Kate!

So what if I was a Pilates teacher?  That’s what I’ve been tossing around in my head for the past few years weeks and this month’s challenge was a perfect opportunity to experiment.  Undertaking a reputable certification program someday would involve lots of time and money, so I really wanted to proactively investigate how I would feel instructing within the Pilates system.  I’ve been an on/off student for 8 years and I feel extremely comfortable with how to perform a Pilates mat workout, but articulating the exercises to someone who is totally unfamiliar made me a little nervous.  Short story: It was fantastic!

In order to make this tryout happen, a wonderful friend volunteered to come to my apartment today and be a willing and able student.  He had no prior experience or knowledge of Pilates, but he’s quite fit and knows how to work intelligently with his body.  Once he confirmed, I knew that preparation would be key to maximizing this trial session.  First, I created a lesson plan for a basic, beginner mat with some built-in flexibility depending on how it was progressing.  Then I had a couple of amazing friends give me some great advice.  One is in the process of obtaining her Pilates certification now and gave me excellent tips about setup, timing, and cues.  Another is a professional yoga teacher who shared important perspectives about working with someone in a one-on-one setting.  With all this information stored in my head, I then just had to let it happen.

And it did.  It happened.  My friend seemed to learn a lot and was interested in learning more.  What more could I ask for?  Should I want to pursue a career teaching Pilates, I definitely need some work on verbal instruction.  That said though, I am extremely positive about the whole experience.  Mostly I was excited to discover that Pilates really does excite me.  It’s a system that I believe in and feel confident about.  I would love to lose some of its language, but the movements and exercises are truly beautiful.

I also like teaching!  I have had a variety of teaching experiences in my life ranging lots of ages and lots of topics, some informal and others more professional, but none of them were recent.  I enjoy learning and I enjoy sharing what I learn.  No matter what path I may take, this week has been a clear lesson to me to find ways in which teaching can be a part of my life.

Thank you!

B

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