Pilates Journal

I’ve been teaching Pilates since 2002 but still remember what it felt like to be brand new to this profession. I had just finished my first Comprehensive Teacher Training Program and nervously entered the trenches of private lessons and group classes. As a young Black woman that commuted from “The Valley”, I didn’t exactly fit ...

When life gives me lemons I… don’t always make lemonade. I sometimes let them sour my thoughts. And then I surrender to a downward spiral where I indulge in negative mental chatter, self-pity and self-loathing. That inevitably leads to an indulgence in Grub Hub deliveries, chocolate chip cookies and mindless television. Plus, long scrolls across ...

A common phrase amongst Pilates teachers is to "Teach the body in front of you". I understand the intent but, to me, it's always sounded a bit dehumanizing. I started teaching Pilates in 2002, but ever since 2000, I’ve been hanging onto the words of one of my favorite massage school teachers who said to ...

This Gemini wields a dual superpower of movement and stillness which, I guess, matches my extroverted-introvert personality. When those two powers coalesce I'm imbued with an invaluable sense of connection to myself and others. Stillness is my sacred alone time where copal and candles burn. In this space, gravity bears no weight on my mind. ...

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 ...

My inner-child wants me to reclaim her. For the last six months she’s been trying to break-free from a time-out I subconsciously imposed. I guess I was keeping her hidden to protect her sensitive little spirit, and lost track of the years. But with my inner-child out of sight and out of mind, I was ...

Pilates is trending because the fitness industry has realized it’s a profitable buzz word. So “Pilates” is used to market just about any type exercise, fitness prop or equipment; even if it shares no resemblance whatsoever to the Method that Joseph Pilates created. But it brings in the dollars because consumers seeking a “Pilates body” ...

that the world is getting meaner; and especially on social media. As society becomes increasingly polarized on socio-politico-economic issues, I have to pause, breathe deeply and maybe disengage before allowing myself to react versus  responding thoughtfully, if that’s what I choose. And even more so when I’m triggered and can feel my emotions churn heatedly ...