I just returned from a camping vacation. It was the first vacation I have taken for the sake recreation since 2003. Every other time that I have travelled in the past 10 years has been for a wedding, or a workshop, or work. Sure, I have a day off here or there, but my first realization is that for the sake of my own sanity, I definitely need to plan on more time to rest and relax.
The best thing about this vacation was that I was literally off the grid. No cell phone reception. This means no access to the studio and the studio has no access to me.
It was liberating.
It made me realize a lot of things.
I'm addicted to my workload. For the first couple of days, it was really hard for me to slow down and stop worrying.
My little iphone makes things too fast for me and everyone else. The immediacy makes us all so quick to respond, and I find that a lot of things don't get thought through thoroughly.
So, for me, I am going to continue to keep things a little slower. Just because we can go faster, doesn't mean we have to.
I'm not saying, I'm going to travel through life at a snail's pace. When expediency is necessary, I can pick up the pace. But speed for speed's sake seems to lead to more accidents, mistakes, and stress than success.
Slow and steady wins the race.
Monday, June 27, 2011
Sunday, May 29, 2011
The Justice
When you reach a place in any Pilates exercise where you tremble or vibrate a little in your abdominal muscles and you hear me say, "There's the justice," I don't mean it as punishment. It's mostly a little joke that started with one of my students about a year ago. I was trying to explain to her that sometimes when you are new to Pilates or even if you are a seasoned student and approaching something challenging, your muscles will tremble a little. It doesn't hurt, and even though you think you might "feel" it the next day, you usually don't. I was teaching this student the rollback on the cadillac for the first time and I was making her go slowly taking a breath to imprint practically each vertebra one at a time when she started trembling. In the moment, I went to say,"There you go, did I do it justice, the way that I explained it?" What came out of my mouth was, "There you go, am I doing the justice?" She continued, still trembling, and said, "Yes! You're doing the justice!"
From there on out, we decided to call that moment of deep challenge "the justice."
From there on out, we decided to call that moment of deep challenge "the justice."
Saturday, April 30, 2011
The Method
Twice we have gotten people calling the studio asking the same question:
What method do you teach in your studio?
I hold myself back from saying, "The Pilates Method" because I think that would be a little cheeky.
My response to them is that we are a mixed method studio, and that unfortunately is never the answer that they are looking for.
In both occassions, they have responded with "but what method?!?"
So, I list the certifications that are held by different instructors: BASI, STOTT, PMA, etc and hope that the person on the other end will find something to cling to.
In both cases, none of this information was satisfying.
The first time the woman on the other end of the phone asked with horror, "But with so many different backgrounds how do you teach?" ...as though without some stringent identifiable format that every instructor adheres to people would be falling off of the Reformers and leave the room with their heads on backwards.
I explained that we all adhered to the same fundamental principles and that we met once a week to work out together and share ideas and our understanding of different exercises, and that doing so we all develop a deeper comprehension of the work.
She still said, "but I don't understand how that works."
I told her the one hundreds are still the one hundreds, the roll up is still the roll up.
She wasn't buying it. I think that she wanted me to say I was certified by a certain person whose name I won't mention at risk of starting a stupid back and forth that I've seen elsewhere in the Pilates community regarding this woman, but if you're in the industry you know who people like this are most easily associated with.
The second phone call of this nature was similar in tone, very terse and aggressive. So, I even asked her what method she was looking for so I could tell her which of our instructors might best suit her, but she refused to answer me. She just insisted that I list the programs my instructors have attended, and as I was doing so, she hung up. Yes, hung up. Very mature.
These convarsations just make me shake my head for the rest of the day. There is no one way to teach Pilates. I believe in the talent and intelligence of our instructors. Not one of them would trash another instructor or their abilities, especially with regard to anyone's certification. I feel sad for students who are indoctrinated to believe that a "label"of a certain method or the teachings of only one person surpass the wisdom and understanding of others. They are missing out on a lot of great knowledge by clinging to one ideal. Perhaps in both of these circumstances, the person on the other end of the phone chooses to be so stringent in their thinking on their own. However, if that single minded line of thinking came from their instructor, shame on them for perpetuating the mythology that only one person or "method" could know how to teach Pilates.
The next time someone calls, I am just going to come out and say it.
What method do we teach? The Pilates method.
What method do you teach in your studio?
I hold myself back from saying, "The Pilates Method" because I think that would be a little cheeky.
My response to them is that we are a mixed method studio, and that unfortunately is never the answer that they are looking for.
In both occassions, they have responded with "but what method?!?"
So, I list the certifications that are held by different instructors: BASI, STOTT, PMA, etc and hope that the person on the other end will find something to cling to.
In both cases, none of this information was satisfying.
The first time the woman on the other end of the phone asked with horror, "But with so many different backgrounds how do you teach?" ...as though without some stringent identifiable format that every instructor adheres to people would be falling off of the Reformers and leave the room with their heads on backwards.
I explained that we all adhered to the same fundamental principles and that we met once a week to work out together and share ideas and our understanding of different exercises, and that doing so we all develop a deeper comprehension of the work.
She still said, "but I don't understand how that works."
I told her the one hundreds are still the one hundreds, the roll up is still the roll up.
She wasn't buying it. I think that she wanted me to say I was certified by a certain person whose name I won't mention at risk of starting a stupid back and forth that I've seen elsewhere in the Pilates community regarding this woman, but if you're in the industry you know who people like this are most easily associated with.
The second phone call of this nature was similar in tone, very terse and aggressive. So, I even asked her what method she was looking for so I could tell her which of our instructors might best suit her, but she refused to answer me. She just insisted that I list the programs my instructors have attended, and as I was doing so, she hung up. Yes, hung up. Very mature.
These convarsations just make me shake my head for the rest of the day. There is no one way to teach Pilates. I believe in the talent and intelligence of our instructors. Not one of them would trash another instructor or their abilities, especially with regard to anyone's certification. I feel sad for students who are indoctrinated to believe that a "label"of a certain method or the teachings of only one person surpass the wisdom and understanding of others. They are missing out on a lot of great knowledge by clinging to one ideal. Perhaps in both of these circumstances, the person on the other end of the phone chooses to be so stringent in their thinking on their own. However, if that single minded line of thinking came from their instructor, shame on them for perpetuating the mythology that only one person or "method" could know how to teach Pilates.
The next time someone calls, I am just going to come out and say it.
What method do we teach? The Pilates method.
Monday, April 25, 2011
The agony and the ecstasy.
You can't please all of the people, all of the time.
It's amazing to me that in a single evening, a single hour, a person can experience to completely opposite ends of the spectrum.
We have had a student come into the studio who had a lot of trouble with our scheduling and cancellation policies. Long story short, she discontinued her training because she sound the 24 hour cancellation policy and online scheduling system confusing, and could only train at a single specific hour on a single specific day, a time and day which happens to be an advanced group class that is already full on a regular basis. When she informed me that she would not be returning, I was crestfallen. We, my other instructors, receptionist, and myself have tried to be respectfully clear from the beginning with her, but we have watched, with curiosity, as she proceeded as though our world as though the 455 other people who have attended our classes didn't exist.
When I get home, there is an email from Cheryl. Cheryl is the second Cheryl that I have trained that has been inspiring. There must be something in that name. She had tried a CARDIOLATES class tonight which she wasn't sure she was ready for, and she made it through, and had dropped me a line to let me know that she thought it was awesome that she made it through, but that one of her calves hurt and she is bordering on being discouraged, but that she was determined to stick to it. Responding to that email was the most satisfying thing I have done all day, all week. I had a person at the other end who came to me looking for help, and I could help her. I could tell her that it'll be okay, that I know how she is feeling, that it's my job to help her get where she's going, and I could let her know that I was there for her. The exchange felt so easy, so right.
It makes me wonder, the first occurrence, the agony situation, could I have done something different? I failed her. I couldn't find a way in. If I had bent over all the way to be a good customer servant, 3 other students would have to slow down their progress to wait for her to catch up. I wonder if she were in their shoes if she would have been as amenable to someone who has only been to two classes coming into her class. I can only hope that she finds what she needs elsewhere.
It's amazing to me that in a single evening, a single hour, a person can experience to completely opposite ends of the spectrum.
We have had a student come into the studio who had a lot of trouble with our scheduling and cancellation policies. Long story short, she discontinued her training because she sound the 24 hour cancellation policy and online scheduling system confusing, and could only train at a single specific hour on a single specific day, a time and day which happens to be an advanced group class that is already full on a regular basis. When she informed me that she would not be returning, I was crestfallen. We, my other instructors, receptionist, and myself have tried to be respectfully clear from the beginning with her, but we have watched, with curiosity, as she proceeded as though our world as though the 455 other people who have attended our classes didn't exist.
When I get home, there is an email from Cheryl. Cheryl is the second Cheryl that I have trained that has been inspiring. There must be something in that name. She had tried a CARDIOLATES class tonight which she wasn't sure she was ready for, and she made it through, and had dropped me a line to let me know that she thought it was awesome that she made it through, but that one of her calves hurt and she is bordering on being discouraged, but that she was determined to stick to it. Responding to that email was the most satisfying thing I have done all day, all week. I had a person at the other end who came to me looking for help, and I could help her. I could tell her that it'll be okay, that I know how she is feeling, that it's my job to help her get where she's going, and I could let her know that I was there for her. The exchange felt so easy, so right.
It makes me wonder, the first occurrence, the agony situation, could I have done something different? I failed her. I couldn't find a way in. If I had bent over all the way to be a good customer servant, 3 other students would have to slow down their progress to wait for her to catch up. I wonder if she were in their shoes if she would have been as amenable to someone who has only been to two classes coming into her class. I can only hope that she finds what she needs elsewhere.
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Teacher vs. Trainer
With the influx of new students in the studio, I've been thinking a lot about my role as an instructor. Whenever we have a new student come in who indicates that he or she has previous experience, it could mean numerous things. Essentially, it means that I have to get to know two people in the training relationship without ever usually getting to meet the other trainer. Sometimes, it's lovely, and I want to send a thank you note for teaching such precise technique. In other cases, I wonder what happened. A student will insist that they are "advanced" but have never done short spine or will have no control or focus. Whatever the case, the best thing to do is roll with what the student brings into the room and try and isolate what the student wants: a teacher or a trainer.
When I began my Pilates education, the person who lead you through workouts was called a "Pilates Instructor." To me, that made a great deal of sense. What I was approaching was more than just exercises. It was a system, a language, and what made it all so interesting was the complexity of it. Back then, Pilates was not yet listed in Webster's dictionary and not many average people knew what it was.
While I went from student to apprentice to full fledged PMA certified instructor to studio director, Pilates went from a somewhat obscure practice to something performed by an estimated 10 million Americans. With that evolution there have certainly been growing pains throughout the industry, and several different species of instructors came into existence.
I am most comfortable as an instructor when I emulate those who taught me. While the workouts were always challenging, they were also educational. I always left invigorated with something physical to work on and something to think about. Instructors who teach this way I think of as "teachers."
Sometimes, however, I find that some people do not prefer to know or understand the work intellectually. They just want to move and often they just want to "feel the burn." As a younger instructor, I would have been easy to assume that those people just wouldn't "get" Pilates work, and I probably would just let them go their own way. Over the years, I have learned that there are all kinds of ways to learn and process information. I came to appreciate that some people can still connect with Pilates work without needing to understand the function. They just want or need to move. So, I learned to move them. In some ways it's easier, to give them physical direction and keep them in the right spot without explaining the why. When I put on this "role" in a class or session, this is when I feel like a "trainer."
Over the course of a training relationship, I find that I am both: the educator and the driving force. I have to figure out how that particular person receives instruction. Some people are more cerebral and some people are more kinetic. Of course, I also try to help them with balance between the two modes of learning. Sometimes, I have to work hard to get those cerebral folks moving so on some days I try to get them to "not think", and sometimes I have to focus in those kinetic learners because without a little bit of mind in their bodies, they lose control.
Teaching Pilates sometimes feels like spinning a plate at the tip of a stick, you know?
When I began my Pilates education, the person who lead you through workouts was called a "Pilates Instructor." To me, that made a great deal of sense. What I was approaching was more than just exercises. It was a system, a language, and what made it all so interesting was the complexity of it. Back then, Pilates was not yet listed in Webster's dictionary and not many average people knew what it was.
While I went from student to apprentice to full fledged PMA certified instructor to studio director, Pilates went from a somewhat obscure practice to something performed by an estimated 10 million Americans. With that evolution there have certainly been growing pains throughout the industry, and several different species of instructors came into existence.
I am most comfortable as an instructor when I emulate those who taught me. While the workouts were always challenging, they were also educational. I always left invigorated with something physical to work on and something to think about. Instructors who teach this way I think of as "teachers."
Sometimes, however, I find that some people do not prefer to know or understand the work intellectually. They just want to move and often they just want to "feel the burn." As a younger instructor, I would have been easy to assume that those people just wouldn't "get" Pilates work, and I probably would just let them go their own way. Over the years, I have learned that there are all kinds of ways to learn and process information. I came to appreciate that some people can still connect with Pilates work without needing to understand the function. They just want or need to move. So, I learned to move them. In some ways it's easier, to give them physical direction and keep them in the right spot without explaining the why. When I put on this "role" in a class or session, this is when I feel like a "trainer."
Over the course of a training relationship, I find that I am both: the educator and the driving force. I have to figure out how that particular person receives instruction. Some people are more cerebral and some people are more kinetic. Of course, I also try to help them with balance between the two modes of learning. Sometimes, I have to work hard to get those cerebral folks moving so on some days I try to get them to "not think", and sometimes I have to focus in those kinetic learners because without a little bit of mind in their bodies, they lose control.
Teaching Pilates sometimes feels like spinning a plate at the tip of a stick, you know?
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