You don’t have to worry about being the only one in class not able to twist like a pretzel or stand on your head….. our classes focus on functional movements that don’t require you to already be super flexible or know how to do some acrobatic move! 
  • We won’t single you out and over correct everything you do, Our teachers are great at teaching in a way that ensures you are doing things properly and not injuring yourself without making you feel silly or embarrassed because you are working on things!  
  • Exercises will always be safe for your body.  Safety is always on the top of our instructors mind and you will be coached on how to do exercises as safely and as effectively as possible in your body!
  • The class atmosphere will be positive and inspiring!  Our teachers are pros at creating a great environment to work out in!  You’ll walk out of classes not only with a great workout, but feeling good about what you did and enjoying your movement time!  

Ready to try out a new movement practice like Pilates or Yoga in your life?  We would love to get to know you and introduce you to a mindful movement practice!! Schedule a complimentary session to meet us and see if we’ll be a good fit for you! 

Meet the Instructor: Dominque

Dominque teaches hatha yoga at 8am on Saturdays!  

Tell us about yourself / your family. 
I am the oldest of three, the only girl. Grew up playing sports and going on lots of camping trips. I grew up in the Northwest, so I am used to the rain, pine trees, and people who commute to work by bicycle. I love the ocean, not the white sandy beaches most people imagine, but the rocky cliffs of the Oregon coast, full of tide pools, sea lion coves and often shadowed by overcast weather. I broke a lot of bones as a kid, some were the fault of my younger brother (I’m terribly competitive) and others were the fault of my own wildness. Dad taught me to be tough, I remember walking home from the park near my house after a spill, and then being in a foot cast the next day. My mother and I look the same, especially when I’m home for the holidays and raid her closet. I moved away from home rather young because of ballet, but we’ve always been a close family. We have a lot of matching pajama sets, its our traditional Christmas eve gift. Last years theme was polar bears, the year before that I think was red and green plaid- makes for a very organized Christmas morning family photo. 

Describe yourself in 5 words.
Confident. Self-critical. Passionate. Adventurous. Artistic.

When/Why did you start practicing Yoga?
I began my yoga journey my first year at Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre’s professional training program, as we had yoga classes bi-weekly as cross training. My first year in the program I had issues with a reoccurring injury and self-confidence, but I was lucky enough to have a phenomenal yoga teacher who recognized my struggle and nurtured me. I began to take yoga daily and it provided the balance I needed in my life.

Favorite restaurant:
Barley & Rye, it’s a farm to table restaurant in the quad cities

If money were no object, what would you do all day?
Dance!!

Why did you become a Yoga teacher?
I wanted to share something that I know works with others

Describe why you love Yoga in three words.
It feels good.  

Would you rather hike or bike?  
Hike

If you could live anywhere in the world — where would you want to live?
New Zealand

What are your favorite ways to incorporate movement into your life in addition to Yoga?
Dancing! Also, anything outside, I often take my yoga mat to the park, I love biking, hiking, I recently went kayaking for the first time in the Adirondacks, that was pretty neat

Do you have a guilty pleasure?    Something that is generally looked upon as wrong — but you keep doing it?
I eat peanut butter straight from the jar!

 

 

Pilates Cadillac teacher training starts in February!  

Upcoming Workshops:
Pilates Cadillac Teacher Training
Two workshops – 12 hours $450

Saturday February 18th  12 pm to 6pm
Saturday, February 25th 12 pm to 6 pm

Prerequisite: Completion of Module 1 (Pilates Mat training)

  • Complementing the Pilates Mat & Reformer is the repertoire of the Cadillac/Pole System. This adds an array of exercises to give the teacher additional tools to use when working with clients. We will look on proper technique, modifications for client issues and compensations, safety, teacher spotting and anatomy as it relates to the exercises
  • This workshop will give you the tools to teach Cadillac/ Tower System individually as well as in a small class setting
  • Training Manual: $25
The highly regarded Body Precision Teaching Training Programs specializes in teaching the classical Pilates method of exercise to any body.
For more information, click here or schedule a time to talk in person with Carey about training opportunities.
Contact us at: rcpilates1@gmail.com or 319.665-2499.

Roll Out Relief – A Workshop to Reset the Whole Body

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Whether you are a Yogi, a Pilates practitioner or just want to feel better in your body and release some tightness, aches and pains….this workshop is for you.  Shara will guide you through self-massage and myofascial release techniques that are sure to leave you with greater range of mobility, decreased muscle tightness and an overall sense of wellbeing.  This workshop will be October 8th  from 11a -12:30p and will cost $20.

therapyballsThe Roll Model® method is a model of self-care that is easy and accessible to people of all activity levels. Muscular and myofascial release is obtained by the specific application of “therapy balls” in targeted locations, think upper back and neck. The result is a reshaping of your body into one that has less pain, is suppler and has a greater range of movement. What are you waiting for!

All levels welcome, even those with no movement experience. Therapy balls will be provided for you to use.    Register by clicking this link!
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I don’t like to talk about what Yoga is…

We offer many Yoga classes at Rivercity Pilates.

We offer many Yoga classes at Rivercity Pilates.

I often get asked about difference between Pilates and Yoga. I can tell you I feel very comfortable talking about what Pilates is, the benefits, the order, the anatomy of exercises, the breath,and what it can do for your life, etc. I’m not so comfortable talking about the Yoga in the same way.

I have practiced Yoga off and on throughout the years but I’ve never studied it the way I’ve studied and practiced Pilates over the years. The amount of time, effort and constant digging into the Pilates method I do makes me more and more uncomfortable  trying to share credible information about Yoga. Yoga has been around much longer than Pilates and I know that even though I’ve taken classes and practice on my own I’m a newbie to the juice of Yoga. I don’t have a good deep understanding of the poses and why we do them, the order we do them or how changing something small in the alignment or positioning could change the whole pose. I know too much about movement and it’s complexities to realize I’m not giving it the credit it deserves.

So if you’ve asked me a question about Yoga and I don’t answer it as thoroughly as you might like, I apologize and I’ll gladly refer you to one of our amazing Yoga instructors at the studio who can answer your questions in much more detail!!  For those who are curious about both Pilates and Yoga I often recommend people trying both with a qualified instructor and see if one clicks with them more than the other.  Movement practices like Pilates, Yoga, Tai Chi, and others can be life changing and I really believe it’s worth taking some time to explore these practices in depth to find one that fits into your life!

Do you think you need to stretch more?

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Something I hear often from people when they know I own a Pilates and Yoga studio is,” I am soooooo unflexible, I really need to take Yoga.”  It is true that that many people could use more flexibilty in their bodies and a mind body practice like Yoga may help, but I find that most people don’t understand the process of how to gain that flexibility.  I get the impression that many people believe they need to sit around and stretch more and that would do the trick.  That if they just sat on the floor with their legs in a V and leaned forward into a stretch on a regular basis that would make them more flexible (and it might help a little!)

Just stretching is often not the answer.  In the Pilates method of exercise we work on creating uniform development in the body.  In simple terms this means we create balance in the body around our joints by not only stretching what is tight but also strengthening what is weak.  Joseph Pilates knew that the best way to create this balance in our body was not by isolating a stretch or a single strength training exercise (like a bicep curl), but ideally we teach our body to move as a whole while using our mind to fine tune our alignment and keep our body in balance.  You see this is how our body works on a day to day basis.

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We don’t stop and think about picking up a bag of groceries and what muscles we are going to use, we just do it.  If we are healthy and our body is pretty balanced this movement happens easily and with not too much effort (which is ideal) and truly engages the whole body.  The Pilates method of exercise is designed to teach you how to move your body through various planes of movement with ease, balance and proper alignment so that you can re-create those patterns of movement in your life.   By practicing your alignment and balancing your body in your Pilates practice you will find that your muscles naturally lengthen, your spine moves with ease, and you’ll have flexibility you never dreamed of (without having to sit and stretch for hours.)

Not sure if you believe me yet?  We’ve included below a short Pilates workout that is easy enough to do every day.  Take our challenge and simply add this mini workout in 3 times a week for the next month and let us know what happens…