We all start our Pilates careers with our own unique fears and insecurities based on personal life experiences. Added to that is the anxiety around:

Will I remember… what to teach & how to teach it correctly? the spring settings? safety precautions? exercise contraindications for specific conditions? the number of repetitions for each exercise? exercise modifications?
appropriate exercise progressions?

… all while maintaining a confident exterior as nerves buzz relentlessly throughout our bodies. Being a new Pilates teacher is absolutely overwhelming.

Our students are more than just bodies that we dictate orders to or try to “fix”. They are human beings with their own unique personalities, learning styles, goals, strengths, weaknesses, feelings, emotions, and insecurities. To be a student is to be vulnerable. So, as Pilates teachers, it’s highly valuable to regularly evaluate the learning environment we’re creating and to find ways to make it feel more welcoming and safe. That’s just as important as the exercises themselves.

Before becoming a Pilates teacher, you were a student of the Method. Not a casual student, but an obsessed one. After all, you discovered how Pilates makes you feel more connected to your body, the way it moves and its potential for movement. It was exciting to realize that you could feel like an athlete at any age, weight, shape or size; even if you had no prior exercise experience. And if you had previous pain or injuries, Pilates may have accelerated your healing and helped you to recover. Whatever unique transformation you experienced from having a consistent Pilates practice, that’s what inspired you to become a Pilates Teacher!

When done “right” you’ll progressively build full-body strength for optimal physical function and ease of movement. You’ll feel physically and mentally empowered which will, in turn, have a profound impact on all of your daily lifestyle activities. That type of transformation requires breaking old postural and movement habits and building new ones. So when you’re doing Pilates “right” your workouts will consist of purpose-driven, full-body exercises that revolve around progressive skill-building.

Something that inspires me is Joseph Pilates’ philosophy about fitness. He believed that “physical fitness is the first requisite to happiness”. Yes, happiness! And he designed his exercise system of Contrology, aka The Pilates Method, for the “complete coordination of body, mind and spirit”. What a contrast to the fitness industry that wants you to believe that the goal of exercise is limited to weight loss or trying to look like the “hottest” celebrities and fitness influencers. I prefer Joseph Pilates’ holistic approach to fitness because it’s far easier to make exercise a lifestyle habit when your primary goal is to feel good so that you can live your life to the fullest! 

Pilates certainly feels good, but is it practical in today’s economy? I say – if you value your physical, mental, and emotional health – absolutely! I can personally attest to the fact that Pilates often interrupts the anxiety triggered by feelings of uncertainty, news headlines, and my own Facebook feed. Plus, a good workout always…